The announcement tomorrow’s Crown Jewel show will feature the first ever women’s pro wrestling match in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia obviously doesn’t address all the issues many of us have with WWE’s partnership with the country. The government led by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is still a regime with an atrocious human rights record, which was rebuked by the United Nations Human Rights Council earlier this year for, among other things, the continued detention of scores of women activists for merely “exercising their fundamental freedoms.”
But the addition of Natalya vs. Lacey Evans to the Oct. 31 card in Riyadh is a big deal, and WWE officials like Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon are understandably taking a bit of a victory lap over their latest historic achievement.
Stephanie was interviewed by Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden about the news, and revealed why WWE went with Nattie & Evans instead of their current Women’s champions Becky Lynch & Bayley, or bigger stars like Sasha Banks & Charlotte Flair:
“Natayla is somewhat of a legend in the women’s division. She is the veteran. She has been here for so long, been a part of so many of the changes that have happened. When you consider her legacy and family history, it’s pretty remarkable.
You take Lacey Evans, who is fairly new on the scene but who has not been shy about sharing her perspective on overcoming, especially in her life and the things she’s been through. She has a young daughter and she wants to set an example and pave the way not only for her daughter but boys and girls all around the world. That’s their personal stories.
I can’t think of better representatives for WWE. You can go on their social media. They’ve made some pretty awesome statements. Lacey Evans said ‘I never thought I’d have the opportunities to do the things I’ve done with WWE. Tomorrow I get to show my little girl that hard work can bring you to history-making heights. I’m ready for this.’”
Last year’s Crown Jewel show was counterbalanced by WWE’s first ever all women’s PPV, Evolution. McMahon spoke about why the company opted not to produce another version of that event in 2019:
“We did consider it. A lot of our focus has been on having this particular match as a part of this PPV in Saudi Arabia. More to come on Evolution but it’s most likely not going to happen in 2019.”
Check out Steph’s entire chat with Bleacher Report - which also features some insight into what Lacey & Nattie will wear for their match at King Fahd International Stadium, her thoughts on how this vindicates WWE’s decision to do business with the KSA, and more - here.