Lead Rumor: WWE sticking with Riyadh
WWE running Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia amidst travel advisories and air strikes on the airport continues to be a topic of conversation in the pro wrestling world.
The latest on the situation is that despite some rumors going around that WWE would be moving the show, PW Insider notes no such conversations have happened within the company. Instead, they’ve talked regularly with the Kingdom and a private security firm, and the latter will have to give them the go ahead.
Insider also says they
have a source who has denied a rumor that there is a backup location in Europe but did say the company is still “paying close attention to the situation.”
Bryan Alvarez, meanwhile, has chimed in to say that while the show is going ahead as of now in Riyadh, there is a backup city in the United States that is on the table.
It’s clear the company wants to move ahead as planned because they are now promoting the show on television as taking place exactly where they always planned it to.
We’ll see how it all shakes out in the weeks ahead.
Other rumors floating around
- There was no talk of Carmelo Hayes leaving WWE, and his joining up with The 946 has been planned for a while, according to PW Insider. They also claim he was purposely downplayed on television so they could build to the big reveal on Monday Night Raw this week.
- Per Bryan Alvarez, Penta’s Money in the Bank briefcase is “apparently backordered through FEBRUARY already.” No wonder he’s probably going to hang onto it for a while.
- Speaking of, False Finish says Bron Breakker and Roxanne Perez, the betting favorites going into the show, were originally planned to win the Money in the Bank ladder matches before they pivoted to Penta and Tiffany Stratton.
- False Finish claims before going with Max Caster for Moose’s match at Bound for Glory, Sheamus was discussed as a possible opponent for him.
- Fightful Select says TNA wasn’t necessarily trying to choose Sheamus over Caster, it was simply a case of Sheamus not committing to the booking and there being too big a different in pay rate between the two sides.
- More on Caster being ousted from TNA: PW Insider notes he signed a deal that was going to pay him per appearance. He was given creative freedom and no one in the company knew what he was going to say. It was Carlos Silva’s call to let him go.
- Self Made Pro claims Tony D’Angelo still hasn’t been called up to the main roster because “Triple H doesn’t think much of him, or he didn’t in the old gimmick.”
- Tommy End & Xelina are drawing “considerable interest” as a duo from “several companies,” per PW Insider.
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