WWE wrestlers were “held hostage” in Saudi Arabia and stopped from boarding flights back to the US in a row over payment, according to reports.

Nearly 200 stars of the Smackdown brand and their entourage were ordered to wait on the tarmac for six hours at Riyadh International by Saudi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, The Mirror reported.

The prince, or MBS as he is nicknamed, was allegedly furious that Vince McMahon, World Wrestling Entertainment’s chief executive, had cancelled the live feed of the show "Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia" because the company was owed up to $500m (£390m) for two shows in the kingdom last year.

The delay meant the wrestlers missed a live show in Buffalo, New York, the following day - with the no-show being blamed on “‘mechanical issues” that stopped their 747 plane leaving Riyadh.

Dave Meltzer, a US sports journalist, tweeted on Friday: “Some notes since nobody can say anything. WWE had a problem in Saudi Arabia.