WWE made the decision on Thursday that the Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia will still be going on as planned. This comes after the company has been receiving some major criticism from various mainstream outlets.
A few days ago, a report from Robbie Fox of Barstool Sports suggested that both Daniel Bryan and John Cena are refusing to work the event in Saudi Arabia.
WWE issued a statement to Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet when asked about these reports. Here is what they said:
“As always, we maintain an open line of communication with our performers and will address each situation accordingly.”
Satin says he has confirmed with sources that Bryan did tell WWE management that he will not work the show. This is due to the death of Jamal Khashoggi and the reported involvement of the Saudi Arabia government. Satin hasn’t heard anything about Cena.
As noted prior, Robbie Fox reported on Thursday that Cena is still standing his ground and will not be attending the event.
We will keep you updated with any new information as it comes in.
On a related note, check out our match predictions for WWE Crown Jewel.
If they didn’t want to be upfront about them just choosing not to attend, like they did with Sami Zayn and the Greatest Royal Rumble, I think they could write out Bryan as if he got attacked at the airport – like his seat on the plane was taken by someone who also takes his place in the match… The problem is if they try to write both of them out – I’m not sure how they’d explain two people off the card without saying someone else just took their spot.