World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. values business over morals. At least, that’s how it appears after their recent decision to follow through with their Nov. 2 show in Saudi Arabia — despite the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey at the hands of the Saudi government. Saudi authorities have already basically admitted to the homicide, making WWE’s Saudi event, which was broadcasted live worldwide, especially egregious.
WWE defended its decision in its Q3 report, which emphasized the company’s need to “uphold contractual obligations.” This controversial move from CEO Vince McMahon not only risks alienating his fans, employees, and sponsors — it fails to shine a positive, global light on the capitalist values that are so essential to American exceptionalism. McMahon, a brilliant entrepreneur and cultural icon, had the opportunity to take a bold stand on the global stage, but failed miserably.
President Trump is a McMahon family friend and has a reputation for failing to lead in times of tragedy himself. Nevertheless, even he took a strong stance against the Saudi government, calling the murder of Khashoggi “the worst cover-up ever.” The longtime face of the company, John Cena, along with his fellow superstar, Daniel Bryan, refused to participate in the Saudi event despite being previously booked with key matches on the card — forcing WWE to make last-minute changes.
Still, McMahon decided to keep his relationship with the Saudi government intact. Why? As his son’s wrestling theme goes, “money, money, money.” McMahon negotiated a $450 million deal with the Saudi government that solidified its business ties with WWE for the next decade. WWE has since kowtowed plenty to the oppressive regime. In April, WWE hosted its first major event in Saudi Arabia, but didn’t feature any women’s matches to respect the country’s patriarchal structure. The same went for the Nov. 2 Saudi show — but in a likely PR stunt, WWE hosted its first-ever women’s exclusive pay-per-view in New York less than a week before the Saudi show.
Does this make up for the company cutting a $450 million deal that leaves women off its shows? Hardly.
Of course, McMahon has the right to do business with the Saudis, and in no way should the U.S. government attempt to interfere. However, when McMahon and other American businessmen make decisions overseas that throw morals and leadership out the window in favor of profits, it boosts the public’s hatred of capitalism — arguably one of the biggest keys to ending poverty worldwide. A healthy capitalist society does require at least some sort of moral structure in business. McMahon, who knows better than the government what’s best for his company, employees, and customers, should take the lead on the world stage by exemplifying that morals come first — even if it means sacrificing some business.
Yet, it appears McMahon has no shame in his relationship with an oppressive regime. When the Saudis reportedly asked if the event could feature wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, McMahon granted them their wish. Not only did Hogan appear on the Saudi show, he hosted it in his first onscreen appearance for WWE since he was fired in 2015 after a tape of him saying the N-word was leaked by Gawker, which led to the infamous Bollea v. Gawker trial.
McMahon is ruining WWE’s reputation for no legitimate reason. After all, it already has a positive history of giving back to the community. The company has a partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation and founded Connor’s Cure, a fund at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in honor of beloved wrestling fan Connor Michalek, who died at 8 years old with cancer. But in Saudi Arabia, McMahon is refusing to continue his moral leadership because a major business deal is in jeopardy. If WWE decided to cancel their Saudi Arabia event, they would have reportedly lost around $16 million.
Apparently, to McMahon, murdering journalists, enforcing gender inequality, and engaging in genocidal wars in Yemen are not enough to disqualify a country from a taste of Western entertainment. No matter the cost, the WWE has no place in Saudi Arabia. If businesses want to effectively spread capitalist ideas worldwide, they need to embrace a strong sense of American values and refuse to tolerate injustice.
Patrick Hauf (@PatrickHauf) is a college student and a writer for Young Voices.
