• “You’re not gonna change how society looks at women in these countries” – AEW Star On Bianca Belair’s Saudi Arabia Praise
WWE will host the first ever WrestleMania outside of North America in 2027 as the Show Of Shows heads to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
At the announcement event in Las Vegas, Bianca Belair was one of the names that accompanied WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H. She said that Saudi Arabia has become a space specifically for women to make amazing moments. She added that she sees the country evolve every time she goes there, and is proud to be a part of the progress and change happening.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, AEW’s Thunder Rosa said that while the female wrestlers competing at the shows in Saudi Arabia are making history, it’s not going to do much for the women of the country.
“They give them money. We’re gonna give you a show. That’s it. The stakeholders are calling the shots. And you have to go for what they tell you to do, otherwise you’re not gonna eat. This is part of your job.
Bianca, you are absolutely right, the women that are participating in these shows are making history because seven years ago they couldn’t participate, but again, it’s like – you’re not gonna change how society looks at women in these countries. This is part of historical religions and everything else.”
The announcement of WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia sparked backlash from a section of fans due to the country’s history of human rights violations, restrictions on women’s rights and limited freedom of expression. At the start of WWE’s deal with Saudi Arabia in 2018, women weren’t allowed to compete there, but that changed over the years.
• Rob Van Dam Refuses To Apologize For His Comments About The Raja Jackson Incident
Rob Van Dam pushed back hard against criticism after his comments regarding the Raja Jackson – Syko Stu incident drew online outrage. RVD made it clear he has no plans to apologize, instead calling his critics “simple-minded” and labeling much of the response as typical cyberbullying.
On TMZ’s Inside The Ring podcast, RVD argued that people were overreacting, accusing critics of misunderstanding his opinion. He said while Jackson went too far, he doesn’t believe Jackson intended to commit murder.
He also challenged what he sees as the toxicity inside certain sections of wrestling fandom. According to RVD, these critics act like they own the narrative and attack anyone who offers a different interpretation. He joked that many of his critics aren’t even “real people,” in his view, because they hide behind screens rather than confronting him in person.
Even though the backlash was strong, RVD seems firm in his stance. He insists he’s not sorry, and feels justified in offering what he considers a nuanced take on what happened – even if that means taking heat from fans who say he’s defending unacceptable behavior.
Also Read: “He should go to jail” – Rob Van Dam Says Both Syko Stu & Raja Jackson Were Set Up
• Ronda Rousey Has High Praise For Shield Member
Ronda Rousey made her pro wrestling debut with WWE in 2018, where she had two runs with the company before parting ways in 2023. The Baddest Woman On The Planet had her final match against her friend Shayna Baszler at SummerSlam 2023.
According to the Wrestling Observer, some people in AEW believe that the UFC Hall of Famer could sign with Tony Khan’s promotion after she praised Jon Moxley (WWE’s Shield member Dean Ambrose) in a recent interview.
Rousey credited the former AEW World Champion for helping her close friend Marina Shafir. Here’s what she said during an interview with Yahoo Sports:
“Going from being like, ‘How do I do an arm drag,’ to being part of five-star matches and stuff like that, it’s really great to see her just having so much joy with it and rising to the top level of the industry.
I think so much has to do with Jon Moxley being the most incredible human being ever. He is just so supportive and so kind and so passionate.
He’s just so humble and I feel like so much of that success stems from his talent – and not just his talent, but his willingness and passion to give back and to bring up everybody with him and have his rising tide lift all of their boats. And I’m so grateful for him and the kind of friend that he’s been to Marina.
(People like Moxley) are the real lifeblood of the industry. And I hope that continues and that it’s encouraged, and that it’s not like some cutthroat, ‘me versus you’ kind of environment.
It’s the culture and the giving back to each other and the constant hands helping each other up – that is what makes it continue to be great. And will continue to make pro-wrestling rise in cultural awareness.”
Despite the speculation, the former WWE Women’s Champion recently stated that she is done with pro wrestling. She was also reportedly unhappy with how things were handled during her brief involvement with ROH in 2023.
Rousey and Shafir were booked to face Athena and Billie Starkz at a Pro Wrestling Revolver show on November 16, 2023. Tony Khan initially did not want to approve the match as it was scheduled the day before the ROH tapings in Los Angeles, where the same match would also take place.
Jon Moxley reportedly helped smooth things over between Khan and Rousey, allowing the match to happen at the Pro Wrestling Revolver show before running it back at the ROH tapings. Rousey was said to be unhappy with how the situation was handled.
