WWE to Air Crown Jewel From Stamford Amid Middle East Tensions
WWE will broadcast the Crown Jewel event from its Stamford headquarters, with a reduced four-match card, as regional security concerns limit on-site staff.
WWE confirmed that the Crown Jewel pay-per-view scheduled for this weekend in Riyadh will proceed, but most of the production crew will work remotely from the company’s Stamford, Connecticut headquarters, according to PWInsider reporter Mike Johnson. The broadcast and engineering of the show will also be handled off-site.
The event will feature a shortened card of four matches. The main attractions are champion-versus-champion bouts: WWE Champion Sami Zayn will face World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, and Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan will take on WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green. The remaining contests include a Tag Team Championship match with The Vision defending against Penta and Je’Von Evans, and a Last Man Standing match between Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes.
The decision comes amid heightened security concerns in the region following the United States’ military actions in Iran and a recent attack at Riyadh’s airport that resulted in multiple casualties. Other sports organizations are also evaluating the safety of events in the Middle East.