Roman Reigns discusses wrestling in Saudi Arabia.
Prior to WWE's return to Saudi Arabia in November 2018 for Crown Jewel, Roman Reigns reportedly told the promotion he would not be traveling to Saudi Arabia for the event. Reigns had been advertised to face Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar in a triple threat match. Unfortunately, before the event took place, Reigns revealed that his leukemia had returned and he was forced to step away from WWE for the time being.
Reigns is back in the mix now and his stance on traveling to Saudi Arabia has seemingly changed. Reigns is currently advertised to face Shane McMahon at WWE Super ShowDown on June 7 in Saudi Arabia.
When asked about performing in the country, Reigns told Newsweek, "It gets a lot of mixed and negative reactions. The bottom line for me is, if we’re going to help promote change, if we’re going to set out to make an impact than I have to be a part of it. I’m not going to sit on the sideline and talk about how we can get there. I want to be a part of the action. I look at it as being a part of the solution while still respecting cultures, but it’s a big world and I want to experience all of it. So if we can help make a positive impact that’s what we’re here to do. We’re here to put smiles on everyone’s faces. We don’t discriminate, that’s our goal to help and promote positivity and take that to every inch of the world."
"Promoting change" isn't an official company line but it is a line that has been repeated by multiple superstars when asked about WWE going to Saudi Arabia. As fans may know, women are not allowed to perform in Saudi Arabia. However, Renee Young was part of the broadcast team for Crown Jewel.
