The involvement of the WWE with Saudi Arabia has always been one of the hottest topics in the wrestling world. Ever since the Stamford-bred company started hosting large-scale events in the Kingdom, there have been concerns about the morality behind such an association. The issue even led CM Punk to speak out against the company in 2019, when he made a swipe at the company concerning the Saudi events. However, he eventually apologized for his statements to his fans early this year.
WWE formally solidified their long-term deal with the Saudi Arabian government in 2019, agreeing to stage two major events per year. Although the criticism has never truly dissipated, superstars in the WWE have continued to speak about the developments that have taken place. One of the more recent individuals who decided to address the situation is Seth Rollins.
Seth Rollins on the criticism
Speaking on the Mohr Stories podcast, Rollins did not hold back on the criticism that WWE has attracted.
“We’ve been going there for six years, we’ve been taking sh*t for six years,” was Rollins’ response when someone suggested that going to Saudi Arabia was a problem for WWE. In fact, Rollins argued there was nothing out of the ordinary about this country because WWE receives money from American companies as well.
What’s happened in Saudi Arabia lately
Rollins took it a level further by detailing how his own perspective may have changed over the years. Rollins revealed that he was a doubter when WWE first came to perform in Saudi Arabia in 2019.
‘‘I don’t know about this, I don’t know how I feel about it,’’ he remembered.
However, as Rollins goes on to state, there have been major developments in the past six years. He spoke about the fact that there were no women featured in early shows, both in front of the cameras and behind them. This is no longer true.
“Now we go there, and it’s just like a WWE show,” Rollins said, referring to the presence of female performers and changes in the culture that have been felt at these events.
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