Vince McMahon’s True Feelings About Saudi WWE Deal Finally Revealed
In 2018, WWE signed a 10-year strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia with Vince McMahon at the helm.
The deal was in support of Saudi Vision 2030, which kicked off with the 2018 Grandest Royal Rumble event in April.
The partnership was a surefire way for the company to make millions of dollars, which came to pass. However, the latest revelations shed light on there being serious concerns behind closed doors following the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Khashoggi was a Washington Post journalist who, in October 2018, visited the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey but never came out. CIA later concluded that he had been assassinated on the orders of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Under Vince McMahon’s leadership, WWE paused ticket sales for the Crown Jewel event in November but went ahead with the event anyway.
George Barrios, former WWE co-President has now shared more details on the company’s atmosphere at the time via POST Wrestling.
Vince McMahon And WWE Had Reservations About Going Forward With The Saudi Deal
In his autobiography ‘Sometimes Wrong but Never in Doubt: How a Cuban Kid from Queens Transformed WWE,’ George Barrios has provided information about the internal debate on whether or not the Stamford promotion should revoke the Saudi partnership.
Our negotiations dragged on because the Saudis are notorious hagglers. By 2018, despite having made great progress, we were struggling to get the deal over the finish line. Complicating matters was the disappearance of Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
Barrios also wrote about being outraged by the incident involving the journalist while stating that it created uncertainty about whether the company should uphold the lucrative deal.
As outraged as I was by what happened, I still defy anyone to argue they understand who was truly at fault. All I know is that on our end, Khashoggi’s disappearance called into question our deal with the Saudis.
Barrios then revealed that he, along with Vince McMahon and Michelle Wilson, weighed the options. He also revealed that McMahon felt uneasy after learning about Jamal Khashoggi’s fate.
Vince, Michelle, and I spent a great deal of time debating the pros and cons of moving forward. Vince in particular was deeply uncomfortable with the uncertainty surrounding the events.
In my opinion, we couldn’t walk out on the deal. It was too worthwhile for WWE. But Vince kept shaking his head. ‘This thing with Khashoggi. Doing the deal could be the biggest risk we’ve ever taken with the company.
Barrios explained that he tried to convince Vince McMahon about going forward with the partnership because there were several unclear elements, and they were not worth the risk.
Vince, listen to me. I understand how serious this is. But no one really knows what’s going on,’ Barrios said at the time.
WWE was scrutinized by the media and wrestling fans for going forward with the Crown Jewel event in November 2018. George Barrios and Michelle Wilson were released by the company in 2020 but were brought back to the board of directors in January 2023.
While Vince McMahon continues to remain buried under a mountain of lawsuits, WWE has held multiple PLEs and weekly shows in Saudi Arabia. The company’s next PLE in the Kingdom is Night of Champions, scheduled for June 27.
H/T: Ringside News