There have been reports going around that both John Cena and Daniel Bryan are refusing to work this weekend’s (Fri. November 2, 2018) WWE Crown Jewel pay-per-view (PPV) in Saudi Arabia. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio confirmed that Cena has informed WWE that he will not be working the event, despite previously being advertised for the WWE World Cup.
It’s believed Bobby Lashley will serve as Cena’s replacement, per a report from the WrestleVotes Twitter account, despite Lashley working through a shoulder injury that is causing him a significant amount of pain. Lashley is said to be working through the injury as long as he can. WWE will announce the brackets for the WWE World Cup on tonight’s Monday Night RAW and on tomorrow’s SmackDown Live. It’s possible Cena’s situation will be addressed tonight.
As for Bryan, Meltzer reports that the rumor currently is no announcement will be made on Bryan not working the show. They could possibly do an angle on SmackDown or on the day of the show, explaining why Bryan won’t be working AJ Styles for the WWE Title in Saudi Arabia. His status is still up in the air, but it likely won’t be addressed until close to show time.
