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Dax Harwood Feared He’d Be “Found Dead” If He Discussed Infamous Saudi Incident

By Lyle Kilbane • Published 24th April 2023
Dax Harwood

Dax Harwood has called time on his FTR podcast with Matt Koon and it seems the AEW World Tag Team Champion might be glad to have stopped before one controversial subject came up.

WWE’s deal to produce mammoth shows in Saudi Arabia has not been without controversy from the start. The company held a show in the Kingdom one month after an international outcry following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in late 2018 and the following year, problems arrived closer to home for the company.

Following Crown Jewel in 2019, the plane meant to take the bulk of the WWE stars that were in Saudi Arabia for the show was delayed in leaving. Those present had to spend another night in the country with suggestions that there was a mechanical fault with the plane.

However, there have been suggestions that something more sinister was at play. Reports at the time suggested WWE was in dispute with the Saudi authorities over payments not being made for previous shows in the country while Vince McMahon and a select few others such as Brock Lesnar, Hulk Hogan, and Ric Flair managed to get out of Saudi Arabia on a smaller private flight.

The subject has caused much debate ever since with some stars who were present discussing events from their point of view. One star who was glad they didn’t have to was AEW’s Dax Harwood. Harwood and Cash Wheeler – then known as The Revival – were on the show as part of a tag team turmoil match won by Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.

A fan asked Harwood’s now-former podcast co-host Matt Koon on social media what subject he wishes they’d been able to cover and Koon responded “Saudi Arabia plane” which prompted the AEW star to comment:

“Honeslty (sic), I was afraid if I told the truth about what happened, I would’ve been found dead somewhere in my house.”