Per Wrestling Inc , WWE superstars Naomi and Bayley will make history when they face each other for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Super ShowDown , which is set to take place in Saudi Arabia on February 27 from the Mohammed Abdu Arena at The Boulevard in Riyadh.
Naomi — who returned to action at this year’s Royal Rumble following a lengthy hiatus — beat Carmella for the title shot on the latest edition of Friday Night SmackDown .
While Natalya defeated Lacey Evans at last year’s Crown Jewel event in the first ever women’s match to take place in Saudi Arabia, this contest will mark the first time that female superstars have competed for a championship in any Middle Eastern country.
As noted by Sports Illustrated , WWE has often faced criticism for its working relationship with Saudi Arabia due to the human rights issues associated with the nation. However, the company has continued to argue that it’s trying to promote progress by putting on shows there, and the upcoming title match is another step in the right direction for supporting that claim.
However, regardless of which matches WWE showcases at these events, there will still be critics of the business partnership. Some superstars within the company have even refused to participate at the shows, but some legends have competed at the events for the lucrative payday.
. @NaomiWWE is headed to #WWESSD to battle @itsBayleyWWE for the #SmackDown Women’s Title! pic.twitter.com/Ib7PpTf6YA
— WWE (@WWE) February 22, 2020
Of course, the match between Bayley and Naomi is still going to be a huge historic moment for the company and a breakthrough for women’s wrestling in that part of the world. It remains to be seen if the performers will be restricted in what they can do during the match, as women’s wrestling is still a work-in-progress in Saudi Arabia.
Next week’s show will also see Bill Goldberg challenge Bray Wyatt for the Universal Championship, but it’s being reported that the result has been leaked . Some fans are worried that the legendary performer will be awarded the title, even though Wyatt is currently on the roll of his career.
Brock Lesnar will also defend his WWE Championship against Ricochet. However, “The Beast Incarnate” is the clear favorite to win and go into WrestleMania 36 as the titleholder, where he’ll face Drew McIntyre.
In another exciting match-up, AJ Styles, R-Truth, Rusev, Bobby Lashley, Erick Rowan and Andrade will compete for the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy. While that match won’t be as monumental as Naomi and Bayley’s bout, the winner will go down in history as the first person to win the trophy.