WWE confirmed the participants in the Cruiserweight Championship match at the Greatest Royal Rumble last night. The promotion also officially added the names of several superstars into the 50-person Royal Rumble match scheduled for the event.

New additions officially unveiled recently include:

• Randy Orton
• Rey Mysterio
• Kevin Owens
• Shane McMahon
• the Great Khali

Superstars previously announced include:

• Daniel Bryan
• Braun Strowman
• Kurt Angle
• Chris Jericho
• Elias
• Bobby Roode
• Baron Corbin
• Big E
• Kofi Kingston
• Xavier Woods
• Apollo Crews
• Shelton Benjamin
• Sin Cara
• Chad Gable
• Goldust
• Titus O’Neil
• Mojo Rawley
• Dolph Ziggler

Other matches scheduled for Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble include:

• John Cena vs Triple H
• Casket Match: the Undertaker vs Rusev
• Universal Championship Match (Steel Cage): Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns
• WWE Championship Match: AJ Styles (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura
• Intercontinental Championship Match (Ladder Match): Seth Rollins (c) vs Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe vs The Miz
• United States Championship Match: Jeff Hardy (c) vs Jinder Mahal
• Raw Tag Team Championships: The Bar vs Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
• Smackdown Tag Team Championships: the Bludgeon Brothers vs the Usos

205 Live Results

Last night on 205 Live, a gauntlet match was held to determine a new number 1 contender for the Cruiserweight Championship.

Buddy Murphy had previously earned a title shot but later failed to make weight. 205 Live General Manager, Drake Maverick, then ordered a gauntlet match to determine who will challenge Cedric Alexander at the Greatest Royal Rumble.

The first two competitors in the match were Mustafa Ali, who lost to Alexander in the Cruiserweight Championship match at WrestleMania, and TJ Perkins, the winner of the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic, TJP.

205 Live Gauntlet Results:

• Mustafa Ali defeated TJP
• Drew Gulak defeated Mustafa Ali
• Drew Gulak defeated Tony Nese
• Kalisto defeated Drew Gulak

As a result of winning the gauntlet match, Kalisto will face Cruiserweight Champion, Cedric Alexander, this Friday at the Greatest Royal Rumble.

One of the most exciting things about the upcoming Greatest Royal Rumble is the announced 50 Men Battle Royal which will feature stars such as Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio and more.

However, the fact that so far there was no news on the potential winner of this bout was a little surprising, given that the Battle Royal was the first match made official for the show.

Though now betting odds might have given us an idea about the possible winner of this match and it reveals a not-so-surprising name which can end up winning the whole thing.

According to odds at Betdsi.eu, the former SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan is currently favored to win the 50 Men Greatest Royal Rumble at the upcoming event.

While there are few days left for the event and odds can still change, it would make sense for Bryan to win the Greatest Rumble considering that he is one of the most over babyfaces in the current roster.

Chances are that the Battle Royal will close the show and Daniel’s victory would be a perfect way to send off the crowd home happy.

Whether or not Daniel Bryan actually comes out victorious in the Greatest Royal Rumble will be revealed on Friday, but for now, it looks to be a very likely possibility.

The Greatest Royal Rumble will take place from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this Friday on April 27th.

Earlier this month in New Orleans Brock Lesnar successfully retained his Universal Title at WrestleMania 34 against Roman Reigns. Many were expecting The Big Dog to take his place atop the WWE mountain and be the one to finally defeat The Beast. That wasn’t the case, as Lesnar hit a sixth F5 on a bloody Reigns to retain the strap.

Soon after it was announced that Reigns would get a second crack at the title inside a Steel Cage in Saudi Arabia at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Last night on RAW Reigns confronted Lesnar and vowed to return to the United States with the Universal Title.

There has been a ton of speculation on why Reigns didn’t win the title at WrestleMania. Some report that Vince McMahon called an audible in the middle of the match and decided to change the finish. Reigns was receiving a poor reaction in New Orleans and it’s believed the Saudi Arabian crowd will get behind him against Lesnar.

Whether this is the plan or not is still undecided, as Cageside Seats reports WWE has yet to decide if Lesnar or Reigns will walk out of the Greatest Royal Rumble with the Universal Championship.

Discussion: Who do you think will walk out of Saudi Arabia with the Universal Championship?

This Friday, WWE presents The Greatest Royal Rumble live from Saudi Arabia at King Abdullah Sports City stadium. It’s scheduled to be an absolutely stacked show, including an historic 50-man Royal Rumble match, seven championship matches and in-ring appearances from The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and many more.

