John Cena is back on WWE Raw, and it is not just any episode. Tonight in Brooklyn, the Barclays Center is absolutely buzzing for the final stop before Crown Jewel 2026. But make no mistake, as hype as Cena’s return is, the real story everyone is talking about is the controversial voyage to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for Crown Jewel. With safety issues swirling because of the Iran War, WWE already moved the show to the ANB Arena. Yeah, formerly just “The Venue,” now it is the ANB. Talk about a last-minute scramble.
The Saudi Trip: Safety Fears and The Company’s Stance
Let’s be real, the whole situation with Crown Jewel has been a wild ride. The Iran War has brought a ton of “questions and concerns” to WWE and TKO, especially regarding safety in Saudi Arabia. Moving the event to the ANB Arena? That screams “serious concerns” right there. But here is the kicker: TKO, the parent company, has had other major events in the Middle East with zero incidents. We are talking UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi and even the boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and Christian Mbilli this very weekend. No issues at all. So, what is the real deal here? TKO President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro addressed the whole thing head-on during a town hall meeting, telling WWE staff and talent a line that will stick with you: “We will not hesitate to cancel those events, damned be our budget.” That is 12 words, folks, and it tells you everything you need to know about where TKO’s priorities are. They are not messing around with safety, no matter the cost.
Brooklyn’s Loaded Card and a Wild Week Ahead
Back in the Barclays, it is a stacked night to send us off to Crown Jewel. Cena’s return? Massive. Roman Reigns is also making a special appearance to address Sami Zayn before their big clash. We also got Royce Keys versus Solo Sikoa and Chad Gable going for the Intercontinental Title against Ethan Page. Pretty sure the crowd is gonna be absolutely lit. You can catch all this action kicking off at a special start time, 3:00 p.m. PST, right on Netflix. And tonight is just the beginning of a crazy week! Wednesday is going to feature a loaded WWE NXT show, and get this, Cena is going to be there again! Plus Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, with Punk challenging Grayson Waller for the WWE NXT Championship. Seriously? It is rumored Iyo Sky might even show up. Oh, and NXT is preempted, going head-to-head with AEW Dynamite’s Blood and Guts show, which is AEW’s biggest TV show of the year. Talk about a fight for viewership. WWE Raw has been holding strong, pulling in 2.5 million viewers on October 19 and 12, and 2.4 million on October 5, and 2.5 million on September 28 and 21. Tonight’s crowd? A solid 13,346 people are in the house.
So, what is next? Crown Jewel is right around the corner. Will the controversies fade once the bell rings, or will TKO’s strong stance continue to overshadow the action? Tune into Netflix tonight at 3:00 p.m. PST to catch all the Raw fallout and see what happens next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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