WWE's Crown Jewel Premium Live Event is right around the corner, and some of the WWE's top superstars will soon square off in Saudi Arabia fpr a number of high-profile matches. Strangely enough, however, the company is not sending the bulk of its top stars to its latest event, as Gunther, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and many other major names won't be present. And it's for a rather unexpected reason: they'll be heading up a completely different live show back here in the United States.
As everyone prepares for the upcoming WWE event that annually gives wrestling fans in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a chance to watch the Superstars in action, it only recently became clear that it's not the only show the WWE has planned for Saturday, November 4th. A number of superstars are set to bring their talents to a house show in Rochester, New York. That show will take place in the evening per usual, so anyone attending the New York show will feasibly be able to watch the PLE with a Peacock subscription earlier that afternoon. Still, it's strange to see the WWE double-booking live shows on the same day as such a high-profile event.
The WWE Is Advertising Gunther And More For Rochester Show
As mentioned, Intercontinental Champion Gunther will be at the Rochester, New York, show, but he's not the only big name. Here is a list of the athletes announced for the event so far, and it's a fairly crowded and notable list:
- Ricochet
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- Becky Lynch
- Tiffany Stratton
- Charlotte Flair
- Iyo Sky
- Carlito
- Grayson Waller
- Kofi Kingston
- The Street Profits
- The Brawling Brutes
- Omos
There is a note on the official page for the event that the card is subject to change, but that's standard messaging that appears on all WWE events. There's no reason to doubt that the company isn't planning on having this talent lineup at the show, but it is strange for some of these peeps to be there, since it means . For example, two major champions will compete on this show but not at the PPV.
While it's not uncommon for the WWE to keep a number of superstars home when it goes overseas for shows, it is strange to see a house show happening on the same day as a pay-per-view. The WWE has run shows in the United States close to the Crown Jewel event in the past couple of years, but not on the same day.
No Gunther At Crown Jewel Is Truly Shocking To Me
Gunther is one of the biggest names in the WWE right now, and there are even those who think he deserves a WrestleMania main event more than Cody Rhodes. Despite that, he didn't have a match at the latest PLE Fastlane, and now he's set to miss two and a row at Crown Jewel. I'd imagine he'll be present at Survivor Series in late November, but even so, it's odd for the WWE to keep its biggest champions out of the biggest events of the year.
Crown Jewel does have some superstar matchups planned, like Drew McIntyre challenging Seth Rollins for the Heavyweight Championship. Rhea Ripley will also defend her title in a major match against Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Raquel Rodriguez, Zoey Stark. Other matches are sure to be solidified in the coming week, and I would assume John Cena will appear before he's called back to Hollywood should the SAG-AFTRA strikes conclude. I also wouldn't be shocked to see Logan Paul, given his impressive performance at Crown Jewel the year prior.
Watch WWE's Crown Jewel live on Peacock when it airs on Saturday, November 4th, starting at 1:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune into SmackDown and Monday Night Raw in the meantime for more reveals on who will compete and maybe some other surprises that will be announced ahead of the big night.
