Did Roman Reigns ever refuse to go to Saudi Arabia and defend his WWE Universal Championship?

WWE is set to return to Saudi Arabia on Saturday for Night of Champions. Roman Reigns is among the stars who will compete at the show. He has already performed in the country several times, but there was an exception.

In 2018, the Stamford-based promotion announced a 10-year partnership with Saudi Arabia. Since then, multiple premium live events have been held in the country. However, numerous stars have decided not to participate in those events at different points. Besides Roman Reigns, John Cena, Kevin Owens, and more have decided to pass on a few shows over the years.

For those wondering, Roman Reigns refused to return to Saudi Arabia for the inaugural Crown Jewel event. While some might think it was due to personal reasons, Fightful reported otherwise.

At the 2018 Saudi Arabia event, Reigns was scheduled to face Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship. However, The Tribal Chief had to relinquish the title due to his struggle with leukemia. He seemingly requested not to perform in the country before his diagnosis.

The Universal Championship match at the event was changed to Lesnar vs. Strowman, where the former won. After receiving treatment, Roman Reigns returned to WWE the following year.

All three men have competed in Saudi Arabia in recent years. As a matter of fact, The Beast Incarnate will be joining The Head of the Table in Jeddah this weekend. Lesnar is going to face Cody Rhodes in a rematch. Meanwhile, Reigns will team up with Solo Sikoa against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn with the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship on the line.

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How does WWE star Roman Reigns feel about wrestling in Saudi Arabia?

It's no secret that the Stamford-based promotion's partnership with Saudi Arabia has garnered mixed reactions over the years. However, The Tribal Chief is optimistic about the company's association with the KSA.

In an interview with Philip Martinez of Newsweek, Reigns shared that he recognized the varying reactions from fans. However, he doesn't want to sit on the sidelines if the company is willing to explore new ventures.

"It [WWE's partnership with Saudi Arabia] gets a lot of mixed and negative reactions. The bottom line for me is if we're going to help promote change if we're going to set out to make an impact, then I have to be a part of it. I'm not going to sit on the sideline and talk about how we can get there. I want to be a part of the action."

It remains to be seen how Roman Reigns will perform in his upcoming high-stakes Night of Champions bout.