MAJOR Scheduling Conflict Threatening WWE's Next Saudi Arabian Show?
SmackDown's move to Fridays could spell trouble for the money-spinning Saudi deal.
With the utter shambles that was Super ShowDown finally in the rearview, WWE's next big Saudi Arabian show is expected to take place on 1 November.
This date was leaked when a tentative 2019 touring schedule made it to the internet earlier this year, with Riyadh's King Saud University Stadium pegged as the venue, but could SmackDown's impending move from the USA Network to Fox cause problems with the event?
As pointed out by Dave Meltzer in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Saudi Arabia prefer for these shows to take place on Friday evenings, which will be SmackDown's night when the new TV kicks in this October. Thus, there could be a major scheduling conflict.
Two problems spring to mind immediately:-
1. WWE would have to split their crews, meaning SD would have to progress with a much smaller talent pool than usual. Unideal, less than a month into a new TV contract.
2. Overindulged, burned out fans would face the prospect of consuming a two-hour TV shows on the same day as a four/five-hour PPV.
Changing the Saudi date is an option, but the hosts are the ones pulling the strings in this deal - not WWE.