The controversy surrounding the disappearance and alleged murder of Jamal Khashoggi has put WWE’s upcoming Crown Jewel event in jeopardy. With several wrestlers being uncomfortable wresting in Saudi, sponsors reconsidering their deals, and fans unsubscribing from the WWE Network, the company may be forced to hold the event somewhere else.
Contingency Plan
According to wrestling website WhatCulture, the WWE may have a contingency plan in place. If the company is forced to cancel its pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia, it might be moved to another country instead.
If the rumored contingency plan is accurate, the new Crown Jewel pay-per-view will take place in Manchester, England on the 4th of November 2018. Manchester is two-hour drive for me, but I would be willing to make it if the WWE moves its ethically bankrupt pay-per-view to the UK instead.
The rumored plan does seem to have some merit. When visiting the WWE website, the company has removed a lot of references to their upcoming pay-per-view. The location of the show is not mentioned when checking the information for Crown Jewel either. So, the outcome of the Saudi Arabia scandal could still cause a switch of venues.
If the WWE is planning to move their venue to Manchester, England, they would have to do it soon. Moving an event to an entirely different country in a matter of days is a logistical nightmare. It includes finding a free venue, selling tickets in record time, and even paying back fans who bought tickets for the event in Saudi Arabia who cannot attend the event in England. In theory, the WWE would have to cancel the event in Saudi Arabia and organize a new Crown Jewel in Manchester. Honestly, it is not that easy! There are only a couple of weeks left, so I do not see this contingency plan springing into action.
Counting on President Trump
The location of Crown Jewel is currently dependent on the orders of the current POTUS, Donald Trump. It is believed the WWE will go ahead with the event, unless Donald Trump prohibits them from doing so.
As mentioned in one of my earlier stories, it is claimed Saudi Arabia will admit its involvement in the disappearance of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. However, its government is expected to blame the incident on rogue operatives.
Should the WWE Move Venue?
Brand is everything in the current market and the WWE is not doing itself any favors associating themselves with Saudi Arabia, especially not in the current climate. Sponsors may be put off by the whole matter, especially now that many fans have started to unsubscribe from the Network. With fewer fans to view advertisements, will sponsors ignore the upcoming pay-per-view costing the WWE many viewers?