Samoa Joe vs. WWE Champion AJ Styles is now official for Friday’s WWE Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia.
The match was made after Styles retained his title over Daniel Bryan in the opening match of tonight’s SmackDown. Bryan vs. AJ was originally scheduled for Crown Jewel but Bryan is not making the trip, presumably due to the controversy surrounding WWE’s relationship with the Kingdom following the state-sponsored death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
As noted, tonight’s blue brand episode saw SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon make Bryan vs. Styles after interrupting an in-ring argument between the two. This was WWE’s way of working around Bryan refusing to go to Saudi Arabia. Joe attacked both men after the match and AJ later talked SmackDown General Manager Paige into making the match for Friday.
Below is the updated card for Friday’s Crown Jewel event, which takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Saud University Stadium:
Vacant WWE Universal Title Match
Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman
WWE Title Match
Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles
SmackDown Tag Team Title Match
The New Day vs. The Bar with Big Show
WWE World Cup: One-Night Eight-Man Tournament
RAW: Bobby Lashley, WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, WWE Intercontinental & RAW Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler
SmackDown: Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, The Miz
DX (Triple H and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels) vs. The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker and Kane)
