WWE Superstars angry at Vince McMahon over Saudi Arabia flight delay

The WWE Crown Jewel pay-per-view event took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last Thursday with much success. However, the aftermath of the PPV has agitated many WWE Superstars. Many of them were supposed to fly out of the country after the show ended but were stuck in the Middle East country after their plane had 'mechanical issues', according to American media reports. But there seems to be more than what meets the eye.

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A Dispute between Vince McMahon and the King of Saudi

In 2018, WWE inked a ten-year deal with the Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia to bring WWE events to the country in exchange for a great amount of money. The strategic deal led to the Greatest Royal Rumble happening in the country before the Crown Jewel happened for the first time in late 2018. During last Thursday's Crown Jewel event, WWE's CEO Vince McMahon had reportedly ordered the broadcast in Saudi Arabia to shut off in the middle of its run. This was done because the Saudi Arabia government is said to owe WWE a massive amount, which ranges from $300 million to $500 million. Reportedly, this is the money which is to be paid for the last two events the WWE has hosted there. This controversy made the Saudi Arabia government act in retaliation as it has been accused of withholding the Superstars' flights for over 24 hours by falsely citing 'mechanical issues.' This delay added a lot of added pressure on the stars, who had to make it to the USA in time for Friday Night's SmackDown show.

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Superstars 'lost respect' for Vince McMahon

American media reports also claim that as soon as Crown Jewel ended, McMahon left the country in a private jet along with Kevin Dunn. Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman and Tyson Fury were among the few others to leave the country quickly since they possess private jets. Other WWE superstars were detained in the country after they were told of a 'reported' mechanical failure in their plane. They were accommodated in a hotel with little explanation, which angered many of the talents.

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Superstars have accused Vince McMahon of being selfish as he left the country as soon as possible, expecting retaliation by the Saudi Prince for the feed being cut off. The talent felt like it was caught in-between the McMahon-Saudi crossfire. It will be interesting to see if superstars will participate in the next Saudi Arabia event and more importantly, will another Crown Jewel event happen?

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