George Barrios explains why WWE stayed tied to Saudi Arabia after Jamal Khashoggi’s murder

Former WWE co‑president George Barrios, in his new memoir Sometimes Wrong but Never in Doubt, recounts the fraught negotiations that led to WWE’s 2018 Saudi deal and the internal debate after Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance and murder. Barrios says he, Vince McMahon and Michelle Wilson weighed the moral and business risks before deciding to proceed with Crown Jewel on November 2, 2018, arguing the deal’s value to WWE amid significant uncertainty about who was responsible.

Barrios notes the company’s stock slid from about $93 to under $70 following the controversy and that WWE’s leadership split in 2020, but the Saudi partnership ultimately expanded to regular shows and a future WrestleMania. His book frames the decision as a difficult corporate call made under ambiguous facts, weighing long‑term corporate interests against immediate backlash.

Originally reported by Wrestling Observer: https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/former-wwe-co-president-explains-why-company-continued-relationship-with-saudi-arabia-after-jamal-khashoggi-murder/.