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World Wrestling star Rusev is welcomed by fans during her "Greatest Royal Rumble" match on April 27 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Amr Nabil / AP)
In April, World Wrestling Entertainment, known as the WWE, staged its first-ever Greatest Royal Rumble, featuring wrestling stars such as John Cena, Triple H and The Monster Among Men.
The evening is set against the backdrop of King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Some 60,000 people attended what was supposed to be the first event of a long-term agreement to bring more struggle to the kingdom.
The entertainment company is now facing calls to cancel an event on Nov. 2, following the disappearance of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 and has not been seen since. The post office reported earlier this week that the Turkish government had told US officials that it had audio and video recordings proving that Khashoggi had been killed while he was inside the consulate.
The Crown Jewel was set to take place in Riyadh next month, as part of a collaboration between WWE and Saudi Arabia. "After WWE's Greatest Royal Rumble at Jiddah in April, it is the second event as part of a long-term partnership between WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," he said. said the WWE in a statement in September.
But this week, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) Told the IJR information site that he "would hope that they rethink their relationship with the kingdom, especially with respect to upcoming events in the coming weeks like [WWE Crown Jewel]. "
One of WWE co-founders, Linda McMahon, now heads the Small Business Administration. Her husband, Vince McMahon, is president of WWE.
Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) Told IJR that "private enterprise is a private enterprise, different from that of a government entity".
"But because [Linda McMahon] is part of the president's cabinet, it is in the gray zone where the administration should really think about it and perhaps even prevent it from doing so, "he said.
Senator Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) Told IJR "there should be a break" in WWE-Saudi relations.
In a statement sent to The Post, WWE said it "was currently monitoring the situation."
The Saudi government has denied Khashoggi's allegations. On Saturday, he issued a statement condemning and denouncing "the false accusations broadcast in the media regarding the Saudi government and other people allegedly related to the disappearance" of the journalist. In an interview published Saturday, President Trump called the alleged killing of Khashoggi "terrible and disgusting" and said that there would be a "severe penalty" for Saudi Arabia if the United States decided of the murder.
WWE would not be the only company to face calls to stand out from Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi's disappearance. As The Post's Jeanne Whalen wrote Friday, "close to a dozen tech, media and entertainment companies have pulled out of a conference on Saudi investment that is going on." this month, bin Salman tried to woo.
But there could be a lot of money involved: Sports Illustrated reported that WWE had won $ 45 million from the Saudi government following the April event in Jeddah.
Read more
The Turks tell the American authorities that they have audio and video recordings that support the conclusion. Khashoggi was killed
Western withdrawal of Saudi conference "Davos in the Desert" on Jamal Khashoggi undermines plans to modernize the kingdom
If Saudi journalist Khashoggi disappears, ominous details could be the message
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