The Greatest Royal Rumble is the first event as part of a new long-term partnership between WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Amidst all the hype, controversy has been brewing: despite WWE championing a women’s empowerment movement in recent years, women have been excluded from the event due to societal norms in the region.

WWE Executive VP of Talent, Live Events and Creative, Triple H, spoke with The Independent about the show and addressed the issue. Ahead of his match against John Cena on the card, Triple H explained explained that different cultures around the world have different customs and said you can’t affect change by avoiding a situation entirely.

“I understand that people are questioning it, but you have to understand that every culture is different and just because you don’t agree with a certain aspect of it, it doesn’t mean it’s not a relevant culture. You can’t dictate to a country or a religion about how they handle things but, having said that, WWE is at the forefront of a women’s evolution in the world and what you can’t do is affect change anywhere by staying away from it.”

Although WWE agreed to keep the women back home for this overseas show – the issue has been discussed with local officials and Triple H says WWE hopes to be at the forefront as the gender equality landscape evolves in the Middle East.

While, right now, women are not competing in the event, we have had discussions about that and we believe and hope that, in the next few years they will be. That is a significant cultural shift in Saudi Arabia. The country is in the middle of a shift in how it is dealing with that – the position is changing, and rights are changing, as are the way women are handled and treated in society.

We think that’s a great thing and we’re excited to be at the forefront of that change.”

Visit Independent.co.uk to read the full interview.

Discussion: What do you think about WWE visiting Saudi Arabia, despite it’s controversial societal norms? What do you think about Triple H’s point that WWE is working to be at the forefront of changing those norms?

WWE is loading up the card for the next Network special and it could be argued that the Greatest Royal Rumble event might be bigger than WrestleMania 34.

With construction underway, a new video has surfaced of the stadium design and ringside for the upcoming event. You can see the progress that the workers have been doing over the past few days here:

https://instagram.com/p/Bh4LXapg3pG/?utm_source=ig_embed

The WWE Greatest Royal Rumble event takes place on Friday, April 27, 2018 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah International Stadium and will air on the WWE Network with a special start time of 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT with the event airing one hour later.

Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured. Here is the updated card:

50-Man Royal Rumble Match

WWE Universal Title Steel Cage Match: Brock Lesnar © vs. Roman Reigns

Singles Match: John Cena vs. Triple H

Casket Match: The Undertaker vs. Rusev

WWE Title Match: AJ Styles © vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

WWE Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: Seth Rollins © vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe

WWE Raw Tag Team Title Match: The Bar vs. Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy

WWE SmackDown Tag Team Title Match: Bludgeon Brothers © vs. The Usos

WWE United States Title Match: Jeff Hardy © vs. Jinder Mahal

WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Cedric Alexander © vs. TBA

Do you plan on watching this upcoming PPV? Sound off in the comment section below.

Earlier this week the WWE held tryouts in Saudi Arabia ahead of their Greatest Royal Rumble event. WWE announced eight participants who will continue to receive training as the Greatest Royal Rumble approaches. It was also announced that one of the eight will get a special opportunity – competing in the Greatest Royal Rumble match.

Here are the eight participants (per WWE.com):

– Hussain Aldagal, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder with a background in volleyball and bodybuilding

– Mansoor Al-Shehail, a 6-foot, 175-pounder who has trained under WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr.

– Faisal Kurdi, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound MMA fighter, amateur grappler and Muay Thai boxer

– Nasser Bawazer, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound champion in boxing, MMA and aikido

– Khalid Alhothali, a competitor in bodybuilding, as well as combat sports, including boxing and jiu-jitsu

– Abdullah Almagrabi, a 225-pound karate champion and boxing trainer

– Faisal Allabboudy, a 23-year-old whose athletic background includes competitive swimming, boxing and bodybuilding

– Asaad Alshareef, a 23-year-old Greco Roman and freestyle wrestler who has also trained in various martial arts

Visited the 4th day of #KSATryouts today. This week was a huge success due to the hard work of @WWE Talent Development, @WWEPerformCtr coaches and @WWENXT talent. #WWEGRR pic.twitter.com/u2MDgDHy3A

— Triple H (@TripleH) April 21, 2018

It appears that Bobby Lashley could be added to the upcoming Fatal Four Way Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship at the Greatest Royal Rumble event.

Lashley made his surprise WWE return 2 weeks ago on the Raw episode following WrestleMania 34 where he attacked Elias and established himself as a face.

