Rumor Roundup: Backstage Notes On Possible Changes At Crown Jewel, NXT’s New Direction, More

1) Backstage Note On Possible Changes At Crown Jewel

According to Andrew Zarian on the Mat Men Podcast, WWE wants to change the narrative that the shows in Saudi Arabia don’t matter from a storyline perspective. They want to change the fact that these feel like glorified house shows where nothing of substance happens.

Here is what Zarian said:

It’s a big show, they’re giving away big matches in Saudi Arabia. It’s a money deal for them. Will there be any long-term changes to their storytelling? Most of the time, no but maybe we’ll see some changes happen this time around. Because I know the big deal for them has been [that] they are very much aware that the Saudi show seems like a nothing show. It just seems like a very big house show with no longer-term repercussions. But they want to change that and make this a show you want to watch. One o’clock in the afternoon on a Thursday is maybe not the most peak viewership but they don’t give a sh*t about peak viewership. They don’t care about any of that because they make the same amount of money no matter how many people watch live or not on Peacock. I would not be surprised if they continue on with these stories and stuff.”

My Take:

  • If true, then we can expect to see a big title change happen on this show. That seems like the best way to tell fans these shows matter and not to skip them.

What are some of the latest WWE rumors that you have heard? Let us know in the comments.

On a related note, check out my predictions for Wrestlemania 38.