It appears that former United States Champion Rusev has been pulled from the Gauntlet match he was announced to compete in at the upcoming Super Showdown event.
There was some confusion over the graphics used to promote the match on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw and WWE has since confirmed that Rey Mysterio will be replacing the Bulgarian Brute in the upcoming match:
The company has not given a reason for Rusev’s removal but the two sides have been locked in a contract dispute for a while now and reports suggest that the officials have pulled Rusev from WWE TV due to the same.
Rusev has not wrestled since the January 20 episode of Raw where he and his partner Liv Morgan lost a mixed tag match to Lana and Bobby Lashley.
When WWE originally announced the Gauntlet match, it was
reported that the announcement was not a sign of things being resolved between
the two parties.
It’s believed that Rusev will leave WWE once his contract expires. Though it was reported earlier this month that he still has “plenty of time” left on his current deal.
His wife Lana on the other hand, signed a new 5-year deal just recently so she will be staying with the company until at least 2025, whether the former NXT star decides to leave or stay.
WWE has added another championship match to the upcoming Super Showdown event after this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
Kevin Owens has been involved in a feud with Seth Rollins and his crew in recent times and he has teamed up with different partners over the weeks to compete against the Architect, including the likes of Samoa Joe and Big Show.
This week’s episode of Raw saw Owens teaming up with the
Viking Raiders to take on Murphy and AOP but the match ended in a
disqualification.
After the bout, Rollins and his partners took out the
Raiders and they started working on Kevin. However, the Street Profits made the
save for the former Universal Champion, sending the heels in retreat.
WWE has announced following these incidents that Seth and Murphy, who hold the Raw tag team titles, will be defending their championships against Street Profits at the upcoming event from Saudi Arabia.
Updated Super Showdown Match Card
This is the seventh match that has been announced for the show after the inclusion of the big Gauntlet match involving AJ Styles just recently. You can check out the updated Super Showdown match card below:
WWE Championship Match: Ricochet vs. Brock Lesnar (c)
WWE Universal Championship Match: Bill Goldberg vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt (c)
RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits vs. Seth Rollins and Murphy (c)
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: John Morrison and The Miz vs. The New Day (c)
SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Carmella or Naomi vs. Bayley (c)
Gauntlet Match for the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy: AJ Styles, R-Truth, Rusev, Bobby Lashley, Erick Rowan, WWE United States Champion Andrade
Steel Cage Match: King Baron Corbin vs. Roman Reigns
Super Showdown 2020 will take place on Thursday, February 27 from the Mohammed Abdou Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
WWE held a special press conference at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh this Wednesday morning and confirmed that they will be having the first-ever women’s match in the country at their upcoming show.
The company announced that Natalya will be facing Lacey Evans in the first-ever women’s match of the territory at the upcoming Crown Jewel Pay Per View event scheduled to take place this Friday.
This is a surprising announcement from the promotion as there was no news of any such match up being planned for the event and nobody was expecting them to make an announcement like this.
This is not the first time the company has tried to hold a women’s match in Saudi Arabia and they had planned a bout between Natalya and Alexa Bliss for the Super Showdown event back in June.
The officials had even flown in these two to the country ahead of the event but they couldn’t get the approval from the Kingdom for this fight and so they were forced to nix the bout at the last minute.
But now they have finally managed to get the approval from the government officials and the company will be making history with this match.
Now we will have to wait and see which one of these two women come out victorious in this historic bout. You can check out the betting odds for the show at this link.
While they are not very likely to be wrestling at the
upcoming Crown Jewel event, a few female stars of the WWE roster are atleast
traveling to Saudi Arabia.
Lana, Natalya and Lacey Evans were recently spotted at
airport with other crew members who are traveling to the country for the
upcoming event from Riyadh.
The Saudi Arabian shows have generally been criticized by fans for not including female performers on the events due to the cultural restrictions of the Middle Eastern country.
