5 current WWE Superstars who have never wrestled in Saudi Arabia
WWE is set to touch down in Saudi Arabia on November 5 for Crown Jewel. It will surely build a stacked match card for the show, but the groundwork has already begun.
WWE Crown Jewel 2022 will be headlined by a blockbuster world title match between Roman Reigns and Logan Paul. Most of the company's roster turns up for shows in the country due to how significant the relationship between them is.
However, some performers have never wrestled in the Saudi Arabian heat. Some of them were never on the main roster, while others had their reasons. Here, we look at five current WWE Superstars who have never been to Saudi Arabia.
#5 On our list of WWE Superstars who have never wrestled in Saudi Arabia: Gunther
When WWE began hosting shows in Saudi Arabia, it was strictly for their main roster superstars and a few legends. Gunther was honing his craft in NXT: UK back then, and was only recently promoted to the main roster.
Gunther has never been part of a Saudi Arabian show, but he can change that by getting on this year's Crown Jewel card. The Intercontinental Champion is a hard-hitting competitor who can delight the Saudi Arabian fans with his offense. The Saudi fans will pay good money to see him batter whoever is in the ring with him.
#4 Noam Dar
Noam Dar has never wrestled in Saudi Arabia due to an extremely personal reason. Since he was born in Israel and the Arab League boycotted the country, he has been banned from competing in Saudi Arabia.
It seems Dar will almost never perform at WWE's Saudi Arabia shows. If the company even tries to fly him out to wrestle in the country, there will be serious logistical nightmares to deal with. Given how much of a PR disaster that would be, we can't imagine them considering the possibility.
#3 Asuka
Saudi Arabia's record of having women wrestle on their grounds was patchy in the beginning. Over the years, they've eased up on their restrictions and allowed women to compete at various shows. The most recent instance of this took place at the 2022 Elimination Chamber premium live event, where 12 women wrestled in three matches, including an Elimination Chamber match.
However, Asuka is one female WWE wrestler who is yet to wrestle in Saudi Arabia. For some reason, she has never found herself on any of the Saudi show match cards. That being said, with the country continuing to liberalize its stance on women's wrestling, The Empress of Tomorrow could find herself wrestling there in the future.
#2 Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes was not a WWE Superstar when the company signed a lucrative deal with Saudi Arabia. Hence, he is yet to compete in any of the Saudi Arabian shows for his new employers.
Given the star power Rhodes has, there is no doubt in our minds that Saudi Arabian fans would love to see him compete in their country. The American Nightmare is currently on the sidelines recovering from an injury. However, you can bet that upon his return, Saudi friends will be asking for him at the next show.
#1 Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn has never wrestled in Saudi Arabia owing to his Syrian heritage. Syria and Saudi Arabia have a tense and strained relationship, and that means he is banned from performing in the Kingdom.
Zayn was barred from wrestling in Saudi Arabia when WWE signed a strategic partnership deal with the country. He performed there in 2014 during the company's house show tour that year, but never after. Given the relationship between his country and the Saudis, he probably never will.