Till now there was no confirmation of him being part of the upcoming mega Live Event and some believed that he could end up in the 50 Men Battle Royal at the show.

However, PWinsider has revealed that local advertisements in the area list the former World Champion as a participant of the upcoming Championship Ladder match.

This looks to be a solid indication that the former TNA Star would be wrestling side by side with the Champion Seth Rollins and others instead of being part of the Battle Royal.

Though it’s worth mentioning that the official WWE.com page for the upcoming event still lists the match to be a Fatal Four Way between Rollins, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor and the Miz.

Apart from this ladder match, the Greatest Royal Rumble will feature several other gimmick matches as well including a casket match between Undertaker and Rusev and more.

You can check out an updated card for the event here.

On Friday 4/27, WWE presents the Greatest Royal Rumble, a special event from the King Abdullah Sports City in Saudi Arabia. The event will air live on the WWE Network and WWE is pulling out all the stops to ensure this is a memorable show.

Several weeks ago, a photo was circulating online showing one of WWE’s set designers working on what was purported to be the WrestleMania 34 stage design.

#WrestleMania stage design leaked! #WrestleMania34 #WWE #SDLive #RAW pic.twitter.com/IFfwHI0Knb

— WSC Stage Creator (@WSCStageCreator) March 21, 2018

WrestleMania 34 came and went – with a beautiful production setup that looked nothing like the stage depicted above.  With construction underway inside the Abdullah Sports City stadium, a photo has leaked showing that arched stage is actually for the Greatest Royal Rumble:

Greatest Royal Rumble Card:

The following is the updated card for next Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble WWE Network special:

• 50-Man Greatest Royal Rumble Battle Royal
• Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
• Casket Match: The Undertaker vs. Rusev
• WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
• John Cena vs. Triple H
• Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe vs. Bobby Lashley
• United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Jinder Mahal
• Raw Tag Team Champions The Bar vs. Bray Wyatt & Woken Matt Hardy
• SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The Usos

An Image on WWE’s official website has seemingly spoiled a big return/surprise for the upcoming Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia later this month.

It was reported before that Rey Mysterio had agreed to a one-off appearance for the upcoming show as he continues his talks for a longer contract.

Though the company had not announced the addition of the former World Champion to their upcoming mega Live Event, as they probably intended to keep it a surprise.

However, as noted by several fans it appears that the surprise has been spoiled by WWE’s own staff via an image posted on the Network page of their official website.

The Greatest Royal Rumble will be broadcasted Live on WWE Network and the company recently updated the Network page on WWE.com to promote this event.

What’s interesting is that a poster featured on the page as seen in the screenshot below also includes Rey Mysterio among other stars. This ends any remaining doubt on Mysterio’s appearance at the upcoming event:

Rey Mysterio last appeared for WWE during the traditional Royal Rumble event earlier this year. Since then, there have been reports of him talking to the officials for a longer run but things appear to be moving very slowly.

You can check out the updated Greatest Royal Rumble match card here.

It was said before that WWE is considering the upcoming Greatest Royal Rumble to be an all hands on the deck show and the company is trying to bring every A-list star they can for the Live Event.

They have proven these reports to be true since then as Officials have added people like John Cena, Undertaker, Chris Jericho and Triple H to the list of stars wrestling at the show, making it a must watch event.

Though now the company has suffered a small set back as they have removed a former World Champion from the updated lineup of the Greatest Royal Rumble.

WWE has removed The Big Red Monster Kane, who was originally announced to be part of the 50 Men Battle Royal at the event, from the upcoming show.

While no reason for his removal was given it’s believed to be Republican Primary for mayor of Knox County which Kane is running for, as it takes place only a few days after the event.

As we noted before Rusev has been added back in the Casket match against the Undertaker, and as a result, Former World Champion Chris Jericho is once again listed as a participant of the Battle Royal.

After these revelations, here is the updated line up for the 50 Men Battle Royal taking place at the event later this month:

Daniel Bryan, Braun Strowman, Big Show, Kurt Angle, Elias, Baron Corbin, Big E, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Apollo, Titus O’Neil, Shelton Benjamin, Chad Gable, Sin Cara, Goldust, Mojo Rawley, Dolph Ziggler, Chris Jericho.

You can check out the full match card for the event here.

WWE had previously announced that Brock Lesnar will be defending his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns in a rematch from WrestleMania 34 at the Greatest Royal Rumble.

