US Senators Asking WWE to Delay Upcoming Saudi Arabia Event

Three weeks away from WWE's second Saudi Arabian event, Senators are asking the company to hold off in the wake of murder accusations against the Saudi government.

After Washington Post journalist and United States resident Jamal Khashoggi went missing after visiting the Saudi consulate, reports began to circulate that he was assassinated on the order of Saudi officials. Though denied by Saudi officials, with the fate of Khashoggi uncertain, US Senators are calling for WWE to hold off on of their planned event in Saudi Arabia, WWE Crown Jewel, and re-evaluate their relationship with the country.

Sen. Chris Murphy from Conneticutt, home of WWE's headquarters, told IJR.com,

This is a brazen assault on the freedom of the press and a slap in the face to the United States, if this murder occurred as it seems it did.

I’d hope that [WWE] would be rethinking their relationship with the kingdom especially with respect to events coming up in the next weeks like [WWE Crown Jewel].

This isn't the first time WWE has been criticized for holding an event in Saudi Arabia. When putting on 'The Greatest Royal Rumble' in Riyadh last April, WWE was slammed for holding such an event in a place that would prevent the female members of their roster from appearing due to the country's views on women. In response, WWE's COO Paul 'Triple H' Levesque said,

I understand that people are questioning it, but you have to understand that every culture is different and just because you don’t agree with a certain aspect of it, it doesn’t mean it’s not a relevant culture.

Some senators, such as Bob Menendez from New Jersey, have even raised the possibility of President Trump getting involved with asking WWE to cancel the event as Linda McMahon, former WWE President and CEO and Vince McMahon's wife, is a member of Trump's cabinet in the Small Business Administration.