10 WWE In Saudi Arabia Moments That Were Actually Good
It's Not All Been Bad, Honest...
To paraphrase one fan from SummerSlam 1992, WWE are going back to Saudi Arabia, whether we like it or not. The company announced they were returning to The Kingdom later this year for their sixth special event in partnership with the Saudi General Sports Authority and fans were... well, crushingly disappointed in all honesty.
Not only are there multiple moral and ethical obligations to WWE performing in Saudi Arabia - the country's lack of women's rights, its track record on LGBTQ+ rights, its involvement in the killing of Jamal Kashoggi - but the shows themselves have been sub-par. Boring matches, a lack of stakes, and awful booking decisions have plagued the Saudi shows and fans don't expect that to change any time soon.
But has every journey to Saudi Arabia been a wasted trip? Not at all. The Saudi Arabian branch of the WWE Universe has been treated to some good moments over the years and, on rare occasions, they even got to see some good wrestling! Ahead of their return to the country later this year, let's revisit some of the times WWE got it right in Saudi Arabia.
10. NXT Invades SmackDown
Look, this didn't happen in Saudi Arabia, but it was the result of what happened in Saudi Arabia. Also, finding ten good things about these shows was a stretch.
When attempting to return from Crown Jewel 2019, most of the WWE roster discovered that they couldn't take leave because their plane was suffering from "mechanical problems". These "problems" have been heavily disputed with many claiming the wrestlers were essentially being held hostage because of an argument between Vince McMahon and The Crown Prince over money. Either way, it was messy.
With most of their talent stranded overseas, WWE had to think of something to fill that evening's episode of SmackDown. With their backs against the wall, WWE threw a Hail Mary and booked an NXT invasion of the show. Stars from The Black and Gold Brand ran roughshod over the episode and challenged Raw and SmackDown at Survivor Series. Fans even got an NXT Championship match between Adam Cole and Daniel Bryan.
Obviously the roster being trapped in Saudi Arabia was terrible, but at least this excellent episode of TV came from what could have been a very dark situation.