And after tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live, the company has announced another huge Championship rematch for the upcoming Live Event from Saudi Arabia later this month.

The main event of this week’s episode of Blue Branded Show saw AJ Styles teaming up with Daniel Bryan to face Rusev Day. However, the match ended with Shinsuke Nakamura attacking Styles from behind while Big Cass attacked Bryan.

This was the third time Nakamura attacked Styles since turning heel at WrestleMania and after the show went off air, it was announced that he’ll get another shot at the coveted title during the upcoming event.

After the announcement, here is the updated match card for the Greatest Royal Rumble:

50 Men Greatest Royal Rumble

Universal Championship match: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns

WWE Championship match: AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship: Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe

United States Championship: Jeff Hardy vs. Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship Match: Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Bray Wyatt & Woken Matt Hardy

Casket match: Undertaker vs. Rusev

Triple H vs. John Cena

WWE Holding Tryout In Saudi Arabia

The WWE is set to head to Saudi Arabia later this month for the Greatest Royal Rumble event. One of the featured matches on the card is a 50-Man Royal Rumble match, the largest in WWE history.

Huge names like The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns are scheduled to appear. WWE has also now announced that they will be holding tryouts while in Saudi Arabia as well:

WWE to hold tryout in Saudi Arabia this week

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA and STAMFORD, Conn. — WWE is in Saudi Arabia this week in search of the next generation of WWE Superstars with a four-day talent tryout in Jeddah beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, April 18, through Saturday, April 21.

The tryout, which will be hosted at the King Abdullah Sports City Sports Hall, will give more than 25 athletes from Saudi Arabia the opportunity to showcase their abilities with the goal of being selected to begin training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. The talent pool will be comprised of elite performers with a diverse background in sports, including soccer, powerlifting, volleyball, boxing, jiujitsu, gymnastics, CrossFit and taekwondo.

The world-class tryout is part of WWE’s commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, highlighted by the Greatest Royal Rumble event on Friday, April 27. General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia Chairman, His Excellency Turki Al Sheikh, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia invite the world to celebrate this signature event. It is the first event as part of a long-term partnership between WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Greatest Royal Rumble card includes the first-ever 50-Man Greatest Royal Rumble Match; John Cena vs. Triple H; The Undertaker vs. Rusev in a Casket Match; Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns in a Universal Championship Steel Cage Match; an Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match featuring champion Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Samoa Joe vs. Finn Bálor; United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Jinder Mahal with Sunil Singh; a Raw Tag Team Championship Match between “Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt and Sheamus & Cesaro; and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The Usos, as well as a WWE Championship Match and a Cruiserweight Championship Match.

“WWE is dedicated to recruiting the most talented athletes and entertainers from around the world and developing them into global Superstars,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “In partnership with the General Sports Authority, we look forward to bringing the Greatest Royal Rumble to Saudi Arabia while showcasing this historic event to the world.”

The Jeddah tryout is the latest example of WWE’s global talent recruiting efforts. In recent years, WWE has scouted rugby and soccer players from Europe, kabaddi and kushti athletes from India, and martial artists and boxers from China. In 2017, WWE held a tryout in Dubai, which resulted in the first Arab woman, the first Indian woman and the first Kuwaiti man to sign with WWE.

Rare AJ Styles vs. RVD Match (Video)

Title Match Wrestling has recently released a video of a match between current WWE Champion AJ Styles and former WWE star Rob Van Dam (RVD) from Pro Wrestling Syndicate’s “Frightmare Before Christmas” event in 2014.

The special guest referee for the match was Jerry Lynn, and Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson also make appearances. You can watch below:

WWE is set to hold its Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia on April 27th. The event will feature the biggest Royal Rumble match of all time, with 50 participants competing in the bout.

While the match is huge in magnitude and simply winning it would put a huge notch in any Superstar’s belt, the company has yet to announce what the winner of the historic bout would be receiving.

Recently WWE has shown an infatuation with awarding Rumble winners trophies, and typically a title opportunity is only granted if it’s for the winner of the traditional Royal Rumble match in January – however an exception could be made for this particular event.

WWE fans are left wondering what exactly the prize could be for the eventual winner of the Greatest Royal Rumble. A recent Tweet from WWE Espanol may have just revealed exactly what the prize will be.

