TKO Executive Mark Shapiro admitted in a town hall meeting just the other day that WWE going into Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for an event right now is a “balancing act” between money and safety. This just after it was announced that the venue for Crown Jewel on Nov. 7 was changing, something that was apparently news to WWE officials.
Attacks on the Riyadh airport have continued for weeks, leading to a number of security warnings from the United States about traveling there. This is, of course, noteworthy
for WWE because they are scheduled to head over there soon for the aforementioned premium live event.
WWE has put its talent in a uniquely terrible position here. It wasn’t long ago that Dave Meltzer was reporting in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that it was “very much not being encouraged” for anyone to pull out of the show. Now, Fightful Select reports they were contacted by “a number of WWE stars, including some top talent” who wanted it know they made it clear they did not want to be booked for the show. Even some stars who are booked for it apparently expressed concerns. The report finished by noting a smaller than usual crew will be making the trip and safety measures are being taken.
The company has made it clear with this that they prioritize stockholder value over the actual safety of the talent on the roster. Money is important in any business but it damn sure isn’t this important.
