HBO's 'Last Week Tonight' follows up on WWE-Saudi Arabia

[cero2k]

Source: f4wonline.com

For the second straight week, HBO's "Last Week Tonight" with John Oliver covered WWE's relationship with Saudi Arabia.

While talking about Crown Jewel being held in Saudi Arabia this Friday, Oliver mentioned reports that John Cena won't be wrestling on the show and played a clip of The Undertaker's promo from SmackDown 1000. The crowd went from chanting for Undertaker to booing when he said "Crown Jewel."

"I think the WWE itself just turned heel," Oliver said. "Do you know how clearly deeply bad something has to be to get wrestling fans to boo a wrestling event at a wrestling event?"

Oliver said WWE was pushing ahead with Crown Jewel despite the serious concerns of some of their wrestlers and own fan base. A parody video of what Oliver said WWE's marketing should be then aired, advertising that no women's wrestlers would be there, that Cena would be on the show if he's willing to take a major PR hit, and ended with "If you care about human rights, WWE's got two words for you -- suck it."

[Bob-O]

"I think the WWE itself just turned heel," Oliver said. "Do you know how clearly deeply bad something has to be to get wrestling fans to boo a wrestling event at a wrestling event?"

John Oliver doesn't know wrestling fans very well...

But I watched the segment, and this quote got me thinking...

WWE SHOULD just TURN HEEL! Bring back the NWO, and have THEM host wrestling events in Saudi Arabia for the next 9 years. Sure, WWE guys will be on the show, but Vince and the brand keep their hands clean! "Yeah! Yeah, I know! It's awful what's going on over there... I had no idea we were still going, DAMN THAT NWO! Maybe the Prince can help me out with that thorn in my side..."

Then, they can drop all the "progress" propaganda, and have Kevin Nash handle ALL pr work...

"Are we going? Of course we're going! Lemme get this strait... somebody offers you $100,000 for one night's work and you wouldn't take the job? C'mon... I'd work Nazi Germany for half that, and anyone that says they wouldn't is full of shit... what's that? Who? Oh, FUCK John Cena. I was selling out THE GARDEN, paving the way for guys like him, while he was busy pretending to be a robot. Guys like him wouldn't be able to pull moves like that if it weren't for me and Scott, and everyone knows it. So, be all high and mighty, but when somebody wants to pay me to call off the show we'll call off the show. Until then... THE NWO WILL BE TAKING OVER Saudi Arabia.... no, wait...... shit...... can we edit that last bit... can you do that? I don't want them taking that literally..."

I mean... look at Mayor Kane! Honesty gets you a long way here! "Hey Mayor! You still doin' that Saudi Show even though it might be career suicide?" Kane's answer was essentially "I most certainly am! WWE's donating 100k to the city, that's a lot of money. I'm going." and people seem to be OK with that. It's OK to make things about money! Morally, not so much, but when you put a dollar amount in front of the morally questionable decision, as long as you admit it's about the money people don't hold it against you. It doesn't make it OK, but people get it.

[Big Red Machine]

Then, they can drop all the "progress" propaganda, and have Kevin Nash handle ALL pr work...

"Are we going? Of course we're going! Lemme get this strait... somebody offers you $100,000 for one night's work and you wouldn't take the job? C'mon... I'd work Nazi Germany for half that, and anyone that says they wouldn't is full of shit... what's that? Who? Oh, FUCK John Cena. I was selling out THE GARDEN, paving the way for guys like him, while he was busy pretending to be a robot. Guys like him wouldn't be able to pull moves like that if it weren't for me and Scott, and everyone knows it.

This is a scarily believable quote. Do you have some inside connection to Big Daddy Cool, Bob-O?

[Bob-O]

This is a scarily believable quote. Do you have some inside connection to Big Daddy Cool, Bob-O?

No, but I've listened to a shoot interview or two or morethanIcaretoadmit...

