21 Biggest Wrestling Stories Of 2018

WWE had deserted their ethics during their first trip to the Saudi Arabian desert, but it could at least have been argued - albeit not very convincingly - that they were part of a gradual cultural revamp. The company had effectively asked detractors to restrain their criticism; the Saudi regime's progressiveness was a work in process, not an overnight sea-change.

Then political dissident Jamal Khashoggi was murdered - with many pointing the finger to Riyadh operatives. WWE's stance no longer held water.

Vince and co. had already been forced to sweat for throwing on their first-ever all-women's PPV, Evolution, clearly a token gesture to deflect criticism of the Saudi shows' lack of female presence. The Khashoggi situation seemingly made their position untenable, as they faced heavy censure for their ongoing partnership with the GSA, facing calls from both sides of the Senate to nix the deal.

WWE's response? They forged right on ahead. To make matters worse, they tried to make the most of the maximised negative publicity by secreting Hulk Hogan back onto their screens. And the show, for what it was worth, was awful. But the company couldn't have been forgiven even if it wasn't.