Daniel Bryan had reportedly made his decision not to go to Saudi Arabia before news broke of the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi took place. According to Dave Meltzer from the latest Wrestling Observer newsletter, Bryan felt uncomfortable at Saudi Arabia’s treatment of homosexuals and the handling of Sami Zayn not being allowed to compete on the card. He also reportedly wanted to lose to The Miz back at Super Show-Down in Melbourne. The following is from the November 5th edition of The Observer:
Evidently Bryan, who knew little or nothing about Saudi Arabia until he got there, largely felt he couldn’t go back under those circumstances. It wasn’t so much that the women weren’t allowed to perform, even though he’s married to a woman wrestler and has a sister-in-law who wrestles. But the key was what he learned about the treatment of homosexuals, and also, that they wouldn’t allow Sami Zayn to perform on the show, and he considered that racism.
It was not the current controversy over Khashoggi that evidently made him make his decision, although one would think it made him feel more strongly that his decision wasn’t wrong.
He had asked to lose to The Miz in Australia in the match where the winner would get the title shot. It’s not clear if that was because he knew the title shot was coming in Saudi Arabia, or because he felt that it wasn’t time yet to get his conclusive win which would come across as the blow-off of the program.
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