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The annual Saudi Arabia spectacle Crown Jewel is just days away, and the hype is real. Fans are eagerly waiting to see if Roman Reigns [https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/roman-reigns/] and Seth Rollins [https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/seth-rollins] can retain their titles and if John Cena [https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/john-cena] can break his losing streak [https://www.essentiallysports.com/wwe-news-who-is-john-cena-fighting-at-wwe-crown-jewel-all-possible-scenarios-explained/]. There is a lot on the card for Crown Jewel, but is this annual program by the WWE the first in Saudi Arabia? Did you know that the first time WWE promoted an event in the region was almost a decade ago? THE WWE STARTED PROMOTING SHOWS IN SAUDI ARABIA SINCE 2014 Despite the first Crown Jewel being held in 2018 in Saudi Arabia, this was not the first event by the WWE. You might think we’re talking about The Greatest Royal Rumble on April 27, 2018, at King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah. No, it was much earlier by around 4 years. [https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/WWE-Crown-Jewel-2021-match-grades-results-Roman-Reigns-retains.jpeg] In December 2013, the WWE announced it would be hosting live events in Saudi Arabia. This decision proved unpopular as it was not going to be a PLE, just house matches. In April 2014, the first house show by the WWE was held in Riyadh. This consisted of three separate shows at the Green Halls Stadium. Following the success of this, the WWE held three more house shows in Jeddah at the King Abdullah Sports City Sports Hall in October 2015. In November 2016, the WWE returned to the Green Halls Stadium for two non-televised events. This featured multiple SmackDown superstars. READ MORE: Here’s the History Behind Female Wrestlers Performing at WWE Crown Jewel and Saudi Arabia Shows Over the Years [https://www.essentiallysports.com/wwe-news-heres-the-history-behind-female-wrestlers-performing-at-wwe-crown-jewel-and-saudi-arabia-shows-over-the-years/] Ahead of announcing the Crown Jewel PLE, the WWE launched WWE Wal3ooha. This was a program that did Arabic-language recap shows of their program. This airs only in Saudi Arabia to promote the show. Despite everything the WWE has done to make Crown Jewel a success, critics and extras still had negative things to say about it. CRITICS WERE NOT A FAN OF THE WWE PARTNERING WITH SAUDI ARABIA Despite everything, the WWE pushed forward with Crown Jewel and reports suggest the reception it garnered was better than the WWE expected. With over $500 million in revenue since 2018, this is one of the WWE’s most successful partnerships. This resulted in a massive backlash from fans, which the WWE never listened to. However, critics have most been kind towards this move. Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awarded this partnership their annual “Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic” award for 2018 and 2019.The WWE became the first winner of “Worst Major Wrestling Show” for three consecutive years, What do you think about the first WWE promotion in Saudi Arabia? Tell us in the comments down below. Watch This Story: LA Knight, Alexa Bliss, and More Join John Cena for His New Movie’s Squared Circle Screening [https://www.essentiallysports.com/stories/wwe-news-la-knight-alexa-bliss-and-more-join-john-cena-for-his-new-movies-squared-circle-screening/] 

Ahead of Crown Jewel 2023, fans eagerly wait for the Saudi Arabia Spectacle. But
when was the first time the WWE promoted a show here?

Christopher Paul is a WWE writer who has a strong passion for the sport. Paul is
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Ahead of Crown Jewel 2023, fans eagerly wait for the Saudi Arabia Spectacle. But when was the first time the WWE promoted a show here?

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<span style="font-weight: 400">Apart from producing weekly shows, pro wrestling promotions also bank on special events, which act as a source of income and allow the fans to experience premium wrestling content. While other promotions have fewer pay-per-view events, by virtue of their sheer popularity, and market size, the WWE hosts around 15 PPVs, which they have rebranded as premium live events (PLEs).</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">One such PLE is the upcoming Crown Jewel. Unlike a lot of other existing PLEs, the Crown Jewel has a specific timing and venue and is held annually. It has been a recurring WWE marquee event since 2018. Let's explore the trivia surrounding Crown Jewel.  </span>
<h2><strong>History of Crown Jewel</strong></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400">Crown Jewel has been a relatively newer addition to WWE's extensive list of live events. Unlike a lot of others, it was commissioned with a special interest in mind- as part of the Stamford-based promotion's decade-long deal with Saudi Arabia. Needless to say, the Middle Eastern kingdom serves as the host country, though the exact location of the events changes from one venue to the other.</span>

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2230098" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/WWE-Crown-Jewel-WWE-Website.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080" />

