WWE Superstars should be applauded for their extra efforts on the Saudi Arabia events
WWE Elimination Chamber 2022 has come and gone, and it will no doubt have its detractors despite being a very solid show that helped set up the WrestleMania 38 main event.
People will scoff at having had to watch the premium live event on a Saturday. Or they may be upset that Brock Lesnar dominated every competitor in the RAW title match inside the chamber.
BROCK LESNAR IS THE NEW WWE CHAMPION!
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There will also be a subset of fans who will complain that there weren't enough 'surprises' on the card and that the Bill Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns match was quickly booked and melodramatic.
Then, there will be a portion of the WWE Universe who don't approve of them dealing with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for political and humanitarian reasons.
It's a fair and understandable argument. There are many reasons why people may be turned off by the partnership between Vince McMahon and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. That's absolutely their right.
But there's also another way to look at the Saudi Arabia-WWE partnership that is a positive for pro wrestling.
The deal has been signed and is already in motion. These events will continue to take place, no matter what. There's nothing anyone can do about it. But once the action starts, none of that really matters anyway, does it?
Those who could care less about moral entanglements were the ones who were in the stands and in the ring for Elimination Chamber 2022: The Saudi audience and the WWE performers.
Under incredibly tough conditions, WWE superstars have done whatever they can to make the best of the situation. You can see it in how they perform on these shows. They know that they have to follow the customs of the culture, and they do their best not to disrespect the Saudi people.
It's a tough tight rope to walk, as the Arab world is very different from its Western counterpart. Once you understand that, you have to learn how to navigate those differences.
World Wrestling Entertainment, and in particular its in-ring stars, have done their best to ease tensions and make this partnership work as smoothly as possible.
Even during the pre-show, Rey Mysterio came out wearing green and white (the colors of the Saudi Arabian flag) for his match against The Miz. For the Mexican high flyer, it was a message to the crowd. It's a way of telling the Saudi fans, We're here for you. So, let's have some fun.
Rey Mysteri-GOAT
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Immediately, Mysterio had his bond with an audience who were chanting phrases that he likely didn't even understand. But that didn't matter. They were in this thing together.
Who would have thought that a faux sport, based around a bunch of people in their underwear or pajamas and pretending to fight, could bring so many folks of different cultures together? A moment of unity based around a sports soap opera just shows you the universal appeal of WWE's brand of entertainment. Regardless of how much we may criticize it from time to time.
It breaks down a lot of silly barriers that we've put up between us, based on our common need to be swept away from the real world and off to a fantasy land. At least for a little while, it's nice to live vicariously through people who appear to deal with even more conflict than you do.
More than anything, it shows the dedication of some of the greatest athletes in the world - professional wrestlers. The guys and girls of WWE should be celebrated for going those extra 7,000 miles just to put on the very best show they can for fans who don't get to see these types of events very often.
Regardless of motive, it's still sports entertainment at its finest. And it's because of the devoted men and women in the ring... no matter where in the world it takes place.
What did you think of WWE Elimination Chamber 2022? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.