The account Tweeted out a promotional image for the event, showcasing all the big Superstars advertised for the match, but a huge trophy is also featured in the middle. Check it out:

11 DÍAS para el Mayor #RoyalRumble de todos los tiempos.

¿Quién ganará la #BatallaReal de 50 Hombres en #WWEGRR?
? Hazte de @WWENetwork para verlo! pic.twitter.com/fr8befFlmA

— WWE Español (@wweespanol) April 16, 2018

(We’ve also posted the photo of the poster below in case the Tweet is deleted later)

Discussion: What are your thoughts on WWE issuing out another trophy to a Rumble winner? Do you think a title opportunity should be granted to the winner instead? And who do you think deserves to win the bout?

WWE has been promoting the Greatest Royal Rumble event on TV for weeks now and the company has announced several big and interesting matches for the show including Casket match of the Undertaker and John Cena vs Triple H.

Though the biggest attraction of the show has to be the Greatest Royal Rumble match. It was announced long before any other fight for the event and will see 50 participants battling each other in a battle royal.

However, two big questions regarding the match people had in mind were how the bout will play out with so many contestants and what the winner of the match will receive.

In a latest tweet, Justin Barrasso of sports illustrated cleared one of these doubts and revealed that the match will play out like the regular Royal Rumble with contestants entering one by one:

Confirmed with #WWE: Saudi Arabia's Greatest Royal Rumble match will have a Royal Rumble format with separate entrances, as opposed to a battle royal with all competitors starting in the ring.

— Justin Barrasso (@JustinBarrasso) April 16, 2018

Although in the following tweet, he claimed that the officials are yet to decided what the winner of the Rumble will be rewarded with, opposed to the guaranteed title match of the Traditional Royal Rumble:

In a follow-up, WWE rep stated that the company has yet to decide on the prize (title shot, etc) for the winner of the Saudi Arabia Rumble

— Justin Barrasso (@JustinBarrasso) April 16, 2018

It’s a surprising news as the Greatest Royal Rumble was the first match to be announced for the show and officials had plenty of time to figure out a reward for the winner.

Now there are less than two weeks remaining for the event so it’d be interesting to see what plan the company comes up with in such a short time.

The Greatest Royal Rumble will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on April 27th. Click here to check out an updated match card for the event.

Jinder Mahal joined the RAW roster during WWE’s Superstar Shake-Up. His return to WWE RAW didn’t go so well, as Kurt Angle announced that he will be defending the United States Championship right away. Mahal then lost the U.S. Title to Jeff Hardy in the first 20 minutes of tonight’s episode of RAW. Following the match, Mahal announced that he will be invoking his rematch clause at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble on April 27th.

Safe to say, @JinderMahal is in no mood for a FIESTA after losing his #USTitle to @JEFFHARDYBRAND… #RAW #SuperstarShakeup @WWENoWayJose pic.twitter.com/Y128ZGs1w7

— WWE (@WWE) April 17, 2018

It was announced last week that Chris Jericho will be replacing Rusev at the PPV in the Casket Match against The Undertaker. Those plans once again were changed today and Rusev was added back to the match. Lana tweeted out the following earlier this evening:

After much thought, I have notified @WWE officials that I have changed my mind. @RusevBUL will celebrate #RusevDay by burying The Undertaker in the sands of Saudi Arabi and will win the Casket Match at #WWEGRR ! #RusevCrush ! Have a Happy Rusev Day !

— CJ Perry (@TheCJPerry) April 16, 2018

After @LanaWWE's endorsement, the #CasketMatch is BACK ON between @RusevBUL and The #Undertaker at @WWE Greatest Royal Rumble! #WWEGRR https://t.co/57z9aRgINj

— WWE (@WWE) April 16, 2018

Bray Wyatt & Matt Hardy defeated The Revival tonight in the finals of the Tag Team Eliminator Tournament. Hardy & Wyatt will now battle Sheamus & Cesaro for the Vacant RAW Tag Team Championships at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble on April 27th.

Updated Greatest Royal Rumble card:

• Universal Championship Steel Cage Match: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns
• WWE Championship Match: AJ Styles (c) vs. ??
• United States Championship Match: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Jinder Mahal
• Cruiserweight Championship Match: Cedric Alexander vs. ??
• Tag Match For The Vacant RAW Tag Team Championships: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs. Sheamus & Cesaro
• SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The Usos
• Casket Match: The Undertaker vs. Rusev
• 50-Man Royal Rumble Match
• Triple H vs. John Cena

Rey Mysterio is the latest high-profile name expected to take part in the 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble match from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia later this month.

