WWE Rumors: WWE reportedly set for two more Saudi Arabia shows in 2019

What's the story?

WWE had two big shows at Saudi Arabia in 2018 - the Greatest Royal Rumble and WWE Crown Jewel. The second show saw WWE receive a lot of external pressure to cancel the show, primarily due to the controversy going on with the late journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

However, it seems like everything is all being put behind, because WWE already has two more Saudi Arabia shows set for 2019, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

In case you didn't know...

WWE signed a decade-long big money deal with Saudi Arabia sometime around 2017-18. Their first show as in April 2018, titled the Greatest Royal Rumble - themed after a 50-man Royal Rumble match.

That show went smoothly as planned, but the political circumstances surrounding the second Saudi Arabia show saw WWE receive external pressure from fans (and presumably the US government as well) to cancel the show.

John Cena and Daniel Bryan even pulled out of the show, with Cena having been scheduled to compete in the World Cup, while Daniel Bryan had a WWE title match. It didn't work out too bad for Bryan as he ended up winning the title just weeks later.

The heart of the matter

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has two shows planned in Saudi Arabia in 2019 - one in May and one in November, which is a similar pattern to what happened this year.

It's going to be interesting to see the reaction to these two shows. If external circumstances such as politics don't play a role, then they should be fine and the audience will likely tune in anyway. One has to wonder whether it's going to be another massive stadium show like in Jeddah or a relatively smaller one like in Riyadh.

What's next?

WWE may have only half a mind on Saudi Arabia as they get ready for Royal Rumble weekend next month. The road to WrestleMania begins in just over a month!

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