After annihilating Finn Balor during his rematch on RAW, Bobby Lashley was granted the opportunity to participate in WWE Crown Jewel’s World Cup, replacing John Cena in the process. Lashley and his hypeman Lio Rush has had their issues with Finn Balor over the last few weeks, with Balor pinning Lashley last week. Bobby and Lio made good on their promise on that not happening again, attacking Balor via interference from Rush and punishing him in the process. As Rush delivered humiliating slaps towards Balor, he received a text from acting general manager Baron Corbin, demanding to meet with them. Satisfied with Balor’s destruction at the hands of Lashley, Corbin awarded Lashley John Cena’s spot at the WWE World Cup, effectively replacing him. RELATED: WWE RAW Results LIVE IN PROGRESS, JOIN THE DISCUSSION<doc-sep>Following reports that John Cena was pulling out of WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, his spot on the show was given to someone else on this week's episode of Monday Night RAW. Cena was scheduled to appear in the World Cup tournament to determine the best in the world at Crown Jewel, but in storyline, RAW General Manager, Baron Corbin pulled him out and replaced him with Bobby Lashley. Earlier in the night, Lashley lost to Finn Balor but beat him down after the match was over. Lashley's manager, Lio Rush, received a text message from Corbin where the GM of RAW made the announcement. Lashley questions how he is in the tournament when the field was full, and Corbin explains that he's taking Cena out because he didn't earn his spot but Bobby did. Check out the backstage segment on Monday Night RAW that replaces John Cena at Crown Jewel, below. Last Monday, Robbie Fox of Barstool Sports reported that Cena and Bryan were "refusing" to work Crown Jewel, and Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer confirmed that WWE creative were told Cena would not make the show. The report continued, stating that Cena was going to be replaced this Monday (which happened) and Bryan's WWE Championship match with AJ Styles will be advertised leading into Crown Jewel with Daniel not actually participating. Following the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the consulate in Turkey, the WWE has taken heat from their 10-year deal with Saudi Arabia. WWE initially said it would "monitor the situation," but after weeks of investigations and the conclusion the Saudi government is responsible for Khashoggi's death, the Connecticut-based company announced it was still moving forward with Crown Jewel. "WWE has operated in the Middle East for nearly 20 years and has developed a sizable and dedicated fan base," began a statement in the company's Q3 earnings published on its corporate website. "Considering the heinous crime committed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the Company faced a very difficult decision as it relates to its event scheduled for November 2 in Riyadh. "Similar to other U.S.-based companies who plan to continue operations in Saudi Arabia, the Company has decided to uphold its contractual obligations to the General Sports Authority and stage the event. Full-year 2018 guidance is predicated on the staging of the Riyadh event as scheduled." Now that Cena is out, will Daniel Bryan not make the sure? And if he doesn't, how will WWE explain it?<doc-sep>
Acting RAW General Manager Baron Corbin announced on tonight’s show that Bobby Lashley will be replacing John Cena in the WWE World Cup tournament at Friday’s Crown Jewel event from Saudi Arabia. The storyline is that Corbin was pleased with Lashley for the beatdown he gave to Finn Balor tonight. Corbin noted that Lashley would be replacing someone who did not qualify for the tournament – Cena. For those who missed it a few weeks back, WWE touted Cena as being the first tournament participant and one who didn’t need to qualify due to his previous accomplishments. Cena reportedly informed WWE officials earlier this month that he would not be making the trip to Saudi Arabia due to the recent state-sponsored death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. There’s no word yet on when Cena might be back on WWE TV but we will keep you updated. Below is the updated Crown Jewel card along with a photo & video from the segment with Lashey and Corbin: Vacant WWE Universal Title Match Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman WWE Title Match Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles SmackDown Tag Team Title Match The New Day vs. The Bar with Big Show WWE World Cup: One-Night Eight-Man Tournament RAW: Bobby Lashley, WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, WWE Intercontinental & RAW Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler SmackDown: Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, The Miz DX (Triple H and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels) vs. The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker and Kane)