There were rumors that the company is trying to get a match between Alexa Bliss and Natalya approved for the Super Showdown event earlier this year and the officials had flown the two in for the same.
However, they didn’t manage to get approval for a match between these two and the female wrestlers ended up making appearances at hospitals and schools instead.
It’s unknown what the three female stars who have traveled to the country this week will be doing there, but it’s likely that they will be making community appearances similar to what Natalya and Bliss did earlier this year.
The Crown Jewel event is currently scheduled to feature 8 matches in total. You can check out the match card and the latest betting odds for the show at this link.
The Saudi Arabian shows of WWE are one of the most successful but controversial events produced by the company. While many of the top talents have decided to keep their distance from these shows, no star has publicly revealed their feelings on the matter.
Corey Graves spoke to Sports Illustrated recently in order to promote his upcoming “After the Bell” podcast where among other things the SmackDown commentator also explained how the WWE stars feel about going to the country.
The former NXT star said that most of the talents like the trip because of it being a good payday. He then went on to claim that it’s a super exciting show if you take the political feeling out of it:
“It’s a long, grueling trip over there, but most of the talent like it because it’s a pretty good pay day, to me, it’s super exciting to have these totally unusual attractions like Cain Velasquez-Brock Strowman and Tyson Fury-Braun Strowman.
If you take any sort of political feeling out of the equation, aren’t you, as a fan of WWE, aren’t you curious and excited to watch these attractions?”
While the Saudi Arabian shows continue to feature many big names, the controversy surrounding the original Crown Jewel event made some stars reconsider their decision.
Names such as Daniel Bryan and John Cena have avoided working in the country since then but these stars have never commented on the matter publicly.
The After the Bell podcast will premiere this Wednesday and the inaugural episode of the show will feature stars such as Triple H, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins, and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley.
WWE has confirmed the new captain for Team Hogan after the Universal Champion Seth Rollins was removed from the announced 5 on 5 tag team match at Crown Jewel.
The company revealed during this week’s episode of SmackDown Live that the former World Champion Roman Reigns will now be leading the team of Hulk Hogan at the upcoming event.
Both Ali and “Shorty G” Chad Gable were also
announced for the team led by Reigns. After these announcements, WWE has now
confirmed all members of Team Hogan while there is one spot left open in Team
Flair.
Seth Rollins was removed from the match after it was announced that he will be defending his Universal Championship against ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt in a Falls Count Anywhere match at the upcoming PPV.
Updated Crown Jewel Match Card
After the latest updates, here is how the card for the
upcoming show looks like:
WWE Championship Match: Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar (c)
Falls Count Anywhere Match for the WWE Universal Championship: “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt vs. Seth Rollins (c)
The Greatest Tag Team World Cup Turmoil Match: The Viking Raiders vs. The Revival vs. The New Day vs. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode vs. Heavy Machinery vs. Lucha House Party vs. Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins vs. The OC vs. The B Team.
5 On 5 Tag Team Match: Team Hogan -Captain Roman Reigns, Rusev, Ricochet, Ali, Shorty Gable vs. Team Flair – Captain Randy Orton, King Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura and 1 other TBA
WWE Crown Jewel will take place on Thursday, October 31st at
King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Tyson Fury will be making his wrestling debut at one of the
biggest WWE shows of the year in Crown Jewel, but according to him, he is not
nervous about his first match.
Both Fury and Triple H appeared on ESPN First Take yesterday to promote the Boxing star’s debut in the sports entertainment industry at the upcoming show.
During the talk, Tyson was asked if he feels nervous about his first match and replying to it, the undefeated Boxer said that he thinks he was born for this:
“I’m not nervous, like you said, I’m a showman, and you can expect fireworks. I think I was born to do this. I’m a natural entertainer as you can see with the boxing. Now I’m going to the real entertainment, the best value in entertainment in sports, WWE.”
Triple H also commented on Tyson Fury’s training for his
wrestling debut. The Game praised Fury saying that he has taken it like a fish
in the water.
