JOHN: WORLD WRESTLING
ENTERTAINMENT HOSTING MIDDLE
EAST LARGEST EVER PAY-PER-VIEW
IN SAUDI ARABIA, AT A TIME WITH
KINGDOM IS CHANGING LONGSTANDING
LAWS, FOR EXAMPLE WOMEN WILL
ALLOWED TO DRIVE STARTS IN JUNE,
SAUDI ARABIA OPENING FIRST MOVIE
THEATER IN 95 YEARS THIS MONTH
-- 35 YEARS THIS MONTH, PLAYING
"BLACK PANTHER."
WITH ME NOW, HOST OF SOMETHING
TO WRESTLE WITH, PRESIDENT BRUCE
PRITCHARD.
PERHAPS YOU CAN HELP ME GET ELON
MUSK ON THE SHOW, HE WOULD NOT
ANSWER MY TWITTER TODAY.
>> BUT I DID, HERE I AM.
JOHN: AND WONDERFUL TO HAVE YOU,
TWO TIME GLOBAL PODCAST, SPORTS
ILL GRADED OF
"SL GRADED OF
"SPOGRADED OF
"SPORTADED OF
"SPORTSDED OF
"SPORTSILD OF
"SPORTSILLUOF
"SPORTSILLUSTRATED."
INCREDIBLE.
WWE GOES TO SAUDI ARABIA.
SAUDI ARABIA HAS VERY DRACONIAN
WALLS WITH MINORITIES AND WOMEN.
WWE HAS BEEN AT FOREFRONT OF
WOMEN'S REVOLUTION, BUT SOME
HAVE CRITICIZE WWE FOR GOING TO
A COUNTRY WITH SUCH DRACONIAN
LAWS AND STANDARDS AND
PRACTICES.
>> I AM NOT BIG ON TALKING
POLITICS WITH ENTERTAINMENT,
THEY SHOULD BE SEPARATE.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT SAUDI
ARABIA HAS DONE, STRIDES THEY
HAVE MADE.
YOU HAVE TO GROW FROM THE
OUTSIDE IN.
I THINK THAT ISING
I THINK THAT IS SG
I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THEY
ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO.
IF YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE
SOLUTION, HOW WILL YOU KNOW
SUITE CHANGE -- HOW WILL YOU
INSTITUTE CHANGE, THEY HAVE MADE
AN EFFORT TO BE A PART OF
SOLUTION, TO HELP, IT WILL TAKE
BABY STEPS.
YOU KNOW WWE HAD AN EVENT THAT
TOOK PLACE IN ABU DHABI, TWO TOP
FEMALE WRESTLERS COMPETING.
THE CRUDE,
THE CRODE,
THE CROWD, ENTIRE LIVE CROWD WAS
CHANTING.
THIS IS HOPE.
IN ENGLISH.
THE FACT THAT TWO FEMALES WERE
COMPETING FOR FIRST TIME IN THE
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.
THAT IS HISTORY, IT WILL TAKE
TIME, BUT I THINK IT IS THE
EFFORT AT LEAST IS BEING MADE TO
MAKE IN CHANGE.
JOHN: WHEN YOU WERE WITH WWE.
AFTER ADVENT OF CABLE TELEVISION
YOU SAW IT TAKE OVER THE WORLD.
WITH SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.
MOVING TO PLACES LIKE SAUDI
ARABIA AND ABU DHABI IN MEEFT
ARABIA AND ABU DHABI IN MIDFT
ARABIA AND ABU DHABI IN MIDDLE
EAST IN PARTICULAR INDIA AND
CHINA.
IS THAT PART OF GROWTH STRATEGY
YOU HAD AS FAR BACK AS '90S?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WWE ITSELF IS A GLOBAL COMPANY.
IT NOT JUST GOING IN AND HOLDING
EVENTS IN CHINA OR FOR EXAMPLE
OR INDIA.
THEY ARE OPENING OFFICES,
TRAINING CENTERS WHERE THEY CAN
RECRUIT TALENT FROM THE AREAS
FROM THE COUNTRIES TO TRULY BE
AN INTERNATIONAL COMPANY.
RECENTLY IN SAUDI ARABIA THEY
HAD TRY OUTS.
THEY HIRED 4 POTENTIAL TALENT TO
COME IN TO THE SYSTEM TO LEARN
TO BE A PART OF THE COMPANY.
SO, YES, THEY ARE MAKING AN
EFFORT.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN
ON THE BOOKS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING STEP BY STEP
FOR MANY YEARS.
JOHN: BRUCE, YOUR PODCAST TO ME
STORIES I HEARD, OKAYS
STORIES I HEARD,,OKAYS
STORIES I HEARD,, IAYS
STORIES I HEARD,, INYS