Mysterio made a surprise return to WWE back in January when he entered the Royal Rumble match. Since then, it’s been widely reported that the former World Champion was in talks bout a return to the WWE roster. During an early March appearance for Northeast Wrestling, Mysterio suffered a biceps injury which has kept him out of action ever since.

Word broke last week that Mysterio will be returning to a WWE ring at the Greatest Royal Rumble event, which led fans to wonder if this would be another one-off appearance or if Mysterio would be joining the WWE roster on a more regular basis. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter now reports that Mysterio and WWE are in talks about working together in a greater capacity. For now, the Greatest Royal Rumble appearance will be another one-shot deal.

In the event that Mysterio and WWE reach a new deal, it likely would not take effect until the summer, since Mysterio has commitments with New Japan Pro Wrestling and other independent promotions that he first needs to fulfill.

WWE has yet to confirm the news of Rey Mysterio competing at the Greatest Royal Rumble event on 4/27.

In a strange turn of events, WWE announced on Thursday that Rusev will no longer be competing against The Undertaker in a casket match at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Chris Jericho, who had previously been announced for the 50-man Rumble, will take his place and challenge the Dead Man instead.

The initial news that Rusev would be facing The Undertaker in a casket match came out of nowhere, as the two have had little to no interaction on television. In what some took as a thinly-veiled reference to his standing with the company, Rusev tweeted the following in response to the match announcement:

Bury me softly, Brother https://t.co/IWnBvL20Ez

— Miro (@ToBeMiro) April 11, 2018

Earlier today, TMZ Sports posted a video of Rusev and Lana in Los Angeles, CA talking about the upcoming casket match. They said The Undertaker was old news and past his prime, which apparently did not go over too well.

TMZ’s headline actually stated that Rusev claimed he was going to retire the Undertaker and “crush his old ass.” Undertaker’s wife Michelle McCool took notice:

Had to listen to see if “crush his old a$$” was ACTUALLY said! Guess some people are smarter than others…😎🙄🖤 https://t.co/avOLWKORV8

— McCool (@McCoolMichelleL) April 12, 2018

Within a matter of hours, the decision was made to pull Rusev from the match. Rusev’s wife Lana tweeted that she refuses to let her husband compete in a casket match and told WWE officials to find a replacement.

All over the world, little boys and girls are celebrating #RusevDay, they smile for the greatest Superstar ever ! I’ve already spoke with @WWE officials to change that match because I REFUSE to let my husband @RusevBUL compete in a Casket Match at #WWEGRR! Happy #RusevDay

— CJ Perry (@TheCJPerry) April 12, 2018

Prior to WrestleMania, PWInsider reported that Rusev was unhappy and requested to be released. He was later moved from the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal to the United States Championship match, where he took the pinfall. This latest development does not bode well for Rusev’s standing with the company.

Before, I beat #TheUndertaker for @wwe title. At #GreatestRoyalRumble, I’m gonna BURY his ass…#KingOfTheCasketMatch pic.twitter.com/rLThP1lJgC

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) April 12, 2018

Update: Rusev tweeted the following about being pulled from the casket match:

Life is life….. it will be #RusevDay somewhere

— Miro (@ToBeMiro) April 12, 2018

WWE fans can expect to see one popular former WWE World Heavyweight Champion at the upcoming Greatest Royal Rumble event.

By now it’s obvious that the sports entertainment company is loading up this show to make a first good impression with their partners in Saudi Arabia.

PWinsider.com is reporting that Rey Mysterio is slated to appear at the event. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on if he will be wrestling at the show.

If you recall, the former World Champion was set for a meeting with Triple H at WWE headquarters several weeks ago to finalize a new contract after his big surprise return at the Royal Rumble in January. However, that meeting did not happen due to the fact that Triple H needed to go to Saudi Arabia to finalize the new contract there that would see WWE produce live events.

Then it was revealed that Rey had suffered a torn bicep and was pulled from his match with Jushin Liger at NJPW Strong Style Evolved. Even though he didn’t wrestle at the event, the former WWE Champion did do an in-ring promo.

As of this writing, Mysterio has yet to make a deal with the WWE.

