It controversy surrounding WWE’s planned trip to Saudi Arabia for the Crown Jewel continues to rage, with several reports suggesting There is concern from WWE talent, both on and off screen, about the triphowever No wrestler has reportedly refused to leave. That apparently isn’t the case for some WWE staff, even though the promotion is trying to woo them with extra pay. Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful reports that WWE is offering crew members additional hazard pay for the trip to Riyadh, with the offer amounting to about $3,000, according to two WWE employees.
Hazard pay is usually offered when workers are forced to perform “hazardous duties or work involving physical hardship.” WWE is believed to not traditionally offer jeopardy payments, including past shows in Saudi Arabia, although past events in the country have not seen the level of military escalation that has occurred over the past month. It is unclear if the same offer was made to the wrestlers appearing on the show.
While the report makes it clear that the crew was offered a hazard pay option, it’s unclear if the same offer was made to the wrestlers performing on the show. Four matches are currently official for Crown Jewel, including Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn for the Men’s Crown Jewel Championship, Chelsea Green vs. Liv Morgan for the Women’s Crown Jewel Championship, Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match, and Penta and Je’Von Tagging for the World Challenger Takers. Team championships. It is assumed, however, that GUNTHER vs. Finn Balor will be added to the show and that other talent may also be featured.
Opinion: WWE Hazard Pay is offensive and inappropriate
You’d think that WWE would be short on surprising people with the rotten treatment of Crown Jewel 2026, and yet here they are as they prove just how careless and clueless they are with this dangerous payday story. For starters, this is a story that smacks of “we need to leak something to prove that we’re not heartless enough to force these people to work in a war zone. I know. Let’s say we offer hazard pay.” In theory, it’s a good idea for a spin, except $3k is pretty cheap for a company with billions in revenue. How cheap? That’s hardly enough to cover the cost of a casket, which costs an average of $2,000-$5,000, a pretty sick coincidence considering the potential danger TKO and WWE are putting their crews in.
But here is the most important thing. the amount of the hazard fee is not important. Hell the fact that they even offer hazard pay doesn’t matter. As I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, THIS SHOW SHOULD NOT BE ON. Yeah, it will probably (and hopefully) work out for everyone involved, and this will be another WWE controversy where we all go “oh yeah, remember that.” in a few years. But that does not change the fact that the risk is too great. And WWE knows it too. Otherwise there would be no talk of talent and staff flying to an airport further afield and then driving hours to get to Riyadh. Do you know how else they know it? Because they’re making this hazard pay offer, and they’re so clueless that they don’t understand that it’s both offensive and inappropriate. If WWE/TKO wanted to do right by their talent/crew/employees they would postpone this show or move it somewhere else. They didn’t. That simple.
