WWE Returning to Saudi Arabia October 21

[Chris]

Source: f4wonline.com

As long as COVID-19 regulations allow for it, WWE is planning to return to Saudi Arabia this October for another large scale event, resuming a controversial business relationship.

Mat Men's Andrew Zarian first reported the news on Monday, saying he had heard Thursday, October 21st as the targeted date. POST Wrestling's John Pollock tweeted he had heard the same with Dave Meltzer confirming the date -- the first there since the pandemic started.

The last Saudi event was February 2020's Super ShowDown, one of five pay-per-view style events WWE has held there since 2018. That event featured Goldberg defeating "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt for the Universal Championship.

The relationship has not come without controversy.

The June 2019 Super Showdown event was to feature a women's match for the first time in the country as Alexa Bliss was set to take on Natalya. The government rejected the match, but later that year at the Crown Jewel show, Natalya and Lacey Evans competed instead.

Following that show, there was an incident with a plane holding wrestlers, staff and other personnel that remained stuck at the airport for six hours with rumors swirling as to the reasons for that delay. Twenty wrestlers ended up chartering their own flight back to the U.S.

After that event, WWE and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority signed a long-term partnership through 2027 that called for a second annual large scale event in addition to working toward a media deal that is a common topic on quarterly investment calls.

There have been two subsequent lawsuits by U.S.-based investment groups related to WWE's dealings with Saudi Arabia, one of which was settled last November for $39 million.

 

[Doom]

Source: f4wonline.com

As long as COVID-19 regulations allow for it, WWE is planning to return to Saudi Arabia this October for another large scale event, resuming a controversial business relationship.

Mat Men's Andrew Zarian first reported the news on Monday, saying he had heard Thursday, October 21st as the targeted date. POST Wrestling's John Pollock tweeted he had heard the same with Dave Meltzer confirming the date -- the first there since the pandemic started.

The last Saudi event was February 2020's Super ShowDown, one of five pay-per-view style events WWE has held there since 2018. That event featured Goldberg defeating "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt for the Universal Championship.

The relationship has not come without controversy.

The June 2019 Super Showdown event was to feature a women's match for the first time in the country as Alexa Bliss was set to take on Natalya. The government rejected the match, but later that year at the Crown Jewel show, Natalya and Lacey Evans competed instead.

Following that show, there was an incident with a plane holding wrestlers, staff and other personnel that remained stuck at the airport for six hours with rumors swirling as to the reasons for that delay. Twenty wrestlers ended up chartering their own flight back to the U.S.

After that event, WWE and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority signed a long-term partnership through 2027 that called for a second annual large scale event in addition to working toward a media deal that is a common topic on quarterly investment calls.

There have been two subsequent lawsuits by U.S.-based investment groups related to WWE's dealings with Saudi Arabia, one of which was settled last November for $39 million.

I think it's an awful deal since the beginning, for the WWE to continuing working with Saudi Arabia. Honestly, I don't think anything great came from their PPVs.

 

[Deezy]

The money is great for them.

 

[Necro]

I'll be sure to mark it in my calendar to miss that.

 

[Chris]

 

[Alexa]

inb4 people complain about WWE and become experts in Saudi law and everything, again.

 

[Dale]

Part of me thinks they do Lashley/Goldberg at Extreme Rules because of the finish but the other part thinks they do another match here because Saudi.

Big E to use the briefcase in Saudi, that'll teach the folks to watch this event in future.

 

[InsaneAlphaBeta]

-Has flashback to when multiple WWE superstars were stuck in Saudi Arabia-

Im sure it will go flawlessly and absolutely nothing will go wrong.

 

[Marty McFourth]

If I'm going to watch this it'll be to watch it with the on here for a good laugh.

Fair to say I'm not expecting a good show.

 

[Comrade Khan]

enjoy the propaganda and awful matches

 

[Comrade Khan]

inb4 people complain about WWE and become experts in Saudi law and everything, again.

Man with enlightening posts like this you'll be as cool as Deezy in no time

 

[Arty]

Was always jealous of the Saudi's for being able to buy sports events like this, like yeah sportswashing their terrible human rights while spewing propaganda about it's "progressiveness" but goddammit I want to watch a wrestling show live

 

[Alexa]

Man with enlightening posts like this you'll be as cool as Deezy in no time

Tis a joke since last time everyone became a expert than forgot everything

 

[Comrade Khan]

Tis a joke since last time everyone became a expert than forgot everything

Was more a free shot at deez anyways

 

[Alexa]

Was more a free shot at deez anyways

Ah, and remember I can never be enlighten since I like and watch plebeian wrestling