WWE Paid Ridiculous Settlement To Keep Saudi Arabia Skeletons In Their Closet

WWE has their fair share of controversies, and their dealings with Saudi Arabia is no different. In 2021, WWE settled a lawsuit with investors for $37 million, because they were called out for hiding details about their Saudi Arabian deal. There was a lot more that the company wanted to hide as well.

WWE Superstars were kept in Saudi Arabia for an additional 24 hours after Crown Jewel. There were issues with money and stories of armed guards being present to make sure that the Superstars didn’t leave. All of those reports were denied under the excuse that they were stuck due to mechanical issues.

Dave Meltzer tweeted out to remind fans the lengths that WWE went to keep all of that information from being a part of the public record. In fact, it cost WWE a $37 million settlement.

The WWE paid $37 million to settle a lawsuit to keep that out of Discovery because the plaintiffs had witnesses who were WWE wrestlers who stated that. I probably heard from at least a dozen people on that one. WWE called me multiple times denying it but those there said different.

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It was investigated by dozens of law firms and WWE settled immediately before Discovery for the most money by far they ever settled a case in their history. You can read the suit yourself and think of how quick they made sure it went away.

In case you need a refresher, in 2020, Dave Meltzer spoke about this on Wrestling Observer Radio. At that time, Dave Meltzer revealed information about two undisclosed witnesses who are now involved in a lawsuit. One of them is a WWE Superstar, and the other is an employee of the Saudi Arabian television company.

The identities of these witnesses have been kept secret, and the WWE Superstar testified to confirm the accuracy of the reports made by other individuals. According to the Superstar’s testimony, they witnessed armed military-looking individuals dressed in all black stationed outside the plane, observing the Superstars and preventing them from exiting. This incident occurred just before the WWE Superstars were scheduled to depart. The witness also mentioned being informed by a stewardess in Saudi Arabia that someone seemed to be intentionally hindering their departure from the country. Furthermore, the pilot appeared highly distressed when conveying the message to the Superstars that they were not allowed to leave.

There were allegations made that Mark Carrano stated an argument had taken place between the Saudi Prince and Vince McMahon during the June 7th Super ShowDown event. Reportedly, McMahon decided to cut the live feed, which angered the Crown Prince.

According to some employees, the situation was described as a potential “hostage situation.” To ensure they could return in time for SmackDown, the witness and approximately 12 others took a private chartered flight to Buffalo.

Obviously, WWE was able to settle for a huge payday, and they never saw any more information come out in court. Those stories will remain tucked away as part of pro wrestling legend. Perhaps a Dark Side of the Ring episode will be warranted some day, but nobody’s talking about it right now.

WWE and Saudi Arabia have quite a deal going on, but are you for it at this point? Sound off in the comments!