Roundtable: WWE Crown Jewel

Should WWE cancel Crown Jewel?

David Gibb: Yes.

Juan Bautista: Yes. Shows shouldn’t be happening in Saudi Arabia to begin with. The culture goes against practices such as women wrestling, which is why Evolution is happening just days prior. Unfortunately, an even bigger controversy has come about: a journalist by the name of Jamal Khashoggi was outspoken about the Saudi Arabia government and after disappearing, it was confirmed that his head was cut off.

Anthony Mahalis: Tough call on this – I really am on the fence about it. I understand that a lot of money is to be made, but ultimately, you need to leave it up to the wrestlers themselves.

Calvin Gibbon: It would have been the right call if they had. Now I feel like there’s a stain on the brand that will take time to wash off. I do know why they didn’t cancel it, though. I’m pretty sure the contract is iron clad.

Jenna Leigh: I know this is kind of a non-answer, but I don’t think WWE should have ever agreed to ANYTHING in Saudi Arabia.

John Corrigan: Absolutely. I can’t believe it hasn’t been cancelled. Of course, this probably shows my lack of business understanding and explains why we haven’t made money off the site yet.

Chad Gelfand: They should cancel Crown Jewel. This is different than if they just happened to have a show that was in Saudi Arabia for the Saudi Arabian people. This show is basically part of a propaganda campaign by the Saudi Arabian government, a government which seemingly had a role in the brutal murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, amongst other human rights violations.

Steven Jackson: It is such a catch-22. How WWE gets itself into these I’ll never know. I think that the event should be cancelled due to all the negative publicity and heat surrounding the event. You can run the show again next year, and although it will be a bad business decision in regards to revenue, the politics surrounding the event are just too hostile right now.

Jack Goodwillie: Read my article. You know you want to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlSZfFFnARU

Is this the biggest controversy in WWE history?

Gibb: In terms of blood directly on their hands, no. They covered up a homicide. This is one of the most culturally tone deaf and morally repugnant things they’ve done in a long time, though.

Bautista: If it’s not, then it’s tied with the Benoit tragedy. This won’t age well.

Mahalis: No. The whole Chris Benoit situation was a little more controversial to the sport itself. It gave more of a black eye to the industry.

Gibbon: Not at all. Katie Vick, the Benoit murders and the steroid trial are still the three biggest controversies in WWE history. It’s bad, don’t get me wrong, but not as bad.

Leigh: Nah! WWE has survived the 80s steroid scandal, the 80s sex scandal, the Montreal Screwjob, Benoit, the Muhammad Hassan/Undertaker/London Bombing fiasco…this is just another story that Vinnie Mac and Co. will whitewash in the future.

Corrigan: Yes. WWE wasn’t to blame for Benoit, and while I believe that Vince McMahon paid off the authorities to keep Jimmy Snuka out of jail, I can’t prove anything. But this situation in Saudi Arabia is crystal clear, as is McMahon’s greed. The mainstream media is beginning to rain down upon WWE for valuing money above humanity, and the publicity is only going to get worse. This decision has certainly made me re-evaluate my support of the company.

Gelfand: I don’t think that it’s the biggest controversy in WWE history, as the Chris Benoit double murder-suicide received such a large amount of coverage and the fallout from that led to such sweeping changes in WWE. However, the Crown Jewel event is certainly bringing about its fair share of controversy.

Jackson: It is definitely the one which I can remember getting the most mainstream attention. Whether it is the biggest controversy is debatable. I think it is definitely the most political and polarizing for sure.

Goodwillie: I guess it depends on your definition of controversy. The WWE is no stranger to controversy, but it hasn’t always been this political or self-inflicted. Yes, the steroid trial was controversial for its time, but was it really? Only in the sense that the media likes to create hysteria around things that are taboo. Hulk Hogan being at the forefront of it all, lying on Arsenio Hall, was DEFINITELY controversial because it did irreparable damage to the perception of his character. The Benoit tragedy was controversial, but you have to think WWE did what they could given the circumstances and actually learned from it and improved their standards and practices. This one however? Entirely self-inflicted. But I think if you go back through the annals (hah) of the company’s history, you’ll probably be able to dig up something more controversial. Probably.

Do you have any qualms about watching the show?

Gibb: I will not be watching it.

Bautista: I’ll most likely be working during the show, so I’ll catch up through notifications and highlights. If it’s anything like the Greatest Royal Rumble, it’s a glorified house show with Saudi Arabia propaganda. I’m probably better off.

Mahalis: If they have the show, I’m not going to boycott it.

Gibbon: My qualms are with the booking of too many shows more than qualms about watching this show in particular. They have diluted their storylines and made everything matter less by having too many shows. It’s impossible to keep everything relevant.

Leigh: Yeah. I didn’t watch GRR live, either.

Corrigan: As a fellow journalist, I can’t possibly support this bullshit. As if we don’t struggle enough with lack of employment opportunities, low salaries and poor public perception, now we have to consider unpunished murder as part of the job description. From a wrestling fan standpoint, I wouldn’t watch this, anyway. The tournament means nothing and I have zero interest in DX vs. Brothers of Destruction. Leave the goddamn memories alone!

