A WWE star reportedly opted not to travel to Saudi Arabia to compete at Crown Jewel.
New details have emerged regarding the cancellation of Gunther‘s planned match against Finn Balor at Crown Jewel 2026, with a report claiming that the former World Heavyweight Champion refused to travel to Saudi Arabia.
Despite WWE building towards the encounter through television storylines and advertising, the match was absent from Saturday’s premium live event in Riyadh. An earlier report suggested that the company had decided to postpone the match to allow more time for the rivalry to develop. However, Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline has now offered a different explanation.
According to Meltzer, Gunther “decided against going to Saudi Arabia,” prompting the promotion to remove the planned encounter from Crown Jewel. Multiple sources within WWE reportedly confirmed that Gunther had opted out of travelling to the event. Other individuals who could not independently confirm the situation nevertheless believed the reports were accurate.
WWE also reportedly tried to persuade Gunther to reconsider, with discussions described as having gone “back and forth.” This would explain why the company continued promoting the rivalry between Gunther and Balor despite uncertainty surrounding whether the match would take place. Balor was reportedly reluctant to travel to Saudi Arabia, although company sources believed he would have made the trip if Gunther had agreed to participate.
Gunther’s WWE Crown Jewel Decision Raises Questions About Potential Consequences
Dave Meltzer did not provide a specific reason for Gunther’s reported refusal, although the situation unfolded amid heightened security concerns surrounding Crown Jewel. The event took place against the backdrop of ongoing regional hostilities involving Houthi attacks targeting Riyadh, raising concerns among company personnel travelling to Saudi Arabia.
Previous reports indicated that some members of WWE’s production crew had declined to make the trip despite reportedly being offered approximately $3,000 in hazard pay. Until the latest report concerning Gunther, there had been no confirmed instances of wrestlers refusing to travel for the event.
The situation has also raised questions about whether Gunther could face any professional consequences for his decision. Meltzer did not indicate whether WWE intended to change Gunther’s creative direction or reduce his prominence on television.
However, the report noted that some individuals within WWE believed wrestlers could risk having their pushes “lessened” if they refused to participate in Saudi Arabian events. There has reportedly never been an official WWE directive establishing such a policy, but the perception has existed among some roster members.
For now, Gunther’s rivalry with Balor is expected to continue, suggesting that WWE still intends to deliver the match at a later date. Neither a new date for the encounter nor any potential repercussions for Gunther have been confirmed.
Gunther has not publicly explained his reported decision to miss Crown Jewel.
