Eric Bischoff Details An Issue He Has With WWE's Saudi Shows

WWE's Saudi Arabia pay-per-views have been a controversial topic over the years for a variety of reasons, especially after a flight was delayed following Crown Jewel 2019, leaving stars feeling deserted. Eric Bischoff, meanwhile, believes that shows held in the country are disruptive to WWE's creative process, as he explained on "83 Weeks."

"[A]nother layer, which I've seen consistently since Saudi started becoming [a thing] — the creative leading to it just doesn't seem to have the same pizazz. It's just not quite as compelling; still compelling, but it doesn't feel as focused."

The WWE Hall of Famer noted that adjustments have often been made to satisfy the Saudi parties, which dates back to his own WWE stint in 2019. "I was never part of the conversation, but led to believe from people who were — Vince [McMahon] for one, and others — that the Saudi's had a particular wish list as well." He also recalled how top stars at the time opted out of the events, hindering storylines in the process. 

Saudi officials are known to have input on who competes at the shows, and Bischoff believes Logan Paul has likely become a requested star — which is why he headlined King and Queen of the Ring with Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. According to Bischoff, Paul's presence will result in lucrative deals for everyone involved. 

"If you take your wrestling hat off, especially wrestling fan hat, and put on your business hat, there's probably a list of reasons why this [Rhodes vs. Paul] makes so much sense."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "83 Weeks" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.