John Cena Removed from WWE Crown Jewel 2018 Card, Replaced by Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley replaced John Cena in the WWE World Cup at Crown Jewel.

Acting Raw general manager Baron Corbin announced Monday night that Lashley would be taking Cena's place, with little storyline explanation given for Cena's removal. Corbin said he added Lashley to the tournament as a reward for his attack on Finn Balor on Raw.

With Crown Jewel only days away Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, rumors began growing about Cena's availability.

Barstool Sports' Robbie Fox reported Oct. 22 that Cena was refusing to work the show. Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer reported a day later (h/t Wrestling Inc's Akhilesh Gannavarapu) the 16-time world champion was out of Crown Jewel and that WWE's creative team was working on a backup plan.

Monday's announcement perhaps offers more context to this tweet sent earlier in the day from Cena:

WWE confirmed last week during its third-quarter earnings report for 2018 that it was sticking to its plans for Crown Jewel.

Many have criticized WWE's relationship with Saudi Arabia following the death of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Saudi Attorney General Shaikh Suood bin Abdullah Al Mo'jab released a statement last Thursday to say Khashoggi's murder was premeditated.

Saudi Arabia had previously denied Khashoggi was killed at the consulate before saying officially his death was the result of a "rogue operation."

Crown Jewel is the second event WWE will have held in Saudi Arabia as part of its 10-year agreement with the country's government. Meltzer reported in July (h/t WhatCulture) WWE will receive $45 million annually from the deal.