<span style="font-weight: 400">The name- Crown Jewel- also is a nod to Saudi's prevalent monarchy. Apart from the country-specific nature of the PLE, Crown Jewel primarily takes place in between late October to early November. The 2023 edition of the PLE is scheduled for November 4, 2023. Riyadh, the Saudi capital will play host, though the arena is yet to be announced.</span>
<h2><strong>The starting- 2018</strong></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400">As stated above, Crown Jewel started in 2018. The event emanated from the capital's King Saud University Stadium on November 2. It incorporated a lot of nostalgic elements as <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/hulk-hogan/">Hulk Hogan</a> hosted the show and iconic tag teams DX and The Brothers of Destruction headlined the night.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Crown Jewel 2018 consisted of 12 matches- four of which were championship bouts- and also had the quarterfinals, semifinals and final of the WWE World Cup. The event was attended by 16,000 people as per reports.</span>
<h2><strong>Later years- 2019 to 2022</strong></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400">Since the 2018 edition, Crown Jewel has been a staple in the WWE events roster. Editions of the events have been hosted in 2019, 2021 and 2022. The company had to cancel the 2020 edition due to the COVID19 pandemic.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Crown Jewel 2019- Took place on October 31. Venue: King Fahd International Stadium. It slotted nine matches- three championship matches- with a 20-man Battle Royal being one of the top attractions of the night. In the main event, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt took the WWE Universal Championship off of <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/seth-rollins">Seth Rollins</a> in a Falls Count Anywhere match.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Crown Jewel 2021- The third edition of the PLE took place at the Mohammed Abdu Arena on October 21. Ten matches were scheduled for the night. Four championship bouts, including the SmackDown Women's Championship, were kept in line. <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/roman-reigns/">Roman Reigns</a> successfully defended his WWE Universal Championship against <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/brock-lesnar/">Brock Lesnar</a> in the main event, which lasted for nearly 12 and a half minutes.</span>

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1244543" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/reigns-paul-triple-h-crown-jewel-wwe.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="675" />

<span style="font-weight: 400">Crown Jewel 2022- Mrsool Park was the venue on November 5 for the last edition of WWE Crown Jewel. It saw four title defenses- two each from men and women and two each of singles and tag team golds. Roman Reigns and Logan Paul drew the biggest cheers from critics in a nearly 25-minute main event bout. The Big Dog managed to defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.</span>
<h2><strong>Interesting facts about Crown Jewel</strong></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400">Roman Reigns remains undefeated so far in the PLE. The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion also has been a part of two main event matches- 2021 and 2022. He's likely to be a part of the event in the 2023 edition. Could Reigns make a hattrick?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Brock Lesnar has the fastest win in the history of the PLE. in 2019, The Beast Incarnate defeated former UFC peer Cain Velasquez by submission for the WWE Championship. Lesnar took 2 minutes and 10 seconds to defend his belt.</span>

[caption id="attachment_966352" align="aligncenter" width="612"]<img class="size-full wp-image-966352" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/gettyimages-1180499584-612x612-1.jpg" alt="Brock Lesnar" width="612" height="443" /> LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 11: WWE champion Brock Lesnar is introduced at a WWE news conference at T-Mobile Arena on October 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lesnar will face former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and WWE wrestler Braun Strowman will take on heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury at the WWE's Crown Jewel event at Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 31. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400">While several matches have been over 20 minutes, the longest bout at Crown Jewel clocked 32 minutes and 5 seconds. Interestingly, the 2019 edition holds the record for both the longest and shortest match. Another fun fact- this match, won by The O.C. (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson) by eliminating The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar) in a Tag Team Turmoil match for the WWE Tag Team World Cup, followed by Lesnar's 2-minute bout. </span>
<h2><strong>2023 Match Card</strong></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400">So far, only one match has been decided for the upcoming edition. Seth Rollins accepted Drew McIntyre's challenge and will be defending his World Heavyweight Championship on November 4.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Expect the WWE to make announcements in the upcoming episodes of RAW and SmackDown and add more matches. As Crown Jewel historically has featured a stacked card, with a minimum of eight bouts, expect it to be more compact than Fastlane, which featured only five matches.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Also, fans can look up to a <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/wwe-news-crown-jewel-set-to-witness-john-cena-continue-his-feud-with-the-bloodline-as-roman-reigns-makes-his-return-next-week/">match featuring 16-time world champion</a> <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/john-cena">John Cena</a>. The greatest of all time has been advertised for the PLE in Saudi Arabia and it is likely to be his last assignment before he leaves for Hollywood to resume his busy acting career.  </span>
<h2><strong>Date, venue, and where to watch</strong></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400">Crown Jewel 2023 will take place in Riyad on November 4. You can watch the PLE on Peacock (US) and the WWE Network (Rest of the world). It will start at 1 p.m. ET.</span>

