• Old School WCW Veteran Celebrates His Birthday
Old School WCW Veteran Lizmark Jr. (Real name: Juan Baños) turns 46 today.
The son of Lucha Libre Legend Lizmark wrestled for Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling from May 1997 until he left the promotion in November 1999.
As of 2018, the former CMLL/AAA/NJPW Wrestler still wrestles all over the Mexican independent scene.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZMARK JR.!
• WWE Reacts To Multiple Wrestlers Being Uncomfortable In Performing At WWE Crown Jewel PPV In Saudi Arabia
WWE Crown Jewel could very well be the biggest WWE PPV of 2018 with Shawn Michaels coming out of retirement, but a lot of controversy surrounds this event.
WWE has a 10 year deal with Saudi Arabia and this deal involves big time money. The money offer is so big that WWE made more money from their Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia earlier this year than what they make from WrestleMania.
Also, it is because of this big time money offer that Shawn Michaels is coming out of retirement.
According to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, multiple WWE stars are uncomfortable in performing at next month’s WWE Crown Jewel PPV in Saudi Arabia because of Saudi’s ‘poor record with human rights’.
Wrestlinginc reached out to WWE regarding this matter and WWE issued the following statement:
“As always, we maintain an open line of communication with our performers, as we continue to monitor the situation.”
With journalist Jamal Khashoggi gone missing (allegedly killed by the Saudi government), WWE is receiving a lot of pressure from US politicians to cancel this event.
Independent Journal Review’s Willaim Steakin discussed WWE & Saudi Arabia’s partnership with members of Congress.
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy said the following:
“I’d hope that WWE would be rethinking their relationship with the kingdom especially with respect to events coming up in the next weeks.”
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez said the following:
“Private enterprise is private enterprise, different than a government entity. But because Linda McMahon is part of the president’s cabinet, it falls into the grey area where the administration really should give it some thought and maybe even prevail upon them not doing it.”
To add even more pressure, Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat from Connecticut) joined WCBS News Radio 820 and talked about how WWE should reconsider their business relationship with Saudi Arabia:
“All major private interests should review and relook their relationship with the Saudi Kingdom in light of its continuing pattern of abuse of civil rights and civil liberties, contempt for the rule of law, and bombing in Yemen using the United States military equipment and possible intelligence.
I would hope that WWE will recognize on its own a conscience and conviction if there is proof that Saudi officials approved and ordered this kind of killing, and I would lean first on the United States government to do its duty so that it can lead private interests like WWE, and the first place to look is to the United States of America.”
At first, WWE pulled the WWE Crown Jewel PPV from its events calendar on their website (although the PPV was still under shows section), but WWE has added it back again.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer is now reporting that the WWE Crown Jewel PPV is still on:
WWE says Saudi Arabia show is still on as scheduled.
— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) October 14, 2018
On last night’s RAW, we got even more confirmation regarding this PPV still being scheduled to take place on November 2.
