WWE returned to Saudi Arabia for the 2020 edition of Super ShowDown. WWE’s events from the country haven’t had the best reputation, with middling to critically panned shows over the last two years. Matters only grew rougher in 2019 in a controversial situation wherein WWE travel was compromised and rumors abounded about the business relationship between WWE and the Kingdom struggling.
Nonetheless, like past shows from Saudi Arabia, the event did feature some very high profile bouts, from Goldberg challenging The Fiend, to a first time match up between Brock Lesnar and Ricochet. This article takes a look back at ten details many fans may have missed from the event.
10 The Universal Championship Changes Hands In Saudi Arabia Most Of The Time
In Goldberg unseating Bray Wyatt for the Universal Championship, an interesting statistic emerged. The events from Saudi Arabia often feature accomplishments with little meaning beyond the event itself like Braun Strowman winning the Greatest Royal Rumble or The OC winning The World Cup. However, for the Universal Championship, events emanating from Saudia Arabia have had consequence.
The Universal title has now been on the line in Saudi Arabia five times. Twice, Brock Lesnar retained, over Roman Reigns and Cain Velasquez. The title has now changed hands in Saudi Arabia three times, though, in Lesnar winning the vacant title at Crown Jewel, The Fiend beating Seth Rollins, and now Goldberg’s victory.
9 Brock Lesnar Continues Not To Main Event In Saudi Arabia
There may be no more credible main event act in WWE than Brock Lesnar. Nonetheless, despite appearing in all five major events the WWE Network has streamed live from Saudi Arabia, Lesnar failed to appear in the main event match for the fifth time at Super ShowDown.
Blame it on the less than thrilling match WWE had planned for Lesnar opposite Ricochet this time, or the more inspiring finish of Goldberg winning the Universal Championship. Regardless, Lesnar remained featured but not working the last match the event in these journeys abroad.
8 Corey Graves Puts Over The Arabic Announce Team
Corey Graves has faced his share of controversy based on his social media commentary. Among the moments that sparked some intrigue was an earlier trip to Saudi Arabia that included him taking a picture of a drink, and commenting that going to the Kingdom made him appreciate all of the freedoms he has in the US.
Those listening carefully may have noticed that, right out of the gate, Graves put over Saudi Arabia on commentary, and particularly the Arabic announce team, bouncing to them to introduce themselves by calling them some of his favorite people.
7 Two Former Impact Champions Opened The Show
The opening gauntlet match featured a variety of WWE talents, but the first two men to hit the room were R-Truth and Bobby Lashley. In and of itself, this didn’t come across as such an auspicious pair, as both men, while respected, are positioned pretty firmly as mid-card acts.
However, as a historical sub-text, it is interesting to note that both men were world champions in Impact Wrestling. Truth was a very early champion, when the top title was still branded as the NWA Championship, arguably his biggest kayfabe accomplishment in wrestling. Lashley reigned much more recently, having been cast as a main event star in Impact until shortly before he left the company to return to WWE.
6 Ricochet Continues His Identity As Rey Mysterio’s Successor
In the WWE canon, Ricochet literally followed Rey Mysterio in the lineage of Brock Lesnar’s WWE Championship challengers. It’s interesting to note that this was not the first time that Ricochet has followed in Mysterio’s tradition, or been cast as something of a successor.
Prior to signing with WWE, Ricochet spent a spell working under a mask as Prince Puma in Lucha Underground. For that promotion, Puma’s friendship and partnership with Mysterio was a major angle, leading up to the two of them ultimately clashing in the biggest event of the year for that organization, Ultima Lucha. Though Mysterio won the, it was nonetheless cast as something of a passing the torch moment from an older generation to a rising star.
5 AJ Styles Changes, But Also Stays The Same
In early 2019, Kofi Kingston arrived in the WWE Championship picture, starting with his inspired performance in a gauntlet match to determine who would enter the Elimination Chamber last. Kingston put on an iron man performance before falling to AJ Styles.
In the 2019 match, Styles offered to Kingston that he didn’t have to fight, demonstrating sportsmanship toward a clearly exhausted opponent before putting him away. A year later, Styles came into this gauntlet match opposite R-Truth under similar circumstances. Rather than trying to avoid hurting the beaten down face, Styles mocked and toyed with him before forcing him to tap. The outcome of this sequence was the same, though his personality and approach had changed a lot in a year.
4 A Reference To Travel Plans
Upon The Miz and John Morrison defeating New Day for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, Michael Cole made reference to his interest in seeing how the new champions might celebrate their victory on SmackDown in Boston the next night. One could chalk up this comment to Cole promoting the next WWE television program. However, there may have been a sub-text at play as well.
Last fall, travel woes left a high volume of the WWE roster stranded in Saudi Arabia for an extra day. In addition to the implications of drama and in-fighting, one of the practical upshots was WWE having to call in extra talents to fill out its roster for SmackDown in the absence of stars who were still traveling. Cole’s comment offered a sure-footed claim that of course the stars would make it back to the US in a timely fashion, with no doubt they’d make it to Boston in the day to follow.
3 Roman Reigns Can’t Lose The Way He Did Before
Though it was likely more of an oversight than a meaningful commentary, Michael Cole very explicitly stated how a competitor could win Roman Reigns and Baron Corbin’s Steel Cage Match. He cited pin fall, submission, or escape from the cage, then went on to spell out that that meant going through the door or climbing over the top.
This reference seemed to discount how Reigns lost WWE’s first cage match in Saudi Arabia. In that outing, Reigns lost to Brock Lesnar at the Greatest Royal Rumble when he speared The Beast through the cage, sending him to the floor first. By Cole’s commentary, WWE suggested that that particular finish wasn’t on the table for this match opposite Corbin.
2 AJ Styles Puts Over Returning Legends
AJ Styles took a pin from The Undertaker to close the opening gauntlet match after eating a skyscraper of a choke slam. While The Dead Man is an undeniable legend and still physically strong, while Styles is a relatively lightweight performer, there’s still a lot of credit owed to The Phenomenal won for jumping into the choke slam, giving it as much height as possible to offer an impressive display.
Styles seems to be getting into the habit of putting over legends who are returning by surprise in convincing ways. Styles notably wound up hurt for so enthusiastically moving into and selling Edge’s Spear as well at the Royal Rumble just a month before Super ShowDown.
1 A Subtle Shot At Lesnar
Super ShowDown closed with the commentary team questioning if Goldberg would be in Boston for SmackDown the next day. Corey Graves was particularly vocal in suggesting he would, with the claim that being Universal Champion wasn’t a part time job.
This felt like a potential shot at Brock Lesnar, who very clearly worked a part time schedule for WWE as Universal Champion, in addition to his current part time run as WWE Champion. Of course, even Goldberg himself was only with the company part time during his own original Universal Championship run. It will be interesting to see if WWE holds up its word on this point with Goldberg making more steady appearances while champion this time around.