H went on to say that Tyson was custom made for this and revealed that he has been on WWE’s radar for a long time due to his athleticism.
Tyson Fury will be making his WWE debut in a singles match against Braun Strowman at the upcoming Crown Jewel PPV from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 31
It appears that the upcoming Crown Jewel event will be the first Saudi Arabian PPV of WWE which will not feature The Undertaker on the show.
Taker is not booked for any match on the show and despite the fact that there are less than 2 weeks remaining for the event, there has been no mention of the Dead Man on WWE Programming.
While he was advertised for the show earlier, Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that the Phenom is currently not scheduled for the upcoming PPV.
There is no word on why the former Champion is not working Crown Jewel. Though it’s possible that with the likes of Tyson Fury and Cain Velasquez being on the show, the company doesn’t feel the need of additional star power for the event.
WWE has so far produced 3 PPV events from Saudi Arabia after
their deal with the General Sports Authority of the country and Taker has been
part of all the shows.
He wrestled Rusev in a casket match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event and teamed up with Kane to compete against DX at the Crown Jewel PPV last year.
The Last Outlaw’s last match in Saudi Arabia was his bout with Goldberg which was the main event of Super Showdown in June this year.
Sami Zayn will not be traveling to Saudi Arabia for the
upcoming Super Showdown event and the general belief was that it was a cautionary
move from WWE so they don’t get heat with Saudi officials.
However, latest report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter suggests otherwise and it reveals that it was the Kingdom which prohibited Sami from working the show.
The latest edition of the Newsletter has a report about the stars who are not attending the event and it reveals that the Saudi Government told WWE they didn’t want Zayn on the show due to his Syrian ethnicity:
“For one, all along we were told the only men off the
show were Bryan and Cena, who decided against going, and Zayn, who the Saudi
Arabian government told WWE they didn’t want him on the show due to his
ethnicity.”
It’s worth mentioning that Sami isn’t the only star who will not be traveling to Saudi Arabia and reports suggest that the likes of Kevin Owens, Daniel Bryan, and Aleister Black will be off the event as well.
Out of these three, Bryan has maintained his position since
the Crown Jewel PPV and he has refused to work on shows there after the
controversy surrounding the missing journalist became a topic of discussion
last year.
Aleister Black is said to have some religious tattoos preventing him from working shows there and while there is no news on why Kevin Owens has refused to work the event, it’s not hard to imagine that Sami Zayn’s condition has some influence on it.
Alexa Bliss made history when she competed against Sasha
Banks in the first ever Women’s Match in Abu Dhabi in 2017 and now she wants to
wrestle in Saudi Arabia.
Bliss recently had an interview with Sky Sports where she talked about a number of different things including the upcoming WWE Super Showdown in Saudi Arabia.
Answering a question about competing in the country, the former Women’s Champion said that she had a great time in Abu Dhabi and she would love to be able to have a match in Saudi Arabia:
“I had an amazing time (in Abu Dhabi) and I would love
to be able to be have a match in Saudi Arabia if given the opportunity. Because
women have never competed there in any aspect there so it would be awesome to
entertain there and break down barriers and it shows that our women’s evolution
is global.”
It’s worth mentioning here that Alexa Bliss is not the only star who has talked about wrestling in the Middle Eastern country and just recently Natalya had expressed the desire to become the first women to compete there.
However, even though Triple H has talked about having Women’s matches in the country eventually, the upcoming Super Showdown event is not expected to feature any female competitors. Overall there appears to be a long road ahead before female stars are allowed to compete at the shows there.
We noted before how WWE was planning to follow last year’s Crown Jewel event with their next show in Saudi Arabia in early May this year.
However, a new report suggests that the company has rescheduled its return to the Middle Eastern country to June and as a result, they have canceled another PPV that was planned for the same month.
