7 Possible Consequences If WWE Crown Jewel Goes Ahead
1. $45 Million In The Bank
This is what it all comes down to: the one positive repercussion of WWE forging ahead with Crown Jewel.
It's actually a little more than that; the company will net $45 million for the single show in Riyadh, but stand to make ten times the amount from the partnership over the next decade. It's a lot of money - probably enough to sustain the promotion should the relationship ultimately undermine their other revenue streams.
But is it viable in the long-term? The chances of the company seeing out the full-ten year deal seem slim, for one reason or another. The whole purpose of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 project is to reassert the ruling family's control through supposed cultural reform. Externally, deals with companies such as WWE are designed to project how progressive the nation is becoming - soft diplomacy made a mockery of by Khashoggi's death, and the subsequent scandal. The resultant, universal foreign condemnation makes such projects completely pointless.
We also can't predict the political situation in Saudi Arabia a decade from now. International intervention is extremely unlikely, but the global publicity generated by the likes of Khashoggi's crackdown will only raise the volume of calls for democracy. If and when things escalate, the absolute monarchy may be moved to make concessions to some form of nominal popular government - after which Vision 2030 will be irrelevant.
In ten years time, Vince McMahon will be 83 years old. It's impossible to know the target of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, but there's every chance the chairman won't be at the helm of WWE come 2028. The $450 million legacy he leaves for his successor could be one without sponsors, without a reputation, and most importantly, without fans. Is it really worth it?