D-Von Dudley is questioning whether WWE should move forward with Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia while tensions in the region remain a major concern.
While speaking on the Duke Loves Rasslin podcast, D-Von reacted to WWE’s current plan to hold Night of Champions on June 27 in Riyadh. With tensions in the Middle East still causing concern, D-Von said he would personally feel uncomfortable traveling there right now and argued that safety should come before money.
“I definitely feel like the risk isn’t worth it, because if something goes wrong, then what? You have a bunch of Americans coming to Saudi Arabia, and it’s going to be very easy—if Iran knows what’s going on—they might want to make an example out of something.
I’m not going to say—it’s going to be easy—but I don’t know. I just don’t trust it. I don’t trust it at all. Yeah, I don’t trust it. It’s just too much of a risk.”
D-Von Dudley said he is praying for the WWE talent who may have to travel, adding that some people may not feel safe going under the current circumstances: “I mean, I just pray for those guys over there. I know some people are probably going to say no—they don’t feel safe.”
He also recalled a past WWE situation where talent felt uncomfortable traveling due to safety concerns. According to D-Von, Vince McMahon held a meeting and told wrestlers there would be no backlash if they chose not to go.
“And Vince was like, ‘Alright, well fine—if you don’t want to go, you don’t go.’ He wasn’t upset with them at all about it. It was something along the lines of guys not feeling safe going somewhere, and Vince had a meeting and said, ‘Okay, if you don’t feel safe, there’s no heat or anything like that. It is what it is.’ And there were no repercussions for those guys that didn’t go.”
D-Von then addressed WWE still discussing plans for the Saudi Arabia premium live event and said the company needs to seriously consider the families of the talent involved.
“They’re still talking about going to Saudi Arabia to do this—what is it? A pay-per-view? Yeah, a PLE. Yes, sir.
Yeah, man, that’s crazy. Especially when you think about it—these guys have families. You’re taking a risk. Whether the risk is zero or not, you’re still taking a risk.”
D-Von made his stance clear, saying he does not believe WWE should be going near Saudi Arabia right now and that it’s ultimately a crazy decision.
“I just don’t think so, man. I don’t really think we should go anywhere near that place right now. I really don’t. I just think right now—it’s crazy. We have to really think about things when it comes to stuff like that.”
His comments come after Nick Khan addressed the matter during a TKO town hall meeting. Khan told staff that WWE is monitoring the situation closely and will only move forward if the company believes it is safe: “We’re only going if it’s safe or if we’re allowed there.” Khan also explained that WWE is working with internal security teams and outside government contacts while evaluating whether U.S. citizens can safely travel to the region.
“We are monitoring with our heads of security internally and with our government affairs folks externally, the situation there. If U.S. citizens are allowed in at this moment in time, it is declared and deemed safe, we’ll all be going there. Saudi is deeply desirous of getting WWE back there and getting events restarted, especially those that come from the United States.”
For now, WWE is still moving forward with Night of Champions in Riyadh, but D-Von Dudley’s comments put a spotlight on the biggest question surrounding the show: whether the event is worth the risk if talent or staff feel uneasy about traveling.
Do you agree with D-Von Dudley’s concerns about WWE going to Saudi Arabia for Night of Champions? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
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