The WWE rolled into Jeddah this past week, with a number of top-tier title matches and heavy hitters that delighted Saudi Arabia wrestling fans.
– WWE TLC: The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar works
– WWE TLC: The top-5 Hell in a Cell matches
– WWE TLC: Cesaro picks top-5 matches of his career
It was the first time the WWE’s LIVE event visited the Kingdom, following on from the Abu Dhabi event that delighted avid followers in the UAE earlier this year.
According to local reports, thousands flocked through the King Abdullah Sports City Sports Hall gates in Jeddah over the course of the three days’ action that ran from Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 October.
Superstars in attendance included WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, United States champion John Cena, Chris Jericho, Dean Ambrose, Ryback, Big Show and The Miz.
Fans were treated to a street fight between Rollins and Cena, a repeat of the same matchup that took place at the Zayed Tennis Stadium in the UAE capital in February.
Nonetheless, fans were left delighted by the action, the Saudi Gazette quoting 21-year-old Muhannad Abdul Wahab as saying: “I always wanted to watch Cena in action and am very glad to see him live here in Jeddah.”
The same paper spoke to Abdullah Banajah, who took his two sons along to the event, who said: “That was awesome and the crowd went berserk watching the fight. John Cena is very popular and he is the main reason my sons insisted to watch this event.”
Banajah’s 11-year-old son, Nader, told the Gazette: “I love WWE show on TV but this time I got to see them in real. A really enjoyable experience.”
The Middle East is an emerging market for the WWE and one they are tapping into with more and more urgency.
As well as the two live shows in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, OSN also brought the WWE Network to fans in the UAE, while the company also has a permanent home in Dubai.
Here, we look at the best tweets from the action-packed show.
INTERNATIONAL PHOTOS: @WWE Live Event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, October 2015 (Day 3) http://t.co/SQ78K6ntd7 pic.twitter.com/m5tVebFd68
— Joey Styles (@JoeyStyles) October 12, 2015
WWE Champ @WWERollins at the WWE Live Event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/5NEchvG5HW
— Orton’s German Girl (@MelissaH25) October 10, 2015
Muhammad Raza bro My Fb friend he watched #WWE Live In #Saudi Arabia WWE Post ThisPostOfficial Website.@WWEUniverse pic.twitter.com/Wsj0OKSuyZ
— Akshay Cenation (@CenationAkshay) October 10, 2015
Our last day,roughing it in Saudi Arabia for @wwe Live. With @WWEPUMPKINHEAD and @WWE_HeckATC pic.twitter.com/rj4CEaJ6uL
— Charles Robinson (@WWERobinson) October 10, 2015
Live from Jeddah, Saudi. A packed arena for our @WWE live event. Dean Ambrose vs MIZ #Peoplepower pic.twitter.com/xW6AIVl6BW
— John Laurinaitis (@JohnLaurinaitis) October 9, 2015
WWE superstars arrive in JEDDAH to perform live In SAUDI ARABIA this weekend pic.twitter.com/5b7j9uHzI0
— WaQaR AzEeM (@waqarazeem186) October 9, 2015
Everyone has arrived in Jeddah, Saudi for our @WWE live event. Sun, fun, heat and an action packed show tonight. @WWEUniverse #PeoplePower
— John Laurinaitis (@JohnLaurinaitis) October 8, 2015
Just flying to Saudi Arabia for @WWE Live. What did u do today? https://t.co/iJhWrSE98D
— The Miz (@mikethemiz) October 6, 2015