What Will Happen If WWE Crown Jewel Gets Cancelled?
WWE's controversial Saudi Arabian show still hangs in the balance.
WWE Crown Jewel remains a polemical topic, and with the Jamal Khashoggi case continuing to have a profound global impact, the criticism and pressure thrown at Vince McMahon's business in Saudi Arabia is only getting louder.
Complete cancellation remains a long-shot. As noted by PW Insider's Dave Scherer last week, doing so would mean WWE violating their 10-year agreement with the nation, making severe legal ramifications a strong possibility. On top of this, McMahon would be walking away from the reported $45 million he stands to make from the 2 November show.
The weekend saw the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer note that WWE do have a contingency plan in-place should they be forced to change Crown Jewel. To this, the Daily Beast have suggested they hold the show in Manchester, England on 4 November instead. WWE are already in the city for tapings on the 5th and 6th anyway, and there are no events scheduled for the Manchester Arena that night, so it makes sense in that regard.
But while pulling out would see WWE take a huge financial hit, Crown Jewel going ahead as planned could potentially cause several major problems as well.
Whatever happens, this story isn't going away any time soon. We'll bring you further updates as it develops.