WWE Crown Jewel

Apart from producing weekly shows, pro wrestling promotions also bank on special events, which act as a source of income and allow the fans to experience premium wrestling content. While other promotions have fewer pay-per-view events, by virtue of their sheer popularity, and market size, the WWE hosts around 15 PPVs, which they have rebranded as premium live events (PLEs). One such PLE is the upcoming Crown Jewel. Unlike a lot of other existing PLEs, the Crown Jewel has a specific timing and venue and is held annually. It has been a recurring WWE marquee event since 2018. Let&#8217;s explore the trivia surrounding Crown Jewel.   History of Crown Jewel Crown Jewel has been a relatively newer addition to WWE&#8217;s extensive list of live events. Unlike a lot of others, it was commissioned with a special interest in mind- as part of the Stamford-based promotion&#8217;s decade-long deal with Saudi Arabia. Needless to say, the Middle Eastern kingdom serves as the host country, though the exact location of the events changes from one venue to the other. The name- Crown Jewel- also is a nod to Saudi&#8217;s prevalent monarchy. Apart from the country-specific nature of the PLE, Crown Jewel primarily takes place in between late October to early November. The 2023 edition of the PLE is scheduled for November 4, 2023. Riyadh, the Saudi capital will play host, though the arena is yet to be announced. The starting- 2018 As stated above, Crown Jewel started in 2018. The event emanated from the capital&#8217;s King Saud University Stadium on November 2. It incorporated a lot of nostalgic elements as Hulk Hogan hosted the show and iconic tag teams DX and The Brothers of Destruction headlined the night. Crown Jewel 2018 consisted of 12 matches- four of which were championship bouts- and also had the quarterfinals, semifinals and final of the WWE World Cup. The event was attended by 16,000 people as per reports. Later years- 2019 to 2022 Since the 2018 edition, Crown Jewel has been a staple in the WWE events roster. Editions of the events have been hosted in 2019, 2021 and 2022. The company had to cancel the 2020 edition due to the COVID19 pandemic. Crown Jewel 2019- Took place on October 31. Venue: King Fahd International Stadium. It slotted nine matches- three championship matches- with a 20-man Battle Royal being one of the top attractions of the night. In the main event, &#8220;The Fiend&#8221; Bray Wyatt took the WWE Universal Championship off of Seth Rollins in a Falls Count Anywhere match. Crown Jewel 2021- The third edition of the PLE took place at the Mohammed Abdu Arena on October 21. Ten matches were scheduled for the night. Four championship bouts, including the SmackDown Women&#8217;s Championship, were kept in line. Roman Reigns successfully defended his WWE Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar in the main event, which lasted for nearly 12 and a half minutes. Crown Jewel 2022- Mrsool Park was the venue on November 5 for the last edition of WWE Crown Jewel. It saw four title defenses- two each from men and women and two each of singles and tag team golds. Roman Reigns and Logan Paul drew the biggest cheers from critics in a nearly 25-minute main event bout. The Big Dog managed to defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Interesting facts about Crown Jewel Roman Reigns remains undefeated so far in the PLE. The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion also has been a part of two main event matches- 2021 and 2022. He&#8217;s likely to be a part of the event in the 2023 edition. Could Reigns make a hattrick? Brock Lesnar has the fastest win in the history of the PLE. in 2019, The Beast Incarnate defeated former UFC peer Cain Velasquez by submission for the WWE Championship. Lesnar took 2 minutes and 10 seconds to defend his belt. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA &#8211; OCTOBER 11: WWE champion Brock Lesnar is introduced at a WWE news conference at T-Mobile Arena on October 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lesnar will face former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and WWE wrestler Braun Strowman will take on heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury at the WWE&#8217;s Crown Jewel event at Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 31. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) While several matches have been over 20 minutes, the longest bout at Crown Jewel clocked 32 minutes and 5 seconds. Interestingly, the 2019 edition holds the record for both the longest and shortest match. Another fun fact- this match, won by The O.C. (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson) by eliminating The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar) in a Tag Team Turmoil match for the WWE Tag Team World Cup, followed by Lesnar&#8217;s 2-minute bout.  2023 Match Card So far, only one match has been decided for the upcoming edition. Seth Rollins accepted Drew McIntyre&#8217;s challenge and will be defending his World Heavyweight Championship on November 4. Expect the WWE to make announcements in the upcoming episodes of RAW and SmackDown and add more matches. As Crown Jewel historically has featured a stacked card, with a minimum of eight bouts, expect it to be more compact than Fastlane, which featured only five matches. Also, fans can look up to a match featuring 16-time world champion John Cena. The greatest of all time has been advertised for the PLE in Saudi Arabia and it is likely to be his last assignment before he leaves for Hollywood to resume his busy acting career.   Date, venue, and where to watch Crown Jewel 2023 will take place in Riyad on November 4. You can watch the PLE on Peacock (US) and the WWE Network (Rest of the world). It will start at 1 p.m. ET.

WWE Held Its First Event in Saudi Arabia Years Before the 2018 Deal

The WWE started promoting shows in Saudi Arabia since 2014

Critics were not a fan of the WWE partnering with Saudi Arabia