7 Possible Consequences If WWE Crown Jewel Goes Ahead
4. Sponsor Dissatisfaction
WWE may not care about their unhappy Universe, but they absolutely do care about disapproving sponsors. The furore which surrounded the company's tone deaf decision to name WrestleMania's Women's Battle Royal in honour of The Fabulous Moolah only registered with WWE's top brass as soon as Mars, the parent corporation of chief sponsor Snickers, intimated their anxiety over the situation. With a multi-million pound deal one step away from defenestration - and the injurious nature of 'sponsors pull out' headlines that would have soon followed - WWE dramatically changed tack, collapsing in on demands to alter the name.
As idiotic as WWE were in that situation, their offence was relatively trivial. But if that was enough to force their sponsors to reconsider, the severity of the Khashoggi situation could impel a mass tearing up of contracts. WWE know that, deep down, most fans won't bring themselves to cancel their subscriptions. Their business partners possess no such sentiment - and won't be shy about demonstrating it.