Source: The Wrestling Observer
We reported last week here on eWrestlingNews.com that WWE RAW Superstar Sami Zayn was not featured in the Greatest Royal Rumble match despite being advertised for it well in advance. When asked for comment regarding his absence, WWE issued the following statement: “WWE is committed to embracing individuals from all backgrounds while respecting local customs and cultural differences around the world.”
According to sources, the most likely reason that Zayn was not included at the pay-per-view event is because of his Syrian descent. Back in 2012, the counties of Syria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ended their relations with each other. A segment featuring Sami Zayn was filmed at the RAW TV tapings prior to the Greatest Royal Rumble event and Zayn mentioned being involved in the Rumble match. Another report claims Zayn said he wasn’t feeling well and indicated that he wouldn’t be able to go to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
WWE officials also kept the matter secret before and during the event. Zayn knew he wasn’t going to appear because he was told a week before that he would do an injury angle on the April 23rd episode of RAW. The angle was meant to explain his absence from the Saudi Arabia event. Zayn himself reportedly claims nobody told him why exactly he was pulled from the event and has “no explanation for it”.
For what it’s worth, several directives were given out prior to the Greatest Royal Rumble event. WWE Superstars who were doing the media rounds were told to avoid talking about Zayn as to not cause any controversy. Several other orders were given out, including WWE Superstars being given a list of cultural miscues to avoid. One was never to turn down a handshake. The reason for no handshaking is because it could be taken as an insult and insulting the wrong person could be bad for the company.