Opinion
The Greatest Royal Rumble and the Issue of Women Competing in the Middle East
So, the Greatest Royal Rumble has been announced and it sounds like a great card, but one of the things that was noticed immediately was that there were no Women’s Division matches, there seemed to be confusion and outrage over this because Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss had wrestled in Abu Dhabi to great acclaim, marking the first time the the WWE Women’s Division had been allowed to have a match in the Middle East. So, why aren’t they being allowed to work at the Greatest Royal Rumble? Well, the answer is a little complicated, and it has nothing to do how good or bad the Women’s Royal Rumble was back in January.
It’s important to understand that the Middle East, though predominantly Muslim, is a diverse region. Each country has its own history, culture, traditions, and its own position on women’s place in society.
Most countries in the Middle East do allow women to compete in sports of some kind, usually soccer/football, sometimes basketball, and track and field, though it varies from country to country. Several countries send teams to the Olympics that include women, Iran recently started doing this, the flagbearer for the Iran 2018 Winter Olympics team was a woman. Though I will admit that how much they are actually encouraged to participate in sports is a bigger question.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the region that does not outright allow women to compete in sports. Girls are allowed access to sports in private schools, but not in public schools. Women have been allowed to compete in the Olympics. Jeddah, where The Greatest Royal Rumble is being staged has started up a running collective for women and a basketball team, that a few other cities have joined in, and a department for women’s sports has been started and is headed by a female member of the royal family.However, Saudi Arabia is the most conservative country in the region, and it considers itself the bastion of the faith. It is also important to understand that while most women in Saudi Arabia do NOT consider themselves oppressed, changes are being made to give them more rights, though the changes have been way too slow for activists in and out of the kingdom.
So, why were Sasha and Alexa allowed to compete in Abu Dhabi? Abu Dhabi is in the United Arab Emirates, which is a conservative country, but Abu Dhabi is a little more tolerant, and invited them to compete. In order to do so, they were required to wear bodysuits that covered them from their collarbones to their ankles and down to their wrists. There was some controversy among American fans about this, but the pay off was that, not only was the match great, the crowd loved it. According to Stephanie and other people who were there, the crowd was chanting ‘This is hope’ during the match. It is also important to remember that Sasha and Alexa willingly complied with the request and were thrilled to be given that opportunity.
Which brings us back to the situation in Saudi Arabia with the women not being allowed to compete. No, they can’t compete…yet, and yes, it sucks, BUT women have started being allowed into sports stadiums in Saudi Arabia and Jeddah is a little more permissive than, say, Riyadh, the capital. Think about this, if women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to see this live, it could start a conversation and lead to a day where women are allowed to compete in Saudi Arabia.
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Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
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Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
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