Report: Aleister Black Not Going To WWE Super ShowDown Due To Religious Tattoos
Aleister Black won’t be traveling to Saudi Arabia.
POSTWrestling’s John Pollock reports that SmackDown Live superstar Aleister Black will not be traveling to Saudi Arabia to take part in WWE Super ShowDown on June 7. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reports that Black won’t be going due to religious tattoos, though it is unclear if the Saudi government told WWE he couldn’t appear or if WWE made the call, thinking the tattoos would offend the country.
Black is the fourth superstar to drop out of the event, following in the footsteps of Daniel Bryan, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens. Bryan told WWE prior to Crown Jewel last November that he would not travel to Saudi Arabia and has held firm on his stance.
Fightful reported that Owens recently told the promotion that he would not be attending the event either. Both Owens and Bryan were part of the Greatest Royal Rumble in April 2018. It is unknown if Owens would have participated in WWE Crown Jewel as he was sidelined with a knee injury.
Sami Zayn has yet to make the trip to Saudi Arabia due to the strained relationships between Syria and Saudi Arabia. Zayn is of Syrian descent. Prior to Greatest Royal Rumble, WWE shot an angle where Zayn was experiencing “vertigo” as a way to remove him from the card. WWE would go on to release a statement that read, “WWE is committed to embracing individuals from all backgrounds while respecting local customs and cultural differences around the world.” Zayn was also injured when Crown Jewel took place.
John Cena also pulled out of WWE Crown Jewel prior to the event and Roman Reigns reportedly told WWE he would not travel to Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel, though he has seemingly changed his mind as he is scheduled to face Shane McMahon at Super ShowDown.
