Reports emerge that WWE stars are being "pressured to go" to Saudi Arabia after blockbuster CM Punk tease

WWE is scheduled to hold Night of Champions 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is sure to be quite the spectacle, with several superstars, including CM Punk, being advertised. However, reports have emerged that stars are being "pressured to go" to the Middle East.

The reports come from the Wrestling Observer Radio and Dave Meltzer. In light of WWE's announcement, the veteran journalist has suggested that while it was optional, superstars were being pressured to go to Saudi Arabia.

"Guys have the option to go, but they are pressured to go, like pretty hard," said Dave Meltzer.

As mentioned earlier, CM Punk is one of many stars being advertised for the event. This is particularly interesting, especially considering that The Second City Saint was once critical of WWE shows in Saudi Arabia.

Night of Champions 2025 is sure to be an exciting event. Outside of Punk, WWE's video package for the event also features John Cena, Cody Rhodes, and Rhea Ripley, among others. Hence, fans can expect a stacked card come June 28.

WWE moved Crown Jewel out of Saudi Arabia and to Australia

The Night of Champions announcement comes a week or so after WWE made another significant announcement. For the past six years, the Stamford-based promotion has specifically held Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia.

Recently, it was announced that the event would be held in Perth, Australia. The announcement was made on the back of WrestleMania 41, and before the company's scheduled Takeover event in the Land Down Under.

Hometown stars Rhea Ripley and Grayson Waller traveled home for the announcement and to promote the upcoming festivities scheduled to take place at RAC Arena in Perth on October 11, 2025.

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Crown Jewel is sure to be a great show, especially considering fans will seemingly get to see a new Men's and Women's Crown Jewel Champion crowned. It also serves as a perfect example of the company's goal to continue expanding its reach, as it is one of three events outside of the USA that have been announced thus far.

About the author

Nithin is a Pro Wrestling writer who covers WWE news stories at Sportskeeda. He holds an MBA degree and has 4 years of content writing experience working for the likes of The SportsRush and GiveMeSport. His association with SK goes way back as he wrote for the pro wrestling division earlier, too, and interned with the team while pursuing his undergraduate degree.

Nithin’s writing style is inspired by the storytelling abilities of Japanese mangakas Eiichiro Oda, Masashi Kishimoto, and English authors like George R.R. Martin and JRR Tolkien. He strives to keep his reports accurate and relevant by keeping up to date with the pro wrestling world and catering to reader preferences.

He is a huge fan of Seth Rollins’ workhorse mentality and Sami Zayn’s never-say-die spirit. He says that if he could go back to The Attitude Era, he would love to manage Kurt Angle and bring out his ‘Wrestling Machine’ character much earlier in his career.

In his free time, Nithin watches, reads, and makes videos about sports on his YouTube channel ‘The Daily Raid.’ He also enjoys gaming, watching anime, and reading manga.

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Edited by Nithin Joseph