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There have been rumours that WWE management is looking to cancel WWE Crown Jewel after a storm of negative press hit Saudi Arabia.
With fans clamouring for WWE to cancel the event over alleged Saudi Arabian human rights violations, the WWE might go in a different direction, choosing to change the location instead of cancelling.
Cancelling the event may be harder than most fans realise because of the amount of money the Saudi Arabian government has already poured into the event. They even got to decide which legends they wanted to see at the event.
The name Crown Jewel was also chosen in respect to Saudi Arabia, as the nation is widely regarded as the Crown Jewel of the Arab world. With those facts in mind, we take a look at some of the countries WWE might choose to move the event to if the political tension between the US and Saudi Arabia does not dissipate soon.
For a nation to appear on this list, it should have a good relationship with the US, to avoid politics further complicating the event.
#Bonus: Postponing instead of cancelling
WWE may choose to push it to a later date instead of cancelling, in recognition of the amount of money the Saudi Arabian government has already sunk into the event. Postponing it may give the company time to flesh out their storylines a bit more, and increase fan involvement in the storylines.
International politics is mainly a wait and see game, and postponing it gives the WWE enough cover should the political fallout be too great. The final decision rests in the hands of Vince McMahon, who has a close personal relationship with Donald Trump, which might affect what the WWE chooses to do.
At the end of the day, Vince McMahon always does what's best for business.
#3 Nigeria
Africa's most populous nation is a good location for WWE Crown Jewel because it has the facilities to hold such an event, and a large population of WWE fans. WWE has a significant presence in Africa, but they usually limit their African appearances to South Africa.
The company already has a contract with the continent's most prominent sports content provider - SuperSports, and such an event would raise the profile of both companies.
South Africa already has a well established wrestling industry, which led to the emergence of stars such as Justin Gabriel. WWE choosing to increase their presence on the continent, going to more countries, may lead to more African athletes appearing in the WWE.
With the success of both Justin Gabriel, and Kofi Kingston from Ghana, more African athletes could venture into the WWE. It would improve the public image of the company, which in the past has received some heat for the lack of diversity on its roster, particularly among the champions. WWE Crown Jewel Nigeria may open up the continent to more wrestling events in the future.
#2 Japan
The emergence and subsequent dominance of New Japan Pro Wrestling has reduced the WWE's presence in Japan. The WWE has tried to stem this tide by getting Japanese superstars such as Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka, as well as giving them a big push once on the main roster, but this has not been enough.
Shinsuke is the current United States Champion, although he has been absent from two successive pay-per-views, and Asuka seems poised to become part of the inaugural WWE Women's Tag Team champions.
If Asuka and Shinsuke go back home victorious, it might finally increase WWE's Japanese viewership. Another reason why Japan would be a good bet is that it is the home of six-star matches.
The WWE might finally get that elusive six-star match if their superstars land in Japan and absorb some of that magic. A WWE event in Japan may also influence some NJPW stars to move over to the US.
#1 India
The Crown Jewel of the former British Empire tops this list because of a large number of reasons. From a monetary standpoint, WWE has already seen that investing in India is good for business from the time Jinder Mahal was WWE Champion.
During that period, the sales of WWE merchandise in the country shot up exponentially. Since WWE management is usually driven by profit, India is their best choice to equal or exceed the money they would have gotten from Saudi Arabia.
Wrestling is deeply rooted in India's culture, with some of the biggest international stars having a link to the country. Current NXT GM William Regal is one such WWE legends with ties to the Indian nation.
If WWE were to move Crown Jewel to India, they could make use of the connections people like William Regal and Jinder Mahal have to scout for new talent. India would also be a chance for the WWE Superstars to rest after a hectic year filled with constant travel from one corner of the world to another.
What do you think? Which country would be a suitable replacement for Saudi Arabia to host WWE Crown Jewel? Have your say in the comments.
