5 things you need to know about WWE superstars refusing to perform in Saudi Arabia

So as you probably know, there have been multiple superstars who refused to perform at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia in a couple of weeks. This isn't different from last time, except more superstars have refused to perform.

Last time for Crown Jewel, Saudi Arabia were in the midst of a major scandal after the alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. With the PR nightmare that WWE was facing and external pressure to cancel the show, Daniel Bryan and John Cena both pulled out of their advertised appearances. It's believed that Roman Reigns, too, refused to perform, but the leukaemia announcement came before.

This year, we have four superstars who have reportedly refused to perform at Saudi Arabia - Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Aleister Black - three of whom are SmackDown superstars.

So why are they refusing to go and what exactly is it that you need to know about these superstars pulling out? Read for more.

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#5. They likely sacrificed a very lucrative payday

Aleister Black refused to perform as well

The superstars that perform at the Saudi Arabia show are usually given quite a lucrative payday. Legends in particular are given more, but that's a point we'll come back to. So in this case, you can clearly tell that it's not about money.

Because of the insane revenue that WWE gets from the Saudi Arabia shows, they're already pushing it as a show "as big" or "bigger" than WrestleMania. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that the revenue earned from these shows is more than WrestleMania, which only makes it obvious that the payday is better as well.

So all four superstars who refused will have knowingly given up a major payday - perhaps the biggest one of the year.

#4. 2 cases of superstars refusing to perform were for religious/political reasons

Sami Zayn is of Syrian-Muslim descent

As you probably might know, Sami Zayn is a Syrian Muslim. Due to the religious conflicts of the region and Saudi Arabia's hostile relations with Syria, Sami Zayn likely would have had to worry about his life if he went to Saudi Arabia.

It's similar to the case of Armenian football/soccer player Henrikh Mkhitaryan. He plays for Arsenal Football club, who will be travelling to Baku, Azerbaijan for a major European tournament final. Being an Armenian player, he was made to miss the final despite being a key player, primarily due to the hostility between Azerbaijan and Armenia and his own personal safety.

As for religious reasons, Aleister Black is a known Satanist, the first in WWE. While that doesn't really make a difference anywhere else, he likely has to worry about his life in a country which is known to be extremely religious in the most rigid way possible.

#3. Dolph Ziggler was a last-minute replacement for Kevin Owens

Dolph Ziggler made an unexpected return

What was very clear from the creative direction of things is that Kevin Owens was set to continue his rivlary against Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship post-Money in the Bank.

Despite the fact that he lost clean at Money in the Bank, WWE likely would have found a way to fit him in again, with Owens maybe having pinned Kingston in a non-title match. Either way, Kevin Owens' refusal to perform may very well have to do with the fact that Sami Zayn can't perform at the show either.

As a result of this, Dolph Ziggler was called in at the last minute, returning after nearly five months to attack Kingston and force himself into the WWE title picture. Make no mistake about it - Kingston vs Ziggler could very well be the show-stealer of the night if given the right amount of time.

#2. WWE won't punish any superstars for refusing to perform

Daniel Bryan won't be punished

It should be noted that despite superstars pulling out and refusing to perform, there's absolutely no heat on them. Remember last November when Daniel Bryan refused to perform at Saudi Arabia despite being scheduled for a WWE title match?

Well, they got the match out of the way a few days before, replaced him with Samoa Joe and less than a week before Survivor Series, Daniel Bryan got another WWE title shot and ended up winning it. Not so much of a punishment, is it?

The fact of the matter is that while WWE has been criticised a lot for the Saudi Arabia deal, they don't hold it against their superstars who refuse to perform. So in case you were wondering if your favourite superstar was going to get a push cancelled, that's not going to happen.

If anything, Kevin Owens might have an even higher chance of becoming champion now!

#1. WWE legends are pressured far more with higher paycheques

The demand for legends is higher

Ever wondered why Shawn Michaels and Goldberg among other names are coming back only for the Saudi Arabia shows? They're pressured a lot to do so from the higher-ups. For one, it's the Saudi Arabian officials and executives who usually demand major names on the show.

Since they were likely more in tune with WWE back in the day, they're more inclined to demand legends appearing. That's why Shawn Michaels was reportedly offered a sum of $3 million for his return match.

Goldberg, The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar will be virtually guaranteed for seven-figure paydays for even a small appearance at the Saudi shows. Shawn Michaels was very open about what happened in the situation with Crown Jewel. He stated that he was pressured immensely because the higher-ups wanted it. He said he would never do it again.