Backstage Update On Current WWE Champion's Crown Jewel Status
More surprise appearance talk ahead of tonight's WWE Crown Jewel 2021 pay-per-view.
Speculation of Charlotte Flair being added to tonight's WWE Crown Jewel 2021 card appears to be wide of the mark.
Flair's recent interactions with SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, and Sasha Banks had led to talk amongst fans that the reigning Raw Women's Champion might be added to the trio's planned Triple Threat. That Charlotte was drafted to SmackDown earlier this month (despite holding the Raw belt) added to this, but it doesn't sound like she is in Saudi Arabia.
Per Fightful Select, Raw's 'Queen' hasn't been seen by those that travelled to the country ahead of the pay-per-view. Flair is also scheduled to appear at a signing session in Wichita, KS tomorrow morning, which is where that evening's SmackDown show is being held. Travelling back from Riyadh in time for that would be impossible.
Fightful adds that WWE has left themselves a "huge crew" for tomorrow's SmackDown, seemingly doing so to prevent the show from being shorthanded following the infamous 2019 travel debacle.
Banks is the only SmackDown wrestler left in the blue brand's Women's Title match, with both Belair and Lynch drafted to Raw earlier this month. This makes the Triple Threat's outcome particularly interesting.