– Outside of wrestling, there have been growing problems in areas around the Middle East. Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist and Saudi national, disappeared from the Saudi consulate in Turkey on October 2. Khashoggi is presumed dead in a kidnapping that went wrong and it has caused a uproar in the United States. President Donald Trump suggested that the Saudi government was responsible for Khashoggi’s death and this could lead to sanctions being placed.
WWE signed a 10 year deal with Saudi Arabia that would see the promotion host several major events from the Middle East. Following the Greatest Royal Rumble earlier in the year, Crown Jewel is the next stop on November 2. As of now, the show is still a go but WWE released the following statement about matters going on around the world: “We are currently monitoring the situation.”
WWE has invested lots into Crown Jewel; even finding out a way to end Shawn Michaels retirement as he teams with Triple H to take on Undertaker & Kane. Another high profile match confirmed is WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan, which is a dream encounter.
With about three weeks until Crown Jewel, it will be investing to see how WWE handles the situation. Worst case scenario is they drop the show, but they will probably wait to see if the United States government makes any sanctions. This has the potential be a major story, so stay tuned.
– After lots of false starts, WWE is ready to air their NXT UK brand. The new series will begin airing next Wednesday, October 17 at 3 PM EST.
The one hour show will be called by Nigel McGuinness and Vic Joseph as Johnny Saint will be the general manager. Each episode will air for an hour.
Below is WWE’s official announcement on the arrival of NXT UK.
NXT UK™ TO STREAM ON WWE® NETWORK
LONDON, England and STAMFORD, Conn., October 11, 2018 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that NXT UK, a new weekly episodic series featuring the greatest male and female competitors from the UK, will stream on WWE Network on Wednesdays beginning October 17 at 8 pm BT/3 pm ET.
The one-hour episodes will feature the biggest names from NXT UK, including Pete Dunne, Mark Andrews, Rhea Ripley, Toni Storm, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven and Wolfgang. Joining the NXT UK broadcasting team as backstage interviewