Sami Zayn’s popularity has been growing globally for several years, however his absence from the 2021 Crown Jewel and other Saudi shows should not be surprising to say the least.
What’s the reason or the reasons why he didn’t take part in the WWE event in KSA? We will outline the most relevant aspects to explain what’s the situation in the WWE world.
What Prevented Zayn From Wrestling WWE Events In KSA?
WWE star Sami Zayn held off the card at the 2021 WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia leads to many questions. For those who have followed Zayn’s career and regularly bet on WWE events aren’t surprised. The Syrian-Canadian star has not performed at any of WWE’s events in Saudi Arabia since 2018. Sami has admitted publicly he isn’t interested in wrestling in this Middle Eastern nation.
Several sources confirm the deciding factor behind Zayn’s absence at events in KSA is more political than athletic. Saudi Arabia and Syria have had a longstanding hostility. Zayn’s nationality is why he wasn’t allowed to perform at the Greatest Royal Rumble event.
Sami Zayn’s social media has been known to provoke his fans’ comments. This is especially so when it comes to political positions. His fans are sensitive to Sami’s political thoughts. That was why the decision to ban him from the WWE events in KSA created much discontent.
Consequences On The WWE Betting Segment
Superstar Sami Zayn’s ethnicity seems to bother Saudi Arabia’s government. To the point of not allowing him to perform in the WWE events. That came with significant consequences on the betting segment. As several bookmakers worldwide can tell you, Zayn’s supporters gave up placing bets for the events in KSA. Many of his supporters live in Syria, the betting week lost a remarkable revenue during the event season. Despite this negative impact on the betting segment, Saudi Arabia’s government kept proceeding on its line.
The political deal between Saudi Arabia and Syria is a complicated controversy that generates reactions in many WWE fans. Many of them don’t like that WWE goes along with Saudi Arabia. However, the latest trends suggest that the WWE company will go hand in hand with this Middle Eastern country even more often in the future.
KSA Banned More Wrestlers From 2019 WWE Events
Unfortunately, Sami Zayn was not the only WWE superstar to be banned from the events in KSA. Other brilliant stars of the WWE environment weren’t allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia for the WWE events:
- Kevin Owens and his family decided not to go to Saudi Arabia after his best friend Sami Zayn got banned from wrestling there. Owens freely wanted to stand by his friend’s side instead of appearing at a wrestling event that excluded Sami from participating.
- A report reveals that Daniel Bryan and John Cena didn’t perform in the wrestling events in KSA after the death of Jamal Khashoggi (Saudi journalist and protester who died at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey). The two big stars of wrestling took an ethical position to express a political discrepancy.
- Aleister Black has several tattoos on his body that Saudis don’t seem to appreciate too much. The religious themes in his tattoos hurt Saudis’ sensibility to the point of deserving a prohibition to appear in the 2019 Super ShowDown season in KSA.
The strict selection of the athletes that can perform in the WWE events in Saudi Arabia doesn’t leave any hope to see stars like Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, and Aleister Black on the card for the future.
For many fans, the decision of KSA’s government was excessive and barely understandable. Sami Zayn is a Sunni Muslim, not more nor less than the majority of Saudis. But having Syrian parents seems to be enough for the Saudi government to remove him from one of the most significant WWE events in the Middle East. We should highlight that Sami won The Humanitarian Award from the Syrian American Medical Society for his financial help: in 2018, Sami engaged in fundraising to support the Syrian medical community. Now, the question is: was this fact a factor to decide for Zayn’s exclusion from the WWE events in KSA? Currently, there isn’t any direct evidence to confirm this, but we can never rule it out. Posterity will judge it.
