Let's state the obivous...No Women Matches in Saudi

[SirLucas]

As much as WWE tried to push gender equality with the whole women's revolution, do you find it hypocritical of them to be putting so much stock into promoting a supercard in a country that is extremely misogynistic against women? Or do you think WWE's hidden agenda is to eventually be able to host a show with female matches down the line?  It has been reported that females can attend with permission of male guardians, which wasn't not the case the last time they toured Saudi. So I guess, WWE is chipping away at the iceberg a bit.  

What are your thoughts? 

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

I would hope the women are promised their own PPV for this year as you can't really blame them for being sour about this upcoming trip and how big it is but they can't perform.

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

I think they are chipping away at it in countries they are misogynistic but at the end they are trying to reach out to every country they can as a business. They have done it before in other countries and maybe by the next time they go there, it will change. WWE isn't going to deny itself money just because what there rules are. They can only change for the future if they attempt to get the agenda changed. It will never change if they just don't go and not do anything.

[SirLucas]

 At least the women get the night off and don't have to travel so far away from home. But yeah, I'd say it's still in the realm of possibility that one day WWE can stake their claim in hosting women's wrestling sports entertainment in Saudi. 

[Sparkybob]

The WWE likes money.
Saudi government is offering a lot of money
Hence WWE going there.

Sucks for the women but it is a huge payday for the company.

[bearned]

Do they edit out womens matches/segments when they show WWE on the TV there?

[clifford]

Hypocritical. Not gonna get political obviously but f*** Saudi Arabia basically.

[Johnny B. Decent]

Probably for the best. My uncle did service time there and, um....did not have very nice things to say about it.

[Deleted]

It would be pretty cool if they put on an all women show in the US to counteract the ugly reasons why they wouldn't be performing in Saudi Arabia that night.

[ASYLUMHAUSEN]

I don’t think it’s hypocritical at all.

Saudi Arabia isn’t exactly...umm...enlightened when it comes to women

It would be ugly - and possibly dangerous - to put any of the women’s roster out there at that event.

[Allie Kitsune]

Vision 2032 is VERRRRRRRY slowly putting in various reforms, but the KSA has a very long way to go (and likely isn't going to get where the vast majority of people here would like to see it get to by that 2032 date).

I'm not going to be all "F*** WWE" over this (When the "Vince changed the Mania finish to work the boys" story is reason enough to say that anyway), but if reforms don't continue, I'd hold Stephanie to pledging not to go back in the future. Since she likes to put herself out there as the spokesperson for the women, she's the one who'll have to stand up if it doesn't.

[Mochi Lone Wolf]

They're improving by putting this on and having their first foriegn movies playing in their cinemas but, they're still a pretty backwards society.


I know it's easy to want to rail against them and trust me, I don't have a lot of nice things to say about Saudi Arabia. Especially after what my dad told me about what he saw there during the first Gulf War. That said, at this point, you take what you can get. It's a tough pill to swallow but, complete progress won't happen overnight there.

[emk]

No all-women show could counteract the decision to host a show in Saudi Arabia, quite frankly. Don't want to go into politics but they're just about the last country that WWE should be associating themselves with, and I'm not talking about women's rights.

[SirLucas]

An all women's show would definitely draw with the talent they have.

They could do Sasha vs. Bayley in a steel cage grudge match then Auska vs. Rousey as the headliner.

[SirLucas]

Apr 12, 2018 17:40:37 GMT -5 emk said:

 Don't want to go into politics but they're just about the last country that WWE should be associating themselves with

Agreed!

[Deleted]

Obviously it’s for business reasons, but on the bright side for the ladies it’s an extra day off where they don’t have to do that ridiculous travel schedule.

Besides WWE wouldn’t care about the women’s revolution if it wasn’t in vogue and making them money.

[Abdullah]

Apr 12, 2018 17:34:31 GMT -5 bearned said:

Do they edit out womens matches/segments when they show WWE on the TV there?

On paid TV, no. On free TV, they didn't and then they did. It's not a black and white situation.

There are people pushing for change and those who want to maintain a status quo that benefits them. Some version of that plays out in every country.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

I'll just say that it's better for the women to avoid that place completely.

[Allie Kitsune]

Apr 12, 2018 17:40:37 GMT -5 emk said:

No all-women show could counteract the decision to host a show in Saudi Arabia, quite frankly. Don't want to go into politics but they're just about the last country that WWE should be associating themselves with, and I'm not talking about women's rights.

Maybe Not, but they should do an all-women's Network Special anyway.

The audience is ready for it, they have enough women to do one, and more Network Content is always a good thing.

[GuyOfOwnage]

It's always astounded me how much money breeds hypocrisy.