On Tuesday’s episode of the SmackDown Live, an impromptu match was set up with AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan for the WWE title in Atlanta.
The match was made on the spot by Shane McMahon with Styles and Bryan having a lengthy title match with Styles retaining after applying the calf crusher.
During the post-match, Samoa Joe appeared to attack both men with the Coquina Clutch. This led to a new title match being made for Crown Jewel on Friday with Styles defending against Joe, and it appears Daniel Bryan is off Friday’s event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
It was first reported by Robbie Fox at Barstool Sports that John Cena and Daniel Bryan were refusing to work the Crown Jewel event. On Monday’s Raw, they removed John Cena from the World Cup tournament and was replaced by Bobby Lashley.
Talent is scheduled to leave for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning.
Pro Wrestling Sheet’s Ryan Satin is reporting that Renee Young will be part of the Crown Jewel broadcast team on Friday. In Satin’s report, he stated that the efforts to get Young onto the show began in September.
The General Sports Authority issued an apology earlier this year after the Greatest Royal Rumble event when a video aired that showed some of the female talent wearing their wrestling outfits.
We are going to get hammered over the head with how progressive it is that Renee is calling a show when it’s literally her job.
Kinda like females having their own ppv when they can’t get more than 2 matches on any other main card.
I think getting a female on the show is happening a lot sooner than most predicted. That has to count for something. I don’t wanna hear them praise themselves, but if they are gonna be bashed for their bullshit, they should equally be praised for the things they do right.
The comment by the Saudi Arabia GSA on a split second shot of Lana in a promo video at the Greatest Royal Rumble six months ago…
“The General Sport Authority would like to apologize to the viewers and attendees of the WWE event that took place in Jeddah, over the indecent scene involving women that appeared as an ad before a segment. “It would like to confirm its total disapproval of this, in the shadow of its commitment to eliminate anything that goes against the communities values. The authority has made sure to ban showing of any segment that involves women wrestling or any scenes related to it, and stipulated that to the company [WWE]. The authority also disapproved any promotional stuff with pictures or videos showing women in an indecent way, and emphasized on a commitment to this rule. And it’s a commitment that the authority would still commit to forever in all of its events and programs.”
Crown Jewel is still deplorable and I won’t be watching.
But read that statement again and it is amazing that Renee will even be on the show.
Daniel Bryan has earned my respect for actually having some morals. It is disappointing that no one else does the same. I guess they just can’t say no to a huge paycheck.
What happened to hbks religious beliefs? What about his respect to the undertaker and respecting his retirement. That all goes out the window when enough money is thrown at him.
I’m with Derek. Fair is Fair. I gotta shit on the rest of the roster for this. If the guy in the title match skipped out on accepting money from a murderer then there’s no excuse for everyone else not to do the same.
Edit: If a wrestler wrestles on the show then donates his earnings I would commend him. The fans who took no part in the murder do deserve what was advertised.
Yeah HBK loses a lot of respect from me for doing this - ditto Kane and Taker. They have enough power to say no and surely do not need the money.
The Renée thing is an obvious sideshow, something they can point at and say ‘look, change!’ even as the state keeps murdering people
I don’t think that Renee should go. Would she not stand out too much to the people watching there live? You would have all these guys on the show and then a blond women. It might offend the people there. Plus i am worried for her own safety.
Dude, rumor is HBK and Taker are getting 3 million each. They have families and they can set them up for life. Having Renee there helps the PR that they are “going there to help change”. Good on her for going and being a company (wo)man.
I’m pretty sure the Prince has ordered many innocent people to be killed before that journalist but now Daniel Bryan gets on his high horse? WWE has already done tons of shows for Middle Eastern governments and I’m positive those governments have directly murdered lots of people like they did to the guy in Turkey. This whole situation is hardly new. The company has to take this money and all the wrestlers should be company men and not rock the boat publicly.
Daniel Bryan signs lucrative big deal. Then bails on lucrative big show. Yet somehow he’s commended?
For my money, Bryan has never wanted to stay in WWE but knows it’s the best and smartest move for his career as it ensures Brie’s employment and they have dual income. If it wasn’t up to him he’d have been on the Jericho Cruise. And if he’s fired for this, he’ll go do what he wants where he wants and look like the martyr.
I read Daniel Bryan’s situation as one where he’s taking full advantage of not giving a F and knowing WWE won’t cut his ass.
Cena at least is doing the classic Hollywood star but and hasn’t been on TV in weeks.
HBK and Taker and Brock - hey sometimes the money is what it is and you can’t say no. HBK’s Caden is peculiar because he’s breaking retirement to come back and get paid. Not the first guy, not the last guy. He’s just a typical American.
The rest of this roster should go. You don’t get to make WWE money and then decide where and for what fans you want to work.
I’d be waaaay more proud of a performer asking for his release. To me Bryan is asking for his cake and eating it too. Hope WWE buries him for this.
That kind prove that WWE won’t force somebody that’s not comfortable with going to go. I’m sure like the women, Bryan will be getting is full paycheck even if he doesn’t work the show plus that give him a few days rest before the European tour so That’s a plus
Also If the Renee young report are true, I give prop to wwe for being able to convince the Saudi government to let her do the show, that show that slowly but surely, the old mentality in this country is slowly changing even if they have a lot of road to go before they become a country that North American will accept and not judge.
Finally, I get why most of the others performers are going, it as nothing to do with morals or money, it was more about not letting the fans down. I really can’t imagine what it’s like for a Saudi kid or even family to live in a country like Saudi Arabia. But I’m sure that it’s not a picnic. So being able to get a break from the harsh life they have and enjoy a wrestling show must be a really good break from their daily life. We like to judge people bases on are belief in North American without really understanding what the reality of the country we are judging really is. It’s easy to judge them from are comfortable houses. We are able to have the freedom to do that because we are a democratic country but they don’t have that chance.
So in the end, why punish a population for the actions of a few? If you don’t want to watch the show because your uncomfortable, don’t watch it that’s your choice but it’s going to happen anyway so why continue to bitch about it and condemn them when they are just doing their job.
WWE made a business decision working for the government of Saudi Arabia.
Bryan/Cena made business decision with the cards they had available within the company.
There is a part of me that hopes they bury him to 205 Live or send him to Evolve, and see if he can increase visibility to those shows. It would be a great experiment.
We have all shat on performers who no showed events before. No matter what the situation was/is/going to be. It’s still fucking over a promoter and the audience who paid their money to see you. If you didn’t like the card, you don’t sign on for it. They’re independent contractors not indentured servents here.
Did Bryan and Cena make their intentions known to the company before tickets went on sale? I’ve got a feeling those cats didn’t want apart of the card 2 weeks ago, and it seems tickets didn’t go on sale until a few days ago.
