JBL Comments On Saudia Arabia Controversy

JBL recently appeared on Busted Open Radio and gave his opinion on the ongoing controversy surrounding WWE running the Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia following the country's government alleged involvement in the disappearance and suspected murder of journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. View the video and comments below.

Promoting Change In Saudi Arabia:

 “You look at something like Russia or you look at something like China where you actually allow free markets to go in. And you haven’t seen the change that we, in the western world, would probably like. You still have a bit of a dictatorship, some people would say more than a bit of a dictatorship, in Russia and in China. But you’re seeing change come there and Saudi Arabia. I think staying away from Saudi Arabia, there [are]macroeconomic reasons to not stay away from Saudi Arabia, huge macroeconomic reasons right now in the world. But to me, as far as if you want to do something to promote change, you allow business and free markets to go in there.”

The Power Of Sports:

“You want to get something changed, you send sport. Look what happened when Pee Wee Reese puts his arm around Jackie Robinson. That did more for racial relations in the United States through sport. That’s one of the reasons I would take WWE away from Saudi Arabia. And people say, ‘ah, they’re just trying to make money.’ They’re a business. They should try to make money. But, to me, the greater good is you go over there and you show people that it’s okay to be from different backgrounds. It’s okay to be a woman and compete. They’re not competing in Saudi Arabia yet. I think they will and I think it’s a right step forward. And I think that’s why it’s so important that sport… sport changes the world, man. Once you line up beside somebody in sport, you don’t care what color they are, what ethnicity they are, what orientation they are. It doesn’t matter.”