In a recent interview on TMZ Inside The Ring, award-winning actor and MLW executive producer Paul Walter Hauser issued a critique of WWE’s current ticket pricing, calling the company “greedy.” He also proposed a united front of wrestling promotions to counter-program WrestleMania when the event is held in Saudi Arabia.
Hauser compared WWE’s business practices to the villainous banker from the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life. “Times are tougher than they used to be, but the prices are going up. There’s no real humanity from a corporate perspective,” he said. “To me, that’s like Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life. You’re getting greedy. Ugly. You’re being ugly by doing that.”
He argued that major corporations like WWE could easily do more for their fans but choose not to. “Be a real person, you dick,” he said. “How about you do this? Netflix, how about you give a 30% off coupon for the full year to military veterans. These are things that people can easily do. They choose not to, because they don’t actually give a shit.”
With WrestleMania 43 set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Hauser pitched an idea for the rest of the wrestling world to provide an alternative for American fans. “I would love to see WrestleMania weekend in freaking Riyadh or wherever it is. I would love to see MLW, CMLL, New Japan, AEW, Progress Wrestling, DEFY, GCW, whoever, come together and do a mega show, and sell out a 20,000-30,000-seat place,” he proposed. “If all egos can go away… there’s a lot of big business to be done somewhere.”
WWE’s escalating ticket prices and its partnership with Saudi Arabia have been consistent points of contention among wrestling fans. Hauser, who has become a passionate advocate for independent wrestling through his work with Major League Wrestling, is the latest voice to speak out on the issues.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit TMZ Inside The Ring with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
