10 Reasons WWE Should Never Return To Saudi Arabia
6. Dissenting Superstars
There was a time when superstars stood up to Vince McMahon. Protective of their characters, they would demur over certain storylines or refuse to put other guys over.
This included the industry’s biggest names like Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. Most notoriously there was Hulk Hogan’s backstage catchphrase, “that doesn’t work for me, brother.”
These days things are different for the most part. Many are aware that WWE is their best chance of steady employment and a decent living. Others are fans who grew up watching the product, helping to foster a “happy to be here” mentality that precludes serious dissent.
Nonetheless, several superstars have refused to travel to Saudi Arabia. It underlines just how controversial these shows are. These guys are happy to cut embarrassing promos or succumb to 50/50 booking(or worse) but refuse to take a Saudi payday.
It's not a good look for the company but more than that it must cause innumerable storyline headaches. To give just one example, Kevin Owens is about the most popular face in the company right now. WWE should be thinking about handing him a title. However, if they do they’ll have to take it back off him twice a year because he’ll refuse to defend it in Saudi Arabia.