Speaking to Sky News in the United Kingdom, WWE’s Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon said that going to Saudi Arabia following the death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was a tough decision, but ultimately a business decision.
“Moving forward with Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia was an incredibly tough decision, given that heinous act,” McMahon said. That part was almost identical to the statement WWE released in their Q3 2018 financial report which confirmed the decision to still hold the show in Riyadh.
McMahon continued, “But, at the end of the day, it is a business decision and, like a lot of other American companies, we decided that we’re going to move forward with the event and deliver Crown Jewel for all of our fans in Saudi Arabia and around the world.”
Ronda Rousey was the latest WWE Superstar to defend the company’s decision to still go to Saudi Arabia in an interview with TMZ. John Cena and Daniel Bryan are two Superstars who however don’t want to work the show and according to rumors, Cena will be written out in a segment that will air next week on WWE television which will explain why he won’t be at the show.
