Hello and welcome to the WrestleTalk News, I am Luke Owen.
As you may have guessed from the title of this video, we’re once again going to be
covering the news of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance and reported
murder – and how that might affect WWE’s relationship with the country and Crown Jewel.
In case you didn’t see Friday’s video on the subject, this is your reminder to be
friendly in the comments.
We’re not taking away your freedom of speech or anything like that, just remember this
is a serious real-life subject.
In the words of Progress Wrestling, don’t be a dick.
As noted last week, when pressures started to mount on WWE for running a show in a country
whose government is currently being accused of plotting to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi,
the company released a simple statement that said: “We are currently monitoring the situation.”
Khashoggi has been missing since October 2nd 2018, last seen entering the Saudi consulate
in Istanbul, Turkey.
Turkish officials have since made claims that Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate,
accusing Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman of sending a team of “15 men specifically
for the murder.”
Turkish officials have released a video of Khashoggi entering into the consulate on October
2nd – where the journalist was going to pick up documents so he could marry his fiancé
– but say no video of him leaving exists, and have since claimed they also have audio
and video evidence of Khashoggi being integrated and murdered inside the consulate from his
Apple Watch – which was synced up to the iPhone that he gave to his wife before entering
the consulate.
Khashoggi had vocally very critical of the Saudi Arabian government in his work for The
Washington Post, and reportedly told one friend, “that the Saudi government would never make
good on its promises not to harm him”.
Over the weekend many political figures have spoken out about the Khashoggi disappearance,
and this has now stretched to Linda McMahon, who now works in Donald Trump’s Presidential
cabinet as the Small Business Administrator.
Senator Chris Murphy told IJR.com, “I'd hope that [WWE] would be rethinking their
relationship with the kingdom, especially with respect to events coming up in the next
weeks like [Crown Jewel],” while Senator Bob Menendez noted, “because [Linda McMahon]
is part of the president's cabinet, it falls into the grey area where the administration
really should give it some thought and maybe even prevail upon them not doing it.”
Another person tied to politics and this event is the mayor of Knox’s County Glenn Jacobs,
who will wrestle in the high-profile tag match with The Undertaker against Triple H and Shawn
Michaels.
Knox News reached out to Jacobs’ office to ask about his position on the show, and
were told that he would still be working Crown Jewel on November 2nd - with his spokesman
Rob Link saying, “Mayor Jacobs won’t speculate on Mr. Khashoggi’s disappearance.
However, he and his family are in the mayor’s thoughts and prayers.”
Former WWE Women’s Champion Gail Kim spoke up on Twitter about the events saying, “Do
the right thing @wwe you have enough money,” and Bryan Alvarez reported on Wrestling Observer
Live, "I can't say every wrestler, but many wrestlers don't want to go.
I've heard some in the office don't want to go.
But I've heard there is one guy that is really determined to go and that is Vince McMahon.
Unless he changes his mind, they're going."
Alvarez also noted on Wrestling Observer Live that there has been some talk about moving
the two key matches from the show – the Universal Championship triple threat and the
tag team match – to Survivor Series at the end of November.
Alvarez said that he was told to watch Raw closely this week, because if WWE do not push
those matches hard on the show, then it is possible will be moved to Survivor Series
instead.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer has also reported that, “There have been backup
plans that are being talked about internally if the show doesn't take place – with Rajah
adding that Manchester, England could be a replacement venue on November 4th, as WWE
will be there the day after to tape Raw.
But even with the mounting political pressures, PWInsider reported that WWE are still working
on the travel plans for their talent for Crown Jewel and are moving “full steam ahead”
with the show.
Meltzer posted on Twitter that, “WWE says Saudi Arabia show is still on as scheduled”,
and added on Wrestling Observer Radio, “unless the state department tells them they can’t
go or Donald Trump tells them they can’t go, they’re going.”
An interesting twist in this story came yesterday, when Crown Jewel was suddenly removed from
the WWE.com’s upcoming events calendar.
And while it was still on their website under the shows section, all references to Saudi
Arabia had been removed.
However it’s now being reported that this was, in fact, a mistake and the show was not
meant to have been taken down.
David Bixenspan of Deadspin posted on Twitter: “a WWE spokesman is telling me that it would
be in error.
“The event should be listed.”
Bryan Alvarez noted on Wrestling Observer Live, “nobody knows who removed it.
I don’t know if they were hacked or somebody went in there on their own or what, but it
wasn’t supposed to disappear.
But it did.
And now it’s back.”
Several big corporations, including Viacom, New York Times and Washington Post have all
cut their ties with Saudi Arabia following the Khashoggi disappearance – most likely
in fear that any association with them would receive negative mainstream attention.
And WWE were on the wrong side of mainstream attention last night, when HBO’s Last Week
With John Oliver showed the clips aired during Greatest Royal Rumble earlier this year, focusing
on how much they came across like propaganda – a video which has since been picked up
by The Hollywood Reporter.
But if there were any questions about how WWE felt about Crown Jewel or the possibility
of cancelling it, they announced two World Cup qualifying matches for Raw tonight of
Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose.
What are 10 of the most awesome women’s moments in WWE history?
Click the image on screen right now to read our WrestleTalk.com article.
I’ve been Luke Owen and that was wrestling.