SmackDown Women’s title match set for WWE Crown Jewel

The SmackDown Women’s Championship will be on the line in a triple threat match when WWE returns to Saudi Arabia later this month.

WWE has announced that Becky Lynch will defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks in a triple threat match at Crown Jewel. The show is taking place at Mohammed Abdu Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Thursday, October 21. It will air live on Peacock/WWE Network starting at noon Eastern time.

Lynch won the SmackDown Women’s Championship by defeating Belair in 26 seconds at SummerSlam this August. Banks was originally supposed to challenge for Belair’s title at that pay-per-view, but it was announced that she wouldn’t be able to compete.

At Extreme Rules, Banks made her return by causing Lynch and Belair’s SmackDown Women’s Championship rematch to end in a disqualification. Banks attacked Belair and then beat down Lynch as well. She laid out both Belair and Lynch with backstabbers.

Belair vs. Banks will take place on tonight’s SmackDown.

After women were prohibited from wrestling at the first three events that took place as part of WWE’s 10-year deal with the Saudi General Sports Authority, Natalya vs. Lacey Evans at Crown Jewel 2019 was WWE’s first women’s match in Saudi Arabia. Bayley and Naomi also faced off for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Super ShowDown 2020.

This year’s Crown Jewel will be the first time WWE has been to Saudi Arabia since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Here’s the updated card for the show:

• Universal Champion Roman Reigns defends against Brock Lesnar
• SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch defends against Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks in a triple threat match