George Barrios has shed new light on the internal discussions that took place within WWE as the company weighed whether to continue its business relationship with Saudi Arabia following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
WWE’s partnership with Saudi Arabia began that year under a landmark ten year agreement, with the first event, Greatest Royal Rumble, taking place in April. However, plans for a return event later that year were thrown into uncertainty after Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Turkey in October and never emerged. The CIA later concluded that the journalist had been killed on the orders of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
While WWE temporarily halted ticket sales for Crown Jewel amid the growing controversy, the company ultimately proceeded with the event as scheduled.
In his new book, Sometimes Wrong but Never in Doubt: How a Cuban Kid from Queens Transformed WWE, former WWE co-President George Barrios reflected on the tense period and revealed the conversations taking place behind closed doors as the company debated its next move.
“Our negotiations dragged on because the Saudis are notorious hagglers. By 2018, despite having made great progress, we were struggling to get the deal over the finish line. Complicating matters was the disappearance of Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
“As outraged as I was by what happened, I still defy anyone to argue they understand who was truly at fault. All I know is that on our end, Khashoggi’s disappearance called into question our deal with the Saudis.
“Vince (McMahon), Michelle (Wilson), and I spent a great deal of time debating the pros and cons of moving forward. Vince in particular was deeply uncomfortable with the uncertainty surrounding the events.
“In my opinion, we couldn’t walk out on the deal. It was too worthwhile for WWE. But Vince kept shaking his head. ‘This thing with Khashoggi. Doing the deal could be the biggest risk we’ve ever taken with the company.’
“‘Vince, listen to me’, I said. ‘I understand how serious this is. But no one really knows what’s going on.’”
Barrios explained that the controversy forced WWE leadership to carefully examine both the reputational and financial implications of continuing with the agreement. According to his account, Vince McMahon expressed significant concerns about the uncertainty surrounding the situation, while company executives weighed whether backing away from the deal was a realistic option.
Michelle Wilson, who served alongside Barrios as WWE co-President, remained part of those discussions. Both executives departed the company in January 2020 but later returned as members of WWE’s board of directors in January 2023.
Barrios is currently one of the defendants in the ongoing WWE shareholder lawsuit, with proceedings set to begin this week in the Delaware Court of Chancery.
