JBL Pushes Back On Idea That Vince McMahon Would've Rescheduled WWE Crown Jewel 2026

JBL has rejected claims that Vince McMahon wouldn't have asked WWE wrestlers to perform in Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing conflict.

WWE and TKO executives have faced criticism from fans for putting their wrestlers in danger by asking them to perform in Saudi Arabia while bombs rain down in the region. Some fans have argued that former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon would have cared more about his talent than the current management, an opinion WWE Hall of Famer JBL flatly rejected, pointing out that McMahon had actually sent them into war zones.

"You know, I saw a tweet the other day about somebody saying, 'Oh, how dare they send the guys into a war zone? Vince would never do that.' That literally was the tweet. He sent us into actual war zones. I mean, actual legit, legit war zones," said JBL on "Something to Wrestle." 

When McMahon was in charge of WWE, he sent its wrestlers to Iraq and Afghanistan during the wars in those countries in the 2000s. The conflict in Saudi Arabia forced the country to move Crown Jewel to a different venue, and the show went off without a hitch, with WWE's stars and employees returning back safely. 

Some in WWE weren't too keen to travel to the country for the show, with reports claiming that former WWE World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER was one of them, as he requested to not be added to the card. His match with Finn Balor was reportedly planned for the show but later delayed. 

Not everyone at TKO, WWE's parent company, is happy with its relationship with the Saudi Arabian government, with some claiming that it's a partnership driven by greed and that they aren't being treated fairly. WWE's partnership with Saudi Arabia is unlikely to end anytime soon, with the company set to return to the country next year for WrestleMania 43 in April.