Rumor: Gunther Reportedly Skipped Saudi Trip, Match Pulled
Summary: Unconfirmed: Dave Meltzer of F4W Online reportedly says Gunther vs. Finn Balor was left off Crown Jewel on Nov. 7 because Gunther decided against going to Saudi Arabia. WWE has not commented.
Two or more sources, not confirmed. Heat 3/5 · Credible
This is a rumor and it is not confirmed. Dave Meltzer of F4W Online reported on Monday, Nov. 9, that the Gunther vs. Finn Balor match WWE built toward but never announced for Crown Jewel did not happen because Gunther decided against going to Saudi Arabia, per Wrestling Inc and eWrestlingNews. WWE and Gunther have not commented.
The quick version
- Not confirmed by WWE, Gunther or Balor. We did not find a statement from any of them.
- Reliability: Two or more sources, not confirmed. Meltzer says "multiple WWE sources" confirmed it. The sources are unnamed and we cannot check them. It is one reporter's account.
- Heat 3 of 5. It contradicts the earlier reported reason and says a top star turned down the trip.
What is being reported
Wrestling Inc says Meltzer reports the match was postponed because Gunther "decided against going to Saudi Arabia." eWrestlingNews quotes Meltzer: "Multiple WWE sources confirmed the story, which others internally also believed to be true." It also quotes him saying the situation "went back-and-forth," which would explain why TV kept pointing at the match. Balor was reportedly not thrilled about the trip either, but the belief inside WWE was that he would have gone if Gunther had.
Wrestling Inc says no reason for Gunther's decision was given and that Meltzer made no indication whether it will affect how he is used. It adds that the Gunther and Balor feud is expected to continue. Wrestling Inc assumes the ongoing attacks on Riyadh played a part. That is its guess, not Meltzer's report.
Where this sits
WRKD Wrestling posted on Nov. 8, and Wrestling Inc carried it on Monday, that people in WWE felt the match needed more build and that four matches were enough. This report contradicts that one. Our opinion piece and our first rumor story used the earlier version.
What we know for certain
- Crown Jewel ran with four matches on Saturday, Nov. 7, in Riyadh. Gunther and Balor were not on the card. See our results story.
- Wrestling Inc says none of the wrestlers had been reported as refusing the trip before this, though some production crew reportedly did despite hazard pay. See our earlier rumor story on the crew offer.
What would confirm or kill it
A WWE or Gunther statement, or a second named outlet with its own sources, would settle it. A report that WWE simply held the match for a later build would point back the other way.
Reported by: Dave Meltzer of F4W Online, as relayed by Wrestling Inc (Eric Mutter) and eWrestlingNews (Christopher Paul), which also embeds a post by WrestlePurists with the same text. We did not read F4W's page, only its summary in a search listing. Reliability: Two or more sources, not confirmed. The count is Meltzer's description of his own sources. We did not contact WWE or Gunther.
Sources
- Wrestling Inc (Eric Mutter), "Gunther Reportedly Opted Out Of WWE Crown Jewel", Nov. 9, 2026 (Meltzer's report, the contradiction with the WRKD version, no earlier talent refusals). https://www.wrestlinginc.com/2311603/gunther-reportedly-opted-out-wwe-crown-jewel/
- eWrestlingNews (Christopher Paul), "Report - WWE Star Said No To Crown Jewel 2026 Match", Nov. 9, 2026 (Meltzer's wording, "multiple WWE sources"). https://www.ewrestlingnews.com/news/wwe/report-wwe-star-said-no-to-crown-jewel-2026-match
- Wrestling Inc (Eric Mutter), "Report On WWE Delaying GUNTHER Vs. Finn Balor From Crown Jewel", Nov. 9, 2026 (the WRKD Wrestling version). https://www.wrestlinginc.com/2310902/wwe-crown-jewel-2026-gunther-finn-balor-delaying-report/
- F4W Online (Dave Meltzer), original report, Nov. 9, 2026. No link: we saw only a search summary and did not read the page.
- WrestlingNews.com, "Rumor: Gunther vs. Balor Reportedly Dropped From Crown Jewel", Nov. 7, 2026. https://wrestlingnews.com/story/rumor-gunther-vs-balor-reportedly-dropped-from-crown-jewel/
- WrestlingNews.com, "Why Balor vs. Gunther Is Worth Waiting For", Nov. 9, 2026. https://wrestlingnews.com/story/opinion-why-balor-vs-gunther-is-worth-waiting-for/
- WrestlingNews.com, "WWE Reportedly Offers Crew $3,000 Hazard Pay for Crown Jewel Trip", Nov. 2026. https://wrestlingnews.com/story/rumor-wwe-offers-crew-hazard-pay-crown-jewel/
- WrestlingNews.com, "Crown Jewel Results: Reigns Beats Zayn, Stratton Cashes In", Nov. 7, 2026. https://wrestlingnews.com/story/crown-jewel-results-reigns-beats-zayn-stratton-cashes-in/
- Reliability: Two or more sources, not confirmed.
- WrestlingNews.com staff reporting: read two outlets' copies of one report, compared them with the earlier WRKD version and our own Crown Jewel stories. We did not contact WWE or Gunther.
How we credit sources: Editorial standards.