WWE Rumor Mill: Former world champion reportedly off Crown Jewel

What's the story?

Former WWE World Champion John Cena is reportedly off the Crown Jewel event, according to credible source John Pollock.

In case you didn't know...

Cena is one of the biggest stars in WWE history, winning 16 World Championships.

In recent years, Cena has taken a break from wrestling, and has transitioned to an acting career, including a major role in the upcoming Transformers prequel, Bumblebee.

In 2018, Cena has faced The Undertaker at WrestleMania, Triple H at the Greatest Royal Rumble, and teamed with Bobby Lashley to defeat Kevin Owens and Elias at Super Show-Down.

Earlier this month, he was announced as one of eight participants in the WWE World Cup tournament, which will take place at the Crown Jewel event.

The heart of the matter

Speaking on POST Wrestling’s Rewind-A-Raw, Pollock said that the WWE creative team have been told that Cena will no longer be appearing on the show.

Pollock said that a replacement for the World Cup tournament is in mind, but did not specify who may replace the Cenation leader.

He believes that the reason the company did not announce that Cena would miss the show is that they hope they can convince him to appear.

The Champ's reluctance to appear presumably comes from the disappearance and alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a known critic of the Saudi Royal Family.

What's next?

WWE Crown Jewel will take place November 2, from the King Saud University Stadium, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will be the second show in a ten-year deal between the country and the WWE.

Following the disappearance of Khashoggi, there have been calls for WWE to postpone, move or cancel the show, with a statement from the company saying they are monitoring the situation closely.