Is Saudi Arabia's Greatest Royal Rumble a Test for WrestleMania Outside America?

As the Greatest Royal Rumble grew from a live event in a distant land to a mega-show on the WWE Network, it was hard not to wonder just what the company was up to.

WWE travels across the globe every year, but there was a different energy surrounding its trip to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Shortly after the company announced Friday's show, the star power began to balloon.

The card added championship contest after championship contest. The Greatest Royal Rumble soon boasted a rare Undertaker bout, Kurt Angle in action and Chris Jericho stepping back into the ring. Two major WrestleMania rematches in Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns and AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura bolstered the lineup.

WWE played it all up as a historic event, hyperbolic name and all.

Suddenly, a marquee event had emerged in a most unexpected place. Lodged between WrestleMania and the May 6 Backlash pay-per-view, a powerhouse joined the calendar.

Big E talked up the Greatest Royal Rumble in a recent media conference call (h/t Pat Fannin of Fightful).

"Hearing how big this event will be, the biggest Royal Rumble ever, and hearing some of the names involved...this isn't WrestleMania, but it almost feels like another WrestleMania," he said.

Forbes columnist Blake Oestreicher wondered how Friday's show compares to WWE's biggest night of the year:

This is all surely an effort to expand WWE's reach in the Middle East, but there's more at work here. The company is likely using the Greatest Royal Rumble as a guinea pig, a means to see how well an international PPV can perform.

There has long been talk among fans of the United Kingdom hosting a WrestleMania.

In a way, it's a no-brainer. There's a devout fanbase waiting for its chance to see The Showcase of the Immortals up close. The UK's proximity to the rest of Europe would make it easy for fans to travel to the host city.

The logistics—namely the time difference—are a pain, though. 

The Greatest Royal Rumble will have the same issue. It will air on a Friday in the middle of the day. That's far removed from the standard PPV pattern.

Will an Undertaker sighting, a 50-man Royal Rumble match and an all-hands-on-deck approach be enough to make up for that?

If this does well, it will give the company reason to mull over other ventures abroad. Perhaps there's an annual PPV in the works that travels to a new foreign country each year.

WWE may even be inspired to put on one of its Big Four events outside of North America for the first time since SummerSlam 1992 in London.

This is a case of WWE throwing a new format against the wall to see what sticks, something it has done in the past.

This Tuesday in Texas in 1991 and Taboo Tuesday in 2004 and 2005 aired during the week rather than Sunday. For the latter, WWE allowed fans to vote on various aspects of the night's matches. The company has played with WrestleMania's running time, making it longer and longer each year.

WWE also added a number of tournaments to its lineup including the Mae Young Classic.  

Friday's big show follows that tradition of veering off the beaten path. WWE remains the king of its industry and is in a position where it can take chances.

That's what it's doing by pouring so much money into the Greatest Royal Rumble, something that may end up getting very few eyes on it outside of Saudi Arabia.

Sometimes these experiments fail a la Taboo Tuesday; some things click as the Mae Young Classic did last summer. The Greatest Royal Rumble is off to a good start despite the controversy surrounding its lack of female performers. WWE noted on its official website the event is now sold out. 

The sports entertainment giant never settles. It doesn't matter that it has the No. 1 spot in pro wrestling locked up, the company always seems to be dipping its toes in some new water, trying to gauge where it can travel next.

The Greatest Royal Rumble is sure to inspire other international events, and with enough success, it may have WWE thinking of taking WrestleMania to new frontiers.