WWE Hall of Famer JBL has shared his thoughts on the recent announcement that WrestleMania 43 will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2027. The decision has been met with criticism from the fanbase, but on the latest episode of the “Something To Wrestle With” podcast, JBL strongly defended the move.
He argued that engaging with countries through cultural events like WWE is more effective at promoting positive change than isolation, and he pushed back against those who act as the “moral police” for a global company. JBL first addressed the fan criticism of the decision.
“I can’t judge motives. So I don’t know their motive for why they’re doing it… I don’t know if it’s a selfish motive, as, hey, I just want to be heard. I’m a spoiled brat, or if I really believe this, and that’s my voice speaking out. So I don’t know where they’re coming from. I think it’s misguided. I don’t think, obviously, we’re not the moral police. And you say, Well, you can’t do business with this kind [of] country because of this, this, this, you can list that for pretty much any country, including ours, pretty easily. And so I get people want to have their voice heard. I 100% do not agree with that dissent at all.”
He then elaborated on his belief that engagement, not isolation, leads to positive change, referencing the “This is change” chants from the Saudi Arabian crowd at a previous event.
“When you had women over there for one of the first times in the Middle East countries, the fans, at one point, chanted, ‘This is change.’ And I think that’s important. I think it’s important to work with these countries… When you isolate these countries and don’t deal with them at all, it has shown historically that nothing changes, and all you do is impoverish an entire nation… When you send something like WWE over to Saudi Arabia. I don’t want to overstate what an entertainment company is. I think that’s something that opens up the world. And you see that when you see these kids’ eyes, you see that when you hear the fans chanting, this has changed. You see that when you see women wrestling… Are there a lot of things wrong? Yeah, 100% there are a lot of things wrong. A lot of things are wrong with our country, too. If you’re looking at our country from the outside in, if you’re the moral police, you might want to, not want to do business with us either. I think there’s reasons to do things, and I think what WWE is doing is good.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit AdFreeShows.com with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
