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WWE's Super ShowDown PPV takes place later today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and it will be the fifth iteration of the WWE shows in Saudi Arabia. The card is a packed one, with five titles on the line, as well as the Tuwaiq Trophy.
The Fiend defends his Universal title against Goldberg, while Brock Lesnar puts his WWE Championship on the line against Ricochet. There's also going to be a women's title match as Bayley faces off against Naomi for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
The two other matches will see both men's tag team titles on the line as The New Day face off against The Miz and John Morrison, while Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy put their titles on the line against The Street Profits.
But, the show will have more than just these title matches, and WWE may be withholding a surprise or two for the show.
Let's take a look at the last-minute rumors for WWE Super ShowDown 2020.
#5 The Undertaker returns
WWE let the proverbial cat out of the bag with this one as they confirmed that The Undertaker was in Saudi Arabia despite not being on the card. The Phenom was spotted arriving in Saudi Arabia along with the rest of the roster, but we aren't quite sure what he will be doing at the show.
He was spotted last week at WWE's Performance Center, which surprised fans as he has not been involved in any feud for months.
The Undertaker wrestled just twice last year, one of which was at last year's edition of Super ShowDown, where he had the infamous match against Goldberg.
Also Read: Goldberg reveals a few reasons why his match against The Undertaker was so bad
His last match in WWE was at Extreme Rules where he teamed with Roman Reigns to face Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon.
#4 Travel plans
The last time WWE were in Saudi Arabia, for the Crown Jewel PPV, WWE's Superstars were left stranded in the country after the show as their chartered plane faced some technical issues. This resulted in WWE making last-minute changes to SmackDown with the majority of their roster missing.
This time around, though, WWE have planned and prepared better for any issues that may crop up.
Sportskeeda's Tom Colohue has reported about contingency plans WWE has in place if they face similar issues to last time:
The most prominent of these choices is apparently the appearance of John Cena; someone who is not on the Super Showdown card but who can easily take up a major segment or more than one if necessary.
Additionally, there has been a major reduction in the total number of both RAW and SmackDown talent traveling to Saudi Arabia. Several big names are notable in their absence, including current feuding Braun Strowman, Shinsuke Nakamura, Elias, Cesaro and Sami Zayn as well as all but two of the current women’s division. A higher number than before have opted out of the show.
He also said that WWE have a backup plane to call upon if they face any issues, while WWE have also taped a segment featuring The Fiend if he cannot make it to the show.
#3 Why Rusev did not travel to Saudi Arabia
One of the many Superstars that will not be in Saudi Arabia is the former United States Champion, Rusev. The Bulgarian Brute reportedly has back issues which caused him to not make the trip to Saudi Arabia, but there could be more to it than just an injury.
Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer stated that the WWE RAW Superstar "essentially backed out of the show" (via WrestlingInc) which will be worrying news for WWE. Rusev has had ongoing discussions regarding a new deal with the company, which may have hit a roadblock.
Rusev was supposed to take part in the Gauntlet match at Super ShowDown for the inaugural Tuwaiq Trophy. He was set to face off against AJ Styles, Andrade, R-Truth, Erick Rowan, and Bobby Lashley. But, he has now been replaced by Rey Mysterio, who will take his place in the match.
The Bulgarian Brute was on RAW last week, where he teamed with Humberto Carrillo to face Bobby Lashley and Angel Garza, which Rusev and Carrillo lost.
#2 Superstars involved in the show
As mentioned previously, WWE have left many of their Superstars back home, and travelled with a smaller group than previous Saudi Arabia shows. This year's show does not have a battle royal, which means that WWE does not need a big roster.
PWInsider's Mike Johnson has reported on a few Superstars who could be a part of the show, and a few who have not travelled to Saudi Arabia:
While WWE Hall of Famers Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart were slated to make the trip to Saudi Arabia for the WWE Super Showdown PPV, we have not confirmed they are there with the rest of the crew. Lana is in Saudi Arabia, so she may be accompanying Bobby Lashley to ringside. Zelina Vega is not there so she would obviously not be with Andrade or Angel Garza.
The likes of Kevin Owens, Rusev, Braun Strowman, Shinsuke Nakamura, Elias, Mustafa Ali, and The Usos, to name a few, are not a part of the card.
#1 Matches added to Super ShowDown
Going into this week's Super ShowDown, only 7 matches were confirmed - 5 title matches, the Tuwaiq Trophy match, and the steel cage match between Roman Reigns and King Corbin. WWE have added more matches to the show, with three more matches added to the card.
Saudi Arabia's own Mansoor, who has been a part of the last two Saudi Arabia shows, will return to the ring once again, this time facing off against Dolph Ziggler in a singles match. Mansoor had won the 51-Man Battle Royal last year at Super ShowDown. He then faced Cesaro in a singles match later in the year at Crown Jewel.
Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza will face off in a singles match, as their feud - which began a few weeks ago on RAW - continues at Saudi Arabia.
The match on the pre-show will see The Viking Raiders face off against The OC. The two teams have clashed horns on and off on RAW over the last few months and they will have another match at Super ShowDown.
