For the first time in years, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens will wrestle in Saudi Arabia.
On the May 12 episode of WWE SmackDown, WWE announced that Zayn and Owens will defend the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship against Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa at WWE Night of Champions on May 27. The news came as a surprise, as Night of Champions will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Owens and Zayn have not competed at WWE’s shows there in recent years.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer previously reported that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia made it clear that, due to Sami Zayn’s Syrian heritage, they did not want him to wrestle at WWE’s events in the region in 2019. Syrians were prohibited from entering Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the Syrian civil war; Syria’s membership in The Arab League was suspended in 2011.
However, earlier in May, The Arab League voted to have the country’s membership reinstated, so Syrians are allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia again.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer reported that the tag team title match will be one of the two main events at WWE Night of Champions. He noted that Zayn decided that he would go to the event after Saudi Arabia opened up to Syrians. Following Zayn’s choice, Owens followed suit.
Zayn hasn’t wrestled in Saudi Arabia since 2014; he has not appeared at any of the WWE shows in the region since the company reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia in 2018. Owens has not competed at a WWE event in Saudi Arabia since WWE Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018.
WrestleZone will have coverage of WWE Night of Champions as it airs on May 27.