According to the Wrestling Observer, WWE has moved its scheduled Saudi Arabia event from May 3rd to June 7th. As a result, the company has cancelled the Backlash PPV which was scheduled for June 16th as the Officials felt that the two events were too close together.
This might explain the reason why WWE is promoting Money In The Bank as the proceeding PPV for WrestleMania 35 on May 19th, while last year it was Backlash.
Since the Saudi Arabia show hasn’t been announced officially
yet it’s too early to predict a match card but similar to previous shows in the
country, we can expect some big names to fly for the event.
The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar are two of the names who are heavily rumored for the PPV and more names should be added after the official announcement.
Undertaker is set to appear at the next WWE Saudi Arabia event on May 3, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
The report does not list a potential opponent for Undertaker. It also does not mention whether or not he will be appearing on television in the build to the event.
Rather, it merely states that The Phenom has been confirmed as wrestling on the show.
The business relationship between Taker and the WWE has reportedly been strained of late. WWE is said to not happy with his upcoming appearance at Starrcast.
It would appear that the differences between the two sides have been put aside, at least temporarily, allowing for Undertaker to make his first in-ring appearance since Crown Jewel, in November.
Undertaker appeared on both Saudi Arabia events in 2018.
He took on Rusev in a casket match at Greatest Royal Rumble. Following that, he teamed with Kane to face Triple H and Shawn Michaels at Crown Jewel.
Although he is appearing in some promotional material for this year’s WrestleMania, The Deadman does not have a match announced for the show.
If that holds true, this year will mark the first time since 2000 that Undertaker will not wrestle at WrestleMania.
Are you surprised by the report of The Undertaker appearing at the next WWE Saudi Arabia event?
The WWE is ready to make their return to The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Fightful is reporting that WWE will return to the middle east on May 3rd for yet another big live event. The show will be WWE’s third after agreeing to a ten-year partnership with the country’s Saudi General Sports Authority. This was first reported by Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter back in December.
WWE will return in May, with another show expected to take place again this year in November. WWE has not announced the event publicly as of this writing. Meltzer’s report in December noted that the company will likely avoid doing so as long as possible. Especially after the backlash they received for going through with Crown Jewel in November, following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
There was speculation that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman played a role in Mr. Khasshoggi’s death. Several United States Senators suggested WWE pull out of the event, along with criticisms from late night TV hosts. However, WWE continued on with their plans, despite stars such as John Cena and Daniel Bryan refusing to work the show.
What do you think about the WWE returning to Saudi Arabia in May?
Despite all the controversy in November, WWE is prepared to revisit Saudi Arabia on two separate occasions in 2019. WWE has a multi-year deal with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia that went into effect earlier this year. They first held the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) in April. Braun Strowman was crowned the winner of the first-ever match-up in the main event.
Then, in November WWE returned for their Crown Jewel event. WWE received a lot of negative publicity for the move. After the murder of a Saudi journalist in the country, several United States Senators called for WWE to pull out of the show. However, WWE continued on with the event. The decision wasn’t fully agreed upon by those in the locker room, as the likes of John Cena and Daniel Bryan refused to work the show.
Now, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that WWE already has two dates set for their return to Saudi Arabia in 2019. Those being in May and November, respectively. Meltzer said that WWE has not yet announced those dates and will avoid doing so as long as possible.
Also, in regards to bonus checks Superstars received for working the shows, those have also received mixed reactions. Meltzer stated “Some are happy. Some are not.”
What do you think about WWE returning to Saudi Arabia in 2019?
A lot of superstars related to WWE have commented on the recent Saudi Arabia controversy and the Rock is the latest celebrity who has been dragged into this conversation.
About 6 months ago, the Rock had dinner with Saudi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and he posted on Instagram about it, calling it a fascinating experience.