[cero2k]

I just read NWO and 9 years and immediately closed the tab

[Bob-O]

I just read NWO and 9 years and immediately closed the tab

Haha! No! You're overreacting! They'll only come around for the Saudi shows and Wrestlemania, like Lesnar and Cena Shawn Micheals!.

Don't pretend Hogan vs Triple H to rid us of the NWO for good wouldn't be every American's dream match in 2028...

Just think of the NWO cameos we could get in that time! We haven't seen Ed Leslie in forever! Buff Bagwell, Stevie Ray, Virgil... hell, Honky Tonk Man could be NWO if that's how the prince remembers it! The years would fly by!

[KILLdozer]

I mean the biggest difference maker here is...does WWE actually REALLY NEED ANOTHER 100K? Like you talk about the money being offered and of course taken...but there's no *rock and a hard place, I really want to but can't turn that amount down because my family could benefit so much from something like that....I just don't know what else to do, but say yes even though I hate myself for it!*

This is the international and global titan that wouldn't even really notice such a figure like that if they were take a stand and say no and pass it up. That's the real bottom line on this whole entire thing I'll say.

[Bob-O]

I mean the biggest difference maker here is...does WWE actually REALLY NEED ANOTHER 100K? Like you talk about the money being offered and of course taken...but there's no *rock and a hard place, I really want to but can't turn that amount down because my family could benefit so much from something like that....I just don't know what else to do, but say yes even though I hate myself for it!*

This is the international and global titan that wouldn't even really notice such a figure like that if they were take a stand and say no and pass it up. That's the real bottom line on this whole entire thing I'll say.

You're not wrong at all, I actually completely agree with you.

But from where Vince stands, yes... he's already made, but he's also in the process of expanding further into Brittain, he's "growing" his roster signing every big indy name he can get his hands on, as well as re-launching the XFL next year, which is going to lose money for at least a few years if it ever makes any.

WWE gets guaranteed money by honoring the Saudi contract. Nobody is going to step in and say "I'll cover the losses Vince, don't do it!". He's got nothing to lose if he goes. He'll get torn apart on shows like this, but his target fanbase likely isn't watching shows like this, so the reward for a little bad press is going to outweigh the profit loss and inconvienence of canceling the show or the whole deal.

He's a businessman. He's spending money he doesn't have yet, and while WWE isn't going to close up shot if the Saudi deal falls apart, it'd be seen as stepping back by a guy who's in a full steam ahead mindset. It's the same mindset that's had Roman Reigns shoved down our throats for ever. He was going to be "the guy", and that was that. Accepting defeat (another thing Vince doesn't do) wasn't an option here.

So, like I said above up there, jokes aside, it's a morally awful - but from a business standpoint it's completely understandable. What I'm trying to say is that I think they'd get far less crap for going if they were just honest about it (like Mayor Kane). Quit with the propaganda and the ushering change and all that crap and just say "Hey, we signed a 10 year deal with them. We understand the situation over there, but we stand to lose $xxx,xxx.xx if we pull out, so we've decided to honor the contract." THEN play your feel good propaganda, but at least you've made it clear that it's about the money.

The fact they're still going might be fueling the bad press, but it's the bullshit around it from WWE's end that's shoveling the coal.

[Big Red Machine]

You'd think there would be some sort of spin coming from WWE about the great Saudi WWE fans and how it would be unfair to punish them by taking away their rare opportunity to see WWE live for something they did not do.

[cero2k]

You'd think there would be some sort of spin coming from WWE about the great Saudi WWE fans and how it would be unfair to punish them by taking away their rare opportunity to see WWE live for something they did not do.

they may during the show, but right now i think no one would eat that stuff up.

[Bob-O]

In support of my Saudi NWO concept, if they brought back HOLLYWOOD Hogan to be the ambassador of these things, they wouldn't have to keep firing him every few years. Every time a new piece of racist footage or porn leaks out, instead of cutting ties they could just save time and money with "Welp... wha'dya expect!? NWO Scum... amirite?"