The WWE Greatest Royal Rumble event takes place on Friday, April 27, 2018 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah International Stadium and will air on the WWE Network with a special start time of 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT with the event airing one hour later. Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured. Here is the updated card:

50-Man Royal Rumble Match

WWE Universal Title Steel Cage Match: Brock Lesnar © vs. Roman Reigns

Singles Match: John Cena vs. Triple H

Casket Match: The Undertaker vs. Rusev

WWE Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: Seth Rollins © vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe

WWE Raw Tag Team Title Match: The Bar vs. Wyatt/Hardy or the Revival

WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: TBA vs. TBA

WWE SmackDown Tag Team Title Match: Bludgeon Brothers © vs. The Usos

WWE Title Match: TBA vs. TBA

WWE United States Title Match: TBA vs. TBA

What are your thoughts on Mysterio appearing at this event? Sound off in the comment section below. 

WWE announced on Wednesday morning that The Undertaker will battle Rusev in a Casket Match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event from Saudi Arabia later this month.

Bury me softly, Brother https://t.co/IWnBvL20Ez

— Miro (@ToBeMiro) April 11, 2018

For newer fans, the casket match is one of the Undertaker’s signature events and has been used as the culmination of a feud. To win the match, you must wear down your opponent, place them in the casket at ringside and close the casket door. Some of Undertaker’s memorable casket match opponents include Yokozuna, Shawn Michaels and Mark Henry.

Undertaker returned to action this past weekend at WrestleMania 34. After weeks of unanswered challenges by John Cena, he emerged inside the Superdome and made short work of the 16-time world champion. While his bout with Cena was relatively short, there was no question that Undertaker appeared to be in much better physical shape than we’ve seen in recent years.

The addition of the Undertaker is another indication that WWE is going all out for this Greatest Royal Rumble event. In addition to names like Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho competing in the historic 50-man Rumble battle royal, other top matches announced include Brock Lesnar defending the Universal Championship against Roman Reigns, John Cena vs. Triple H and an IC title ladder match.

The Greatest Royal Rumble takes place on Friday, April 27th from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium. A sell-out crowd would see over 60,000 fans in attendance. The event air live on the WWE Network at Noon ET / 9AM PT.

As of this writing, the following matches are confirmed for WWE’s Greatest Royal Rumble special:

• 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble match
• Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns inside a steel cage
• John Cena vs. Triple H
• The Undertaker vs. Rusev in a casket match
• Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins defending against The Miz, Finn Balor, and Samoa Joe in a ladder match
• Cesaro & Sheamus vs. either Woken Matt & Bray Wyatt or The Revival for the vacant RAW tag team titles
• SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers defending against The Usos

WWE is advertising 7 title matches for the show, so expect announcements soon for the WWE, Untied States and Cruiserweight championships.

Following the conclusion to WrestleMania 34 Sunday night, everything in WWE is now leading towards the Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on April 27th.

In addition to the 50-person Royal Rumble match, 7 championship bouts will take place on the show. All of the confirmed matches thus far are posted below.

Greatest Royal Rumble Match Listing:

• 50-Person Royal Rumble
  – Daniel Bryan, Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Big Show, and Kane have been announced.
• WWE Universal Championship
  Steel Cage
  Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns
• Intercontinental Championship
  Ladder Match
  Seth Rolins (c) vs Finn Balor vs Miz vs Samoa Joe
• WWE Raw Tag Team Championship
  the Bar (c) vs Wyatt/Hardy or the Revival
• John Cena vs Triple H
• Cruiserweight Championship Match
  TBA vs TBA
• Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match
  TBA vs TBA
• WWE Championship Match
  TBA vs TBA
• United States Championship Match
  TBA vs TBA

WWE is pulling out all of the stops for their upcoming Greatest Royal Rumble event.

The sports entertainment company will be holding the show at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday, April 27. For the first time ever, the Royal Rumble match will feature 50 WWE Superstars.

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE is trying to get The Undertaker and Chris Jericho for the show.

Triple H vs. John Cena in a singles match, The Hardys vs. RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar and a Ladder Match with Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz have already been confirmed for the event. 

Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, Braun Strowman, The New Day, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, and Shinsuke Nakamura have already been announced for the show.

The Greatest Royal Rumble Kickoff will stream live on WWE Network at a special start time of 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT with the event airing one hour later.

WWE announced today that the Greatest Royal Rumble event will air live on the WWE Network on Friday, April 27th. The event will take place at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and will air on the WWE Network at 12 PM ET. WWE Network will also broadcast an hour long Kickoff Show at 11 AM ET.

The incredible @WWE Greatest Royal Rumble event will stream LIVE on @WWENetwork Friday, April 27 at 12 PM ET, with a special one-hour Kickoff show starting at 11 AM! #WWEGRR https://t.co/SDYBleTGaB

— WWE (@WWE) April 4, 2018

In addition to the 50-man Royal Rumble match, Triple H vs. John Cena has been announced for the special event.

