“The game is so gone”- WWE Universe disgusted after TKO CFO hints at increasing number of Saudi Arabia PLEs in 2026

The WWE Universe reacts to WWE hosting a greater number of PLEs in Saudi Arabia, including a Big 4 Premium Live Event.

“The game is so gone”- WWE Universe disgusted after TKO CFO hints at increasing number of Saudi Arabia PLEs in 2026

Wrestling fans react to WWE hosting more PLEs in Saudi Arabia (via WWE and Arab News)

WWE’s deal with Saudi Arabia has been met with heavy criticism from fans. Many argue against the country’s policies and claim that the company should not keep associations with them. While many are waiting for this deal to run out, it seems that things are only about to get much worse from here.

TKO CFO Andrew Schleimer has officially stated that the Stamford-based promotion will host 3 PLEs in Saudi Arabia in 2026. The first of these will be the Royal Rumble, which has been reported by many insiders for a while now. The other two shows will presumably be the other standard PPVs that the company hosts there each year.

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WWE signed a 10-year partnership with the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Sport in 2018. The inaugural event held there was The Greatest Royal Rumble, and they have organized two PLEs every year and some episodes of weekly programming surrounding the show. Apart from the controversial nature of their government, the promotion also has to deal with a lot of creative restrictions.

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The few initial shows held in Saudi Arabia featured many exhibition matches between legends that served no creative purpose. Another great example of this is the recent Crown Jewel Championships, where the existing champions will have to abandon all their existing storylines to have a face-off every year in Riyadh. For example, Liv Morgan had to pause her rivalry with Rhea Ripley for about a month due to her scheduled match against Nia Jax.

The wrestling world reacts to WWE hosting 3 PLEs in Saudi Arabia in 2026 beginning with the Royal Rumble

Wrestling fans were repelled by this official announcement from the TKO CFO. They have been against the pre-existing Saudi Arabian shows as is. Thus, they found it extremely distasteful that the company was adding more. There have even been rumors that the Stamford-based promotion may someday host a WrestleMania in that country.

WWE Saudi Arabia
WWE PLE in Saudi Arabia (via WWE)

Many netizens also expressed concern for the female talent. The country’s traditions and rules dictate that all women must wrestle in full-body suits, covering their hands and legs completely. This situation will worsen in January. Some of these women may have to compete for over an hour while being fully suited up, leading to issues in temperature regulation. These crowds also tend to be less interested and silent for women’s matches.

Another huge question mark about these Saudi Arabian PLEs is CM Punk. He has been very vocal about WWE’s partnership with the country, as he does not take part in any event hosted there. Since his return, he has either been injured or written off the TV whenever such a show occurred. However, it would be a huge loss for him and his fans if he had to miss out on the Royal Rumble itself.

Related: Is CM Punk banned from WWE’s Saudi Arabia events? Exploring possible reasons behind his omission from Crown Jewel