WWE plans to hold its Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia on Saturday despite the ongoing war in neighboring Iran, TKO Group Holdings president and COO Mark Shapiro said. He described the likelihood of cancellation as “extremely minimal” during the company’s third-quarter earnings call.
The event was moved from an outdoor stadium to an indoor arena as fighting escalated and bombings targeted sites in Saudi Arabia. Other cultural and entertainment events have also been affected, including the RED Sea Film Festival, which was canceled last month.
Shapiro said WWE’s two previous events in Saudi Arabia in 2026 had taken place without interruption. Crown Jewel “should be a big one for us,” he said, adding that preparations were “all systems go.”
He also referred to Vice President JD Vance’s comments linking Republicans’ midterm election losses to the war and calling for the conflict to be brought to an end. Shapiro said the changing public statements about the war made it difficult to know what would happen, but TKO was proceeding with its Saudi partners on the assumption that its events would go ahead.
The conflict could also affect WrestleMania, WWE’s major annual event, which is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia next April for the first time outside North America. Shapiro said the event was no more at risk than before, noting that WWE had received half of its payment upfront. He said the show could be moved if necessary, but not canceled, and that the company had contacted potential backup host cities, primarily in the United States.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Shapiro said, adding that TKO was not concerned at present.
Sources: Deadline.