There was a lot of backlash over WWE holding Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia despite there being a serious political tension in the Middle East at the time. It’s evident there will be criticism whenever WWE does shows in Saudi Arabia and now Cody Rhodes has come to the company’s defense.
While speaking to the Boston Herald, Cody Rhodes defended WWE’s decision to hold Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia last month, saying they have a duty to their global fans.
Cody Rhodes addressed how politics gets mixed into everything these days. The American Nightmare said there’s a ‘gotcha culture’ around figuring out who’s a Democrat, Republican, or moderate, but none of that should matter. According to him, their job is to go wherever WWE takes them and try to bring people together.
“I don’t want to be negative, but I will say there is this whole ‘gotcha culture’ over who is a Democrat, who is a Republican, who is a moderate, and who people support. None of these things really should be anybody’s business – because our business is going where our show goes, which is all over the world, and hopefully bringing people together.”
Cody Rhodes also stated that WWE is a non-partisan brand meant to entertain everyone, no matter where they are or what’s happening politically. He mentioned how moving it is to look out at fans in Saudi Arabia and see the same passion he sees in fans back home or in Europe. Rhodes said he feels honored to perform for people everywhere, especially during uncertain times.
“WWE is a non-partisan brand. We go where the show goes. One of the biggest eye-opening moments when you go to Saudi Arabia with WWE is when you look out at the fans… there is such a similarity between those who are hungry for WWE back home and those who are hungry for it in Europe and those who are so hungry for it all over the world. I feel so honored, especially in tumultuous times, to be able to go.”
Several WWE staffers were stuck at Doha Airport in Qatar during the conflict in the Middle East last month. Cody Rhodes gives strong reasons for why WWE travels around the world, but people will likely keep arguing about whether it’s right for WWE to do shows in Saudi Arabia.
WWE is still trying to juggle making lots of money from international deals while dealing with unhappy fans and tricky political issues, so we’ll have to see if fans will change their minds somewhere down the line.
Do you agree with Cody Rhodes that WWE’s role is to entertain fans everywhere, or should they avoid countries with political controversies? Sound off in the comments.
