The Saudi Arabia deal eventually became one of the richest agreements in WWE history, but George Barrios says there was a moment when Vince McMahon wasn’t sure it would survive at all.
Speaking on the POST Wrestling podcast, the former WWE executive opened up about the tense discussions happening behind closed doors after journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed while WWE was trying to finalize its Saudi Arabia partnership.
According to Barrios, the entire situation changed overnight.What had started as a major international business opportunity suddenly became a controversy that put WWE under a global spotlight.Barrios said Vince understood exactly how serious things had become.
“As we’re talking about doing this deal, the Khashoggi is killed. And so that now creates this different context. And internally, it becomes a difficult decision. I remember Vince, you know, looking Michelle and I, it was late one night, looking us in the eye and saying, you know, ‘This is the most difficult decision I’ve ever made. I feel like I’m, you know, like we could be, you know, betting the company.’”
Barrios explained that WWE spent a lot of time debating whether moving forward was the right call. The company had to weigh public perception, long-term business interests, and whether continuing would damage WWE’s reputation. At the same time, negotiations were still moving forward. In one of the crazier stories from the interview, Barrios revealed that after a WWE earnings call, he jumped on a private jet and flew to Riyadh to finish the deal.
“We had an earnings call the next day. So this is midnight. We got an earnings call next day at 11:00. Usually, we’re preparing for that, not having this conversation, but that’s what we did. Got the earnings call. And yeah, to your point, I got on a G6, I think it was, after the earnings call and flew to Riyadh. And that even the side, the negotiation there in Riyadh had its own kind of theatrical elements, but it was one of the most interesting times in my career. Certainly the most interesting negotiation I’d done up to that point.”
Barrios said Saudi Arabia became interested in WWE because the company had become one of the biggest digital properties in the world, especially on YouTube.
“The opportunity in KSA comes to us, right? Cuz we’re now doing so well, number one sports property in the world on digital, including YouTube. And at that point in time, KSA was the number one consumer of YouTube per capita in the world. That’s where they got their content. That’s what built the opportunity there.”
Years later, WWE’s Saudi Arabia partnership remains one of the most debated business moves in company history. Based on Barrios’ account, nobody inside WWE was treating the decision lightly at the time. The deal went through. The company survived. But according to Barrios, there was a point where Vince McMahon genuinely believed WWE could be risking everything.
What do you think about Vince McMahon saying the Saudi Arabia deal felt like WWE was betting the company? Let us know in the comments and share your feedback below.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