CNN reporter Oliver Darcy uncovered this old post recently and took on his Twitter account to blast the Great One, saying that this post did not age well:
This Instagram post from @TheRock did not age well. Reached out to his publicist several times today to see if he has any new thoughts on MBS, but no response. pic.twitter.com/N538sD52X1
The former World Champion responded to this tweet from Darcy, saying that it’s a silly and clickbait post and that he should go back and read his words:
Such a silly, clickbait post, Oliver. Im surprised you’d post this. Go back and really read my words. I listened and learned then. As I listen and learn now. C’mon man
Oliver was quick to respond to this tweet and he came up with a tweet blaming the Rock of playing a role in Salman’s PR campaign and asking if his views have changed with time:
You had dinner with a brutal authoritarian, playing a role in his PR campaign to convince the West that he was, as you’d say, someone with “modern views.” Then you gushed about it on social media. Ppl look up to you. Do you regret giving him a platform? Has your opinion changed? https://t.co/yPHazTLIRt
The post in question is before the controversy over the missing journalist went international so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the former WWE Star releases a statement clearing his views soon, though so far he hasn’t responded to Darcy’s latest tweet.
We are also waiting for WWE to take a decision on their upcoming Crown Jewel event scheduled to take place in the country on 2nd November, and we’ll keep you posted on any development in the situation.
It doesn’t sound like Chris Jericho had the best time in Saudi Arabia. Before all the current controversy surrounding the country, WWE actually held a very successful Greatest Royal Rumble event there this past April. The company brought in several current and former stars for the show. One of those talents was Chris Jericho.
Jericho was briefly set to face The Undertaker in a Casket match. After some scrambling, however, that spot went to Rusev, and Jericho participated in the Greatest Royal Rumble match. Speaking to “Inside The Ropes,” Jericho detailed a rather unfavorable experience in the middle east:
“Saudi Arabia is a very strange place,” said Jericho. “It was me Finlay, (Billy) Kidman, Jamie Noble, and Adam Pearce. Combined 200 years of experience. We just get dropped off at the terminal and we walk off like morons. We don’t have a handler or security.
“People there are very touchy-feely. ‘Selfie, selfie, selfie, selfie.’ I’m not kidding. Everybody wants a selfie. Times that by 100 and you start to get angry. And we’re surrounding by people. I start yelling, ‘get the f*ck out of my face.’
“And they’re all coming for me because the agents are all legends, but I’m the only guy they know. It’s like a zombie movie. I’m pushing through these people.”
Jericho finished off by saying, if WWE wants him to return for any future shows in Saudi Arabia, they’re going to have to triple his pay:
“That was Saudi Arabia for ya. Now that I know how much money they made, they’re gonna have to pay me triple to come back.”
What do you think about Jericho’s experience in Saudi Arabia?
The controversy surrounding WWE’s upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. The company is under a lot of criticism for opting to go through with their Crown Jewel event next month after a Saudi journalist was captured and murdered. Several notable names such as JBL, Randy Orton, and now WWE Hall Of Famer Kevin Nash have come to WWE’s defense on the matter.
Several United States Senators have urged WWE not to go through with the show. Reports have also surfaced indicating WWE talent and crew are uncomfortable making the trip. However, it seems the company will follow through with its plans. Nash took to Twitter recently to offer his thoughts on the matter:
“9-11 was conducted by 15 of the 19 attackers who were Saudi’s, our response was to attack Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Now a hit squad is responsible for the death of a Saudi Journalist. Should we hit Yemen and Iran. We’ll never know the truth. Let’s push Saudi Arabia to progress.”
9-11 was conducted by 15 of the 19 attackers who were Saudi's, our response was to attack Afghanistan and Iraq. Now a hit squad is responsible for the death of a Saudi Journalist. Should we hit Yemen and Iran. We'll never know the truth. Let's push Saudi Arabia to progress.
