RIYADH: Friday marked the closure of WWE Live in Riyadh. The two-day tour concluded and left an everlasting impression to Saudi fans.
The event kicked off with a six-man tag team match pitting Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper of the Wyatt family along with the Viper Randy Orton against the big red machine Kane and the young team of Jason Jordan and Chad Gable known as American Alpha.
The second match featured Jack Swagger defeating Curt Hawkins via submission.
The Tag team titles were on the line in a triple threat match as champions Rhyno and Heath Slater retained their titles against Konnor and Viktor the Ascension and Jimmy and Jay Uso. 
Badr Al Saleh, a late night TV show host for MBC television and youtube personality, was the special guest ring announcer for the Intercontinental title match that saw the Miz lose to champion Dolph Ziggler for a second straight night. The Miz and Al Saleh exchanged words before the match.
The event was a family affair as the crowds makeup can visibly be noticed as a lot fathers can be seen enjoying the live entertainment with their children from match to match.
“This is the second time we came to see the WWE in Riyadh, the first being in 2014. It is great to have the WWE here in Saudi and it provides a different form of entertainment,” said Abdulelah a father who came to see the show with his two sons and daughter. “My kids have been driving me mad since they heard that the WWE is coming to Riyadh,” Abdulelah added.
“I came from Jeddah to Riyadh to enjoy the WWE with my son. We waited a long time to get into the venue due to the heavy traffic but it was worth it,” said Faisal, another parent who was attending with his two sons.
Hector Alegre, CEO of Time Entertainment, told Arab News that they are happy to bring back the WWE for the second time to Riyadh and a third time in the Kingdom. “We are very proud to be pioneers in this form of entertainment and we are looking to bring the WWE back to Jeddah and for the first time to the Eastern Province,” Alegre added.
A spokesman from the General Authority for Entertainment of Saudi Arabia told Arab News that this is the third event supported by them and that these alternative style events will be supported by them in the future as well to ensure that the entertainment industry thrives in sustainability and that the entertainment revenue stays within the Kingdom. The Authority aims to support these events to create a variety of programs for residents and citizens alike in Kingdom to be entertained.
WWE event in Riyadh proves no ‘sleeper hold’ for fans
WWE event in Riyadh proves no ‘sleeper hold’ for fans
Medvedev to face Griekspoor in bid for second Dubai title
- Former world No. 1 Medvedev demolished top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in the semifinal
- Despite an injury, unseeded Dutchman Griekspoor beat 5th-seed Andrey Rublev in the other semifinal
DUBAI: Daniil Medvedev reached the Dubai Tennis Championships final on Friday and will face unseeded Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor as the Russian attempts to achieve something that has eluded him throughout his stellar career — winning the same tournament twice.
Former world number one Medvedev demolished top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 6-2 in an 83-minute semifinal, setting up a title clash that could see him claim a second Dubai crown to go with his 2023 triumph.
Medvedev, who has won 22 titles at 22 different tournaments, arrived in Dubai with a point to prove after early exits in Rotterdam and Doha.
However, the third seed has been in scintillating form in Dubai, dispatching Shang Juncheng, Stan Wawrinka, Jenson Brooksby and Auger-Aliassime — all in straight sets.
“It has been an amazing four matches, probably playing better and better each match, today being the best performance,” said Medvedev.
“If I can put in an even better performance tomorrow, I will have my chances to win and that is what I am going to try to do.”
Griekspoor battles injury to beat Rublev
Standing in his way will be Griekspoor, who continued his giant-killing run by beating fifth seed Andrey Rublev 7-5 7-6(6) in the other semifinal.
The Dutchman denied the 2022 champion, who also finished runner-up the following year, another shot at the Dubai trophy, saving two set points in the second-set tiebreak.
“No idea how I pulled off this one, I could barely walk at the end of the first set,” said Griekspoor, who took a medical timeout for treatment in the opening set.
“He served extremely well. I got very lucky in the tiebreak to win it in two sets ... I landed with a serve and felt something in my hamstring.
“If he had won the tiebreak, I don’t know if I would have continued.”
It marked three consecutive top-20 wins for Griekspoor for the first time in his career after he beat second seed Alexander Bublik and Jakub Mensik en route to the final.
Griekspoor, who has won three ATP 250 titles in his career, will be looking to add a first ATP 500 trophy to his collection when he faces Medvedev.