No suits and ties, no red carpets. #CenavsHHH https://t.co/6KdEKZsXKt

— Triple H (@TripleH) March 26, 2018

WWE also announced seven titles will be defended during the show. The WWE Championship, Universal Championship. Intercontinental Championship, United States Championship, RAW Tag Team Championship, SmackDown Tag Team Championship and Cruiserweight Championship will all be on the line at the event.

Earlier this week, WWE announced Daniel Bryan, Big Show, Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt and Kane will be competing in the 50-man Royal Rumble match.

More Greatest Royal Rumble news:

• Cena vs. Triple H, IC Title Ladder Match Announced For WWE Greatest Royal Rumble
• Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler To Call WWE Greatest Royal Rumble
• Big Name Reportedly Appearing At WWE’s Greatest Royal Rumble

On the latest episode of his Dinner with the King podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler revealed that he and Jim Ross are headed to Saudi Arabia next month and will be doing commentary for the upcoming Greatest Royal Rumble WWE Network special.

Lawler teased that he might even get involved as a participant in the match, although that’s highly unlikely due to his past health issues.

He joked, “Well, that would be a surprise, but one of the things that makes it appear more possible than before is, hey, we just saw Daniel Bryan get medically cleared.”

The Greatest Royal Rumble

The Greatest Royal Rumble takes place on April 27th from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The show will feature the first-ever 50-Man Royal Rumble and 7 title matches.

In addition to airing on the WWE Network, the event will broadcast live nationwide throughout Saudi Arabia.

It is notable that neither of the women’s championships will be defended and it is likely no matches featuring female performers takes place.

– The 50-man “Greatest Royal Rumble” event scheduled for April 27th from Saudi Arabia has been confirmed to be a WWE Network special. If you are a WWE Network subscriber and attempt to cancel your account, WWE lists the upcoming Network specials that you’ll be missing out on – and the Greatest Royal Rumble is listed.

The WWE Network will be showing the Greatest Royal Rumble. If you attempt to cancel your subscription, this message appears. pic.twitter.com/ZnJvM1I8bz

— HeelByNature.com (@HeelByNatureYT) March 21, 2018

WWE announced earlier this week that the Greatest Royal Rumble event will feature 7 championship matches. Top stars advertised for the show include John Cena, Triple H, Roman Reigns, AJ Styles and Randy Orton. The Undertaker and Chris Jericho are also rumored for the show.

– On last night’s episode of SmackDown Live, WWE Champion AJ Styles was sitting ringside for Shinsuke Nakamura’s match against Rusev. After the match Aiden English and Rusev attacked Nakamura, and while Styles was taking his time getting ready to jump in and help out, the Japanese star rallied back and was able to fend the pair off himself.

Several fans pointed out that WWE botched the on-screen graphic that appeared when Styles was introduced. He was correctly listed as WWE Champion, however an image of the Untied States Championship was depicted.

Aj styles is now u.s. champion. #Botch @Maffewgregg pic.twitter.com/ExAJ4zeL3e

— jv (@johnathanvolk) March 21, 2018

WWE has recently announced the upcoming mega-event from Saudi Arabia will now feature 7 championship matches in addition to the 50-person Royal Rumble match. Today’s press release from WWE states the following titles will all be defended at the event: “WWE Championship, Universal Championship, Intercontinental Championship, United States Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, SmackDown Tag Team Championship and Cruiserweight Championship.”

The Greatest Royal Rumble takes place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on April 27th, 2018.

The event is part of a 10-year agreement WWE has signed with the Saudi General Sports Authority. The country’s new relationship with WWE is a part of their 10-year social and economic reform project, Saudi Vision 2030.

Greatest Royal Rumble to Air on WWE Network

Last week, Roman Reigns appeared on the Jim & Sam podcast and mentioned the Greatest Royal Rumble will air on the WWE Network.

WWE released the following statement earlier today:

“RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA and STAMFORD, Conn. — Following an agreement between His Excellency Turki Al Sheikh and WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia invites the world to the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, April 27, at 7 p.m. AST to celebrate the Greatest Royal Rumble event in WWE history. Tickets will be available Saturday, March 31, and this historic event will feature seven championship matches, including the WWE Championship, Universal Championship, Intercontinental Championship, United States Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, SmackDown Tag Team Championship and Cruiserweight Championship.”