Why WWE's Decision to Continue with Crown Jewel Is A Terrible Look For the Company
Earlier this week, news had broke that Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi had gone missing during a visit to the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Reports from numerous news sources claimed that there is a possibility that Khashoggi was murdered on behalf of the Saudi Arabian government.
Naturally as WWE have been doing business with Saudi Arabia, with WWE Crown Jewel coming up on November 2nd, this was a matter of concern for the company.
However, it is now believed that WWE will continue forward with the event. Here are a couple of reasons why this is a horrible decision for the WWE.
It isn't good press
There have been plenty of people that have called for WWE to cancel this event, including former WWE Diva Gail Kim, as well as numerous government officials. Connecticut senator Chris Murphy called this decision "a brazen assault on the freedom of the press and a slap in the face to the United States".
In the past, WWE has gotten flack for some of their business decisions, including the 1994 steroid trial that nearly sank the company. Now with this decision to essentially ignore an atrocity such as this, it does not paint the WWE in a much better light in the eyes of the public.
It adds to growing concern over the WWE's relationship with Saudi Arabia
When the WWE went to Saudi Arabia earlier this year for the Greatest Royal Rumble, there were many upset with the fact that no women were allowed to perform at the event.
At the time, Executive Vice President Paul "Triple H" Levesque defended this decision by saying that every culture is different and you cannot control what their customs are.
"You can't dictate to a country or a religion about how they handle things but, having said that, WWE is at the forefront of a women's evolution in the world and what you can't do is affect change anywhere by staying away from it."
While Levesque was able to defend the WWE's actions at the time, it is hard to defend this. It seems more likely that WWE cares more about doing business with an admittedly affluent Saudi kingdom rather than try to maintain some moral integrity.
While the company is no stranger to controversy, and have at times thrived in it, there is no doubt that this could lead them into hot water the likes of which they have ever seen. There is still a lot of time before Crown Jewel, but WWE is reportedly "full steam ahead" and there is seemingly nothing keeping them from going forward with this event.