It’s being reported that the majority of the WWE roster which flew in to Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel has not been able to board their scheduled flight back to US and it’s likely that they will be missing the upcoming episode of SmackDown Live.
The news was first reported by Fightful select and the site revealed that the flight that was supposed to take most of the talents home was delayed.
Dave Meltzer later provided an update on the situation revealing that Vince McMahon who was using a separate, private plane had already left the country earlier.
It was said that 20 people from the staff which included 12 talents have also managed to leave the country but the rest were not allowed to go. It’s still unclear if they got onto the flight with Vince McMahon but Brock Lesnar and Hulk Hogan are said to be among the names which have already left.
As for the reason of this delay, a report from PWinsider said that there is a mechanical issue with the fuel line of the plane but other sources seem to be disputing this claim.
Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio said that the delay had nothing to do with mechanical or weather issues but he wasn’t able to elaborate on the matter further.
Stay tuned for updates on the story.
Source:
- Pro Wrestling Sheet: WWE talent delayed from leaving Saudi Arabia
- PWinsider: WWE talent delay may affect tonight’s SmackDown
- Wrestling Observer: 12 WWE talents have left Saudi Arabia but rest are still stuck
