Five biggest controversies that happened at WWE PLEs in Saudi Arabia

WWE PLEs in Saudi Arabia have always seen controversies.

WWE might have settled for the Crown Jewel 2026 venue, keeping the PLE within Riyadh; this might be the first major incident that led the US-based firm to rethink its partnerships with Saudi Arabia. Rumors even hinted that the promotion is looking for a backup plan for WrestleMania 43, which was planned in Riyadh.

The company has had a 10-year partnership with Saudi Arabia, beginning in 2018, to host a series of Premium Live Events each year. Over time, the Stamford-based promotion has hosted some spectacular events in Saudi Arabia; however, most PLEs have faced uncomfortable circumstances. Looking back at the turmoil, here are the five biggest controversies surrounding WWE PLEs in Saudi Arabia.

5. Water bottle incident

WWE Crown Jewel 2019 was a historic edition, featuring the first-ever women’s wrestling match in Saudi Arabia. Natalya and Lacey Evans were the participants.

However, when Nattie was making her entrance, a fan threw a water bottle at her, but she swiftly ignored it and kept walking to the ring. The promotion even cut the ‘bottle’ incident while sharing the video highlight of the match.

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4. CM Punk’s apology booed

‘The Second City Saint’ CM Punk had criticized multiple wrestlers for competing in Saudi Arabia for huge paydays years ago. However, he was himself scheduled to compete against John Cena at Night of Champions 2025 in Saudi Arabia.

Many believed that he would be replaced at some point, but Punk did travel to the country. The crowd heavily booed him during his public apology, and it became a talking point among wrestling fans.

3. Top stars opted out of the event

The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi came around the time of Crown Jewel 2018. This led top stars like John Cena and Daniel Bryan to opt out of the show as they felt uncomfortable competing in Saudi Arabia at the time.

2. Sami Zayn banned

Top star Sami Zayn has a Syrian heritage, which is strongly opposed by Saudi Arabia. This led to the country banning Zayn from competing at PLEs for a long time.

While this eventually ended, it was seen as a step backward, as Zayn had competed in the country in 2014 when he was not even a main roster star.

1. WWE talent held hostage

After the end of Crown Jewel 2019, the company and its crew, including wrestlers, were stranded in the city due to a reported mechanical issue.

However, an anonymous wrestler who was part of the trip said that it was related to a monetary issue that led to a major dispute between the Saudi government and the firm, and top names like Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, and others were trying to leave the country on a separate flight.

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