Nash then discussed the differences in culture and government between the United States and Saudi Arabia:
“Because democracy isn’t the answer in every country. Who the f*ck made our system the only system that functions in the world. The Muslim world see’s thing very differently. I perfer to live in a democracy. Yet I was born into it. I don’t feel I have the right to dictate others”
Because democracy isn't the answer in every country. Who the fuck made our system the only system that functions in the world. The Muslim world see's thing very differently. I perfer to live in a democracy. Yet I was born into it. I don't feel I have the right to dictate others
The officials from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have found themselves in hot water after recent accusations of kidnapping and murder of a Washington Post journalist and this has affected WWE too.
With the company scheduled to return to the country for their Crown Jewel PPV next month, a lot of people have been wondering if this international controversy will affect their upcoming show or their relationship with the Kingdom in any way.
Due to the increased talk among fans on the matter in the past few days, the company has finally released a brief statement, stating that they are currently monitoring the situation:
“We are currently monitoring the situation.”
While this short statement doesn’t really reflect what the officials think about the whole situation, WWE releasing an official word on the matter is still a notable update.
For those who don’t know, Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post Journalist who was a Saudi National and a United States resident went missing last week.
He has written several articles criticizing the Saudi Government and is considered a high profile critic of Saudi’s Crown Prince.
Jamal was last seen entering Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul on 2nd October and his fiancée who was waiting outside said that he never came out. On the other hand, the Officials claimed that he left from the back door.
Many believe Khashoggi was tortured and then killed inside the consulate and this whole incident has since erupted into a major international controversy.
WWE has had a banner year financially. With the added revenue from the Saudi deal and pending new television contracts, WWE has money to invest.
It has previously been reported that WWE wants to invest in international Performance Centers and territories. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Saudi Arabia is a country WWE is hoping to open a Performance Center in.
“While nothing is imminent, there is talk of opening up different Performance Centers in different parts of the world,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “U.K. and Saudi Arabia are high on the list and there are other places considered as well, including Japan.”
WWE International Expansion
Triple H is seen as a driving force behind WWE’s global expansion. Earlier this year, HHH used the term “Global Localization” to describe their plans.
“With ‘RAW’ and ‘Smackdown Live’ calling up all of my NXT superstars, I quickly realized NXT needed a feeder system of its own,” Triple H said at the WWE 2018 Business Partner Summit. “We had to re-imagine once again how and where we were recruiting. Not only in the United States but outside as well.”
Triple H continued to describe what this will mean.
“Organizing tryouts, recruiting talent, establishing performance centers and building on the ground NXT style brands.”
WWE will hold two nights of tapings for the new NXT UK brand later this week.
WWE seems to be angling for their Saudi Arabia return.
This past April, WWE put on a massive show in the middle east. WWE called it The Greatest Royal Rumble, which featured several huge names from the industry. It also featured numerous title bouts, gimmick matches and returning WWE legends.
The night was capped off by the biggest Battle Royal match in WWE history. A 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble match. The bout was eventually won by Braun Strowman. WWE’s Saudi Arabian show was a huge success financially.
It appears as though they’re angling for a Saudi Arabia return later this year. PWInsider is reporting that WWE has rescheduled two of their European tour dates to May of 2019. WWE moved their October 31st show from Stockholm, Sweden to May 11th.
They also moved their Oslo, Norway event on November 1st to May 12th. It was noted that this move was made because WWE is expected to return to Saudi Arabia in the first week of November. WWE has yet to officially announce such an event.
Discussion: What do you think about WWE returning to Saudi Arabia later this year? Did you enjoy The Greatest Royal Rumble? Sound off in the comments 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
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 kicking off their first-ever tour of Saudi Arabia tonight in the capital city of Riyadh.
The tour will consist of three consecutive nights at the Green Halls Stadium.
Top WWE Superstars advertised for the tour include John Cena, Randy Orton, Sheamus, The Wyatt Family, Cesaro, The Usos, Alberto Del Rio, Kofi Kingston, Ryback & Curtis Axel, the Rhodes Bros., Dolph Ziggler, Mark Henry, Damien Sandow, and NXT star Sami Zayn.