Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

WWE hosts Saudi Arabia's first women's wrestling match

WWE hosts Saudi Arabia's first women's wrestling match

"I couldn't stop smiling when this was announced. When I speak about women driving, or even just sharing space with men, these are rights that didn't exist when I was growing up," tweeted WWE's first Saudi Arabian wrestler, Mansoor Al-Shehail.

World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, held the first women's wrestling match in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

The contest featured two WWE superstars: Lacey Evans and Natalya. Evans is a U.S. Marine veteran, while Natalya is a Canadian-American two-time women's champion in WWE. The two athletes battled it out in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, and Natalya emerged victorious.


 



Evans and Natalya were required to wear bodysuits to cover their arms and legs instead of fighting in the more revealing gear that they would normally wear when competing in the United States.

Saudi Arabia has tried to rebrand its image as one of the world's most oppressive countries for women by introducing reforms in recent years.

But according to Human Rights Watch, "women still face discrimination, as four feminist activists are behind bars, others remain on trial, and torture allegations have not been credibly investigated."

About a month after Saudi Arabia's government lifted a longstanding ban on women driving in 2018, the kingdom announced that women could attend sporting events in stadiums for the first time.

Still, women continue to face obstacles in their everyday lives, and Saudi authorities have detained some of the country's most prominent women's rights activists who have campaigned for these changes.

Thursday's WWE Crown Jewel event took place at the King Fahd International Stadium, one of three stadiums in Saudi Arabia that allow women to attend.

"I never thought I'd have the opportunity to do the things I've done with WWE," Evans tweeted on Wednesday. "Tomorrow I get to show my little girl that hard work can bring you to history-making heights."

Her opponent, Natalya, expressed a similar sentiment on Twitter: "The world will be watching. I am so incredibly proud to represent our women's division tomorrow night at #WWECrownJewel. It's time to bring your best, Lacey."

The event also featured WWE champions Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins, along with Mansoor Al-Shehail, WWE's first Saudi wrestler.

"I couldn't stop smiling when this was announced. When I speak about women driving, or even just sharing space with men, these are rights that didn't exist when I was growing up," Mansoor tweeted. "I understand why it doesn't impress a lot of people, but it means the world to me and so many others."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×