U.S. travel warning raises concerns over WWE Crown Jewel plans

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Photo by WWE/Getty Images | Getty Images Despite ongoing military conflict between Iran and the United States, Israel, and its allies in the Middle East, there have been no signs that WWE or the Saudi Entertainment Authority would back off plans to hold Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sat., Nov. 7. It did hamper Night of Champions in the same city back in June, when the war was only a few months old. We’re now seven months in, and while President Donald Trump again said he’s hopeful the end is near, his government’s embassy in Saudi Arabia just issued a Level 3 Travel Advisory telling U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel” to the region. This section in particular would seem pertinent to the WWE/KSA partnership: Terrorism is a concern in Saudi Arabia. Attacks can occur with little or no warning, especially around holidays. They can involve knives, firearms, and vehicles. Terrorists may use violence to respond to direct attacks against them or other military operations in the region. Potential targets include: * Important political, cultural, or religious sites * Places visited by U.S. citizens and other foreigners * Tourist locations and large gatherings * Hotels and locations where American citizens gather * Transportation hubs * Markets and shopping malls * Entertainment venues * Government facilities There is also a Level 4 – Do Not Travel advisory for the Yemeni border region, where Iran-backed Houthi forces are advancing on government forces, who are supported by the Saudis. Fortunately, the border is more than 500 miles away from Riyadh; unfortunately, it’s been a recent hotbed of activity, with Houthi forces boasting of downing a U.S.-made Saudi aircraft with “a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile”. And if you’ve been following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Ukranian response the past four(!) years, you know drone technology makes long-distance attacks possible, and relatively cheap to execute. Under TKO and Vince McMahon, WWE has shown no interest in changing plans due to conflict in the region, and it seems unlikely they’ll do so for Crown Jewel unless the situation in the middle east deteroriates further in the next few weeks. There’s also WrestleMania 43 looming in Saudi Arabia next April, but things change quickly these days, so pondering possibilities for seven months away doesn’t seem like the best use of anyone’s time. Discussing the situation on Wrestling Observer Radio this morning (Sept. 17), Dave Meltzer said WWE obviously won’t be happy if it has to cancel Crown Jewel and not get its forecasted $50 million-plus payday for holding a premium live event in the KSA during Q4 2026. But if they’re forced to, they’ll just shift the dates out and get paid the same amount at a later date. Will WWE chose caution to be more cautious this time than they have in the past? Could some members of the roster opt out of the booking? And while this is obviously small potatoes in comparison to the other issues involved, we are a pro wrestling fan blog, so… will this effect the booking of Sami Zayn’s second WWE title reign? Weigh in below.