What if WWE doesn’t put on Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia?

Next month, WWE is scheduled to return to Saudi Arabia for the second time this year, still at the front end of a reported ten year deal worth tens of millions of dollars to the WWE organization. This second event, Crown Jewel, looks to be a blockbuster, with matches lined up like DX vs. the Brothers of Destruction, Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman, and AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan.

Any of those matches wouldn’t be entirely out of place at the top of a WrestleMania card, and that’s not getting into the World Cup tournament.

However, as international relations around Saudi Arabia grows dicey on account of the purported murder of a journalist, WWE is experiencing intense political pressure not to visit Saudi Arabia after all.

As of yet, WWE has only commented so far as to say they’re monitoring the situation. A number of sources have observed the company not explicitly referencing Saudi Arabia in advertising for the event anymore. This article speculates what will happen if WWE doesn’t bring Crown Jewel to Saudi Arabia.

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5. More caution with international shows

WWE may be reluctant in pursuing new international partnerships.

WWE has toured internationally for a very long time. Recent years, however, have definitely seen the company grow more aggressive in marketing not only house shows and small tours of other countries, but going so far as host major stadium events abroad and broadcasting them live on the WWE Network.

More than novelty cards, these shows have featured top talents, matches heavily built toward on Raw and SmackDown, and even in a title change in Buddy Murphy pinning Cedric Alexander at Super Show-Down.

As WWE gathered steam for Crown Jewel, it seemed as though these international shows may well become part of the fabric of the company. However, if Crown Jewel cannot go off as planned in Saudi Arabia, it may be a major signal that the company needs to pump the brakes and think more carefully about international partnerships, especially on this scale.

Of course, if WWE doesn’t return to the country, it will almost certainly mean a burned bridge between the company and the Saudi Arabian government.

4. The hunt for a domestic venue

Crown Jewel has been built significantly enough that it has to happen somewhere.

Between the DX vs. The Brothers of Destruction legends match; the blockbuster Triple Threat Match between Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, and Braun Strowman; AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship; and the World Cup Tournament WWE has invested too much time, effort and marketing into Crown Jewel to simply cancel the event.

No, if WWE doesn’t go back to Saudi Arabia, the smart money is on them finding the best venue they can in the States.

The Staples Center in Los Angeles has bailed WWE out of a jam before, when the company got boxed out of Denver due to an NBA Playoff scheduling snafu. Otherwise, WWE may look to stay close to its home base, and seek out a traditional venue like Madison Square Garden or the Barclay Center.

Then again there’s the wrestling hotbed of Chicago which has not only been very good to WWE in recent years, but also set the stage for All In to sell out a proper arena. In the end, the final choice will finally come down to scheduling, and who has the date available, and is ready to jump at hosting this show.

3. A domestic sellout

The sensational card for Crown Jewel should sell out any regular WWE arena, even on short notice.

While WWE would be in an awkward spot trying to move a Network special a mere two weeks or so before its set to air, there is some reassurance. WWE has thrown about everything it has at this show, including the historical importance of Shawn Michaels getting back in the ring, a star-studded Universal Championship match, and the potential for a five-star WWE Championship match.

With all of that potential and significance to WWE’s trajectory moving forward, it’s entirely reasonable to think that this show could sell out an arena in a major market on short notice.

Heck, in addition to local fans, there’s a fair enough argument that this would be a big enough card to justify fans flying in for it the way they would for a big five PPV, particularly with the electricity of the last minute venue change helping to push spontaneous decision making on the part of the ticket buyers.

2. A world title changes hands

A world title might change hands at Crown Jewel, especially if the event relocates.

If WWE ultimately decides that it has to relocate Crown Jewel, it will be the biggest instance of the company ever having to move a show, and is likely to be the most memorable aspect of the event from a historical perspective.

WWE management likes to control its narratives, and one way of reclaiming the story of this show would be to have something legitimately, historically important happen there, beyond a series of a high profile one off matches. While both Roman Reigns and AJ Styles are generally considered favorites to retain their titles going into this event, given the calibre of their challengers, it wouldn’t be totally out of left field for one of them to drop the title, too.

Brock Lesnar and Daniel Bryan are both former world champions who could quite reasonably collect at least a short title reign before dropping the title back (albeit with the logistical difficulties of getting Lesnar booked to appear again).

While WWE doesn’t seem to want to run with Braun Strowman as champ just yet, him taking the Universal Championship would probably produce the most memorable moment of all.

1. A women’s championship match on the card

The upside of not hosting Crown Jewel in Jeddah is that the women's roster could be back in play.

One of the more awkward parts about WWE’s shows in Saudi Arabia is that, concurrent with WWE pushing its women like never before, including an all women’s PPV within a week of Crown Jewel, Saudi Arabian culture won’t allow women to actually wrestle at their big, stadium shows.

If WWE were to wind up holding Crown Jewel domestically, it would very much open the door having a women’s match on the super show after all, and what better way to make that happen than with a women’s title on the line?

The general sense is that Ronda Rousey will make Nikki Bella tap at Evolution, and Charlotte Flair is favored to beat Becky Lynch. WWE would be unlikely to want either brand’s top female star to drop her title at Crown Jewel, but simply having the match would add a different dimension of star power to the show (particularly in Rousey’s case), and underscore one of the positives to the event not happening in Saudi Arabia after all.