The lead-up to WWE Crown Jewel 2026 has turned increasingly chaotic backstage, as conflicting reports emerge regarding whether top roster talent actively refused to travel to Saudi Arabia for the premium live event.
Despite widespread internet speculation linking CM Punk and Kevin Owens’ upcoming match on the November 6 SmackDown to an international boycott, Dave Meltzer addressed the situation on Wrestling Observer Radio, shooting down rumors that the two stars pulled out of the trip to Riyadh.
Internal Booking Plans And WWE Safety Concerns
Meltzer clarified that the card for Crown Jewel was established well in advance, with the only notable creative adjustment being the decision to change a planned six-man tag match into a World Tag Team Championship bout:
“There are stories around that some guys refused to go, and nobody refused to go. They think because the Punk match with Owens is on SmackDown that those two guys refused to go, and that is absolutely not true. I got the original card. The only change is that the tag team title match was gonna be a six-man with Oba, Penta and Je’Von Evans against Bron Breakker, Austin Theory and Bronson Reed. They decided to make it a tag match.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Oba and Bronson Reed end up interfering in that tag title match to set up the trios match at a point in the future. I’m not saying for sure that’ll happen. But that is the only change to the card from the card that was originally made a long time ago. So this was always the deal.”
Addressing overall talent sentiment regarding the journey to Riyadh, Meltzer noted that top locker room leaders are leading by example, while emphasizing that opting out of the trip is heavily discouraged internally:
“Look, Roman’s going, and if Roman’s going, ain’t nobody saying no.”
Meltzer added:
“There are no reports of any WWE talent pulling out or if there was even the option given. One top star in the company told us that, to put it in the nicest of terms, declining to go is something very much not being encouraged. There had been Internet theories on one or two stars speculated on not wanting to go based on them not being on the card, but we were told that they were not booked on the card and that nobody has declined to go.”
However, a report from Fightful Select paints a much more turbulent picture, indicating that multiple wrestlers voiced deep reservations directly to management regarding regional security, even after WWE relocated the event from its originally planned outdoor venue:
“Multiple WWE stars, including top talent, made it clear to the company that they did not want to be booked for Crown Jewel because of safety concerns in Saudi Arabia. Some talent booked for the event also expressed concerns, though WWE officials have assured talent that safety precautions are a priority.”
To stay updated with all the latest WWE news, Crown Jewel updates, and backstage reports, make sure to visit wrestlingattitude.com.
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