Why is Rhea Ripley Allowed in Saudi Arabia With Demonic Tattoos While Aleister Black Wasn’t?

WWE superstars sport all kinds of tattoos, be it the iconic Brahma Bull of Dwayne Johnson or the Samon Tribal tattoo of Roman Reigns. However, some get a bit dark, like the full-sleeve skulls of Randy Orton or the demonic-looking ones on Aleister Black and Rhea Ripley. Now, the Crown Jewel PLE is held in Saudi Arabia, which isn’t welcoming to tattoos of the latter kind. However, while Black was denied entry into the Middle Eastern nation during his stint at the Stamford-based promotion, Ripley has been allowed.

This has sparked a controversy about why Ripley was allowed in while Black wasn’t.

Rhea Ripley and Aleister Black both have demonic tattoos

Both Black and Ripley have a ton of tattoos. Similarly, they both have a few demonic-looking tattoos as well. However, back in 2019, Black was refused entry to the Crown Jewel PLE due to having those tattoos. Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley has a title match at the upcoming Crown Jewel 2023 PLE. So, why the partiality?

According to the WWE, they intended to “respect local customs” in Saudi Arabia, so Black was removed from the Crown Jewel 2019 PLE. The Saudi General Sports Authority considered Black’s tattoos to be religious in nature, which went against their norms.

Black sports a ‘Yama’ tattoo on the upper left side of his torso. Yama is the Hindu God of death. Similarly, he has a ‘Mahakala’ Tattoo on the upper right side of his torso. Mahakala is the name of Lord Shiva, the destroyer of all elements. Black also has Grim Reaper tattoos on the calf muscles of both legs.

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While Black’s tattoos are symbolic and religious in nature, Ripley’s are a different story. The most striking of her tattoos is the demonic face and symbols tattoo. This covers her entire leg and is a nod to her love for heavy metal music. The only logical reasoning behind the authorities allowing her is that female WWE stars are covered from neck to toe while participating in Crown Jewel. This is a policy the WWE has to follow.

The female clothing rule of Crown Jewel

One of the most noticeable features of Crown Jewel is female wrestlers’ attire. While they can wear traditional gear at every PLE, Crown Jewel is different. Due to the strict nature of the region, female WWE stars are forced to wear long tights, long sleeves, and t-shirts as opposed to their traditional gear.

However, this does not apply to the male stars. This is one of the main reasons why Black was denied entry, as his tattoos are on his torso, which are often left bare and visible during his matches.

What do you think about Ripley featuring at Crown Jewel while Black was not allowed to? Tell us in the comments down below.

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