Gelfand: I think I’m going to have to skip this show. A lot of the events surrounding it just doesn’t feel right, and it’s going to cloud my ability to enjoy the show and just focus on wrestling.

Jackson: Everyone knows my opinions of WWE in general (sounding like a broken record again?!), but no, I won’t be watching the show. Even the return of HBK (which, by the way, I think is stupid and unwarranted) can’t lure me to watch. The qualms are the product as a whole rather than the controversy surrounding the event.

Goodwillie: None at all. It’s a great card and what is me not watching going to do? Give me a reason to go out and tweet about how I’m protesting the company by not watching a great card on a show that will either happen or not happen again, my not watching notwithstanding? Believe me, the outrage over WWE’s dealings with this country are valid, even more so since my article came out since the Saudis ADMITTED to killing the journalist as a consequence of a “fight.” All I’m saying is there’s no need to go out on social media and throw a pity party for yourself over it, because in the grand scheme it won’t matter.

How do you feel about Rey Mysterio returning?

Gibb: I’m always happy to see Rey’s sweet masked face. With that said, he’s in a weird place where the best use/support of him is on 205 Live, but I think everybody (especially Vince McMahon) sees him as way above that.

Bautista: I have no problem if the man can still work and put on entertaining matches. The problem with part-timers recently is that all they’re capable of is a safe house show match and it ends up on a PPV. Rey is in great shape and is capable of a PPV-quality match.

Mahalis: I’m a fan of Rey returning. He still looks good in the ring and puts on a good match. I love a good nostalgia act if they can still perform.

Gibbon: Terrific. Rey looks fantastic. I’m excited for all the dream matches we can have between Rey and this new class of superstars.

Leigh: I love it! Happy to see him back, and at this point, he could help build new stars. He’d be a GODSEND for 205!

Corrigan: I wish he would have gone full-time in a different company. Impact could certainly use him, ROH desperately needs a shot in the arm and MLW is working on reshuffling its roster for 2019. WWE doesn’t need Rey-Rey – it has plenty of misused talent as it is.

Gelfand: I’m excited to see Rey Mysterio back in WWE. His time away and wrestling a much lighter schedule on the independents has seemed to have rejuvenated him. I’m excited to see him work with the likes of Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, Andrade Cien Almas, etc.

Jackson: It is great seeing Rey Mysterio wherever he wrestles and I’m excited to see him return. He still has got it and looks the best shape he has in years, but I just hope he doesn’t injure himself or do anything stupid that will affect his life outside the ring anymore.

Goodwillie: I love it. Rey was a guy who left with a litany of nagging injuries and health issues, but since then discovered the benefits of stem cell therapy and has taken tremendous care of himself to where now I can see him having another four or five years left in the tank. And the perfect amount of time has passed since he left, too. Now, we’ve seen a new generation of (maybe not stars), but really talented wrestlers and competitors come up that Rey hasn’t yet worked with. The combinations are endless, and I look forward to seeing what he’s able to accomplish with this final run.

Who is your pick to win the WWE World Cup?

Gibb: John Cena. JK, I have no idea who’s even in it.

Bautista: Well first off, it’s the U.S Open. Second, it’s going to be Cena, isn’t it? The man that doesn’t get off the screen, pick his spots and accept his new career. At least when The Rock shows up, he feels like he needs to be there. The only other guy I see winning is Seth Rollins, but Dean will probably get involved. Dolph is probably going to have a match with Seth. Kurt is most likely going to get screwed by Corbin. Jeff Hardy will take an early loss while Rey defeats The Miz before losing to Randy Orton.

Mahalis: The Miz. That way when he costs Daniel Bryan the title, there is another layer to the continuation of their feud. DISCLAIMER: I really don’t want any interference in Bryan vs. Styles. Please just let them tear the house down.

Gibbon: And his name is John Cena. I kid, but I’m honestly not sure. It’s a tossup between Cena, Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio. I’m leaning toward Rey.

Leigh: Naturally, my first guess is Cena…but I’m pulling for The Miz!

Corrigan: Randy Orton. This is the perfect way to build momentum for a title shot against AJ or D-Bry. Plus, he’s bound to be rewarded for defending the company’s decision to go on with the show.

Gelfand: Seth Rollins. Now that Roman Reigns has to, unfortunately, take time off in his battle against leukemia and with Dean Ambrose having turned on Rollins, the time is now to go with Rollins as the top face in the company. Winning the WWE World Cup would get him off to a strong start.

Jackson: Probably John Cena because of his global appeal and hey, it’s John Cena!

Goodwillie: This whole thing seems like a chance to put Seth Rollins over on a sizeable stage, no? There are a few names involved in this thing that you can cross off immediately, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see Cena or Angle go all the way. The tricky thing here is the lack of stakes. Yes, Seth Rollins gets some kind of rub for winning the whole thing, but there’s no stakes. So Kurt Angle could feasibly win and it won’t matter either way because there’s nothing up for grabs. There’s a level of irony in Angle winning in Saudi Arabia, so that’s where I’ll go with it. He can also lose to Cena right off the bat, which I guess is part of the reason why I love this concept so much.