After reports of a journalist being killed by order of the Saudi Arabian royal court, and amid calls from politicians including Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy to boycott the country, the WWE said it would monitor the situation heading into its Crown Jewel pay-per-view in Riyadh.
If this is true - that the Saudis lured a U.S. resident into their consulate and murdered him - it should represent a fundamental break in our relationship with Saudi Arabia. https://t.co/hgCchEZRtJ
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) October 6, 2018
Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was reportedly killed inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey, leading some WWE fans to question the WWE's new partnership with the country. The Connecticut-based company signed a 10-year deal with the Saudi General Sports Authority for a reported $450 million back in March.
A statement from the WWE read, "We are currently monitoring the situation."
Khashoggi, the former editor of a Saudi newspaper, fled the country last year due to his criticism of the government's war with Yemen. Living in Turkey, Khashoggi became a contributor for the Post and the British newspaper The Guardian before his death.
The Saudi government denied the allegations.
The Greatest Royal Rumble in April was the first show in the deal, which drew its own controversy after female superstars were not allowed to perform. October's WWE Evolution, the first all-women's pay-per-view in the company's history, is said to have been born from the omission of women at the Greatest Royal Rumble.
There also was a controversy surrounding superstar Sami Zayn's absence from the show because of his Syrian descent.
Crown Jewel, which was announced September 17 on an episode of Monday Night RAW, will be headlined by the Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar.
We will update this story if the WWE makes additional comments.
WWE Crown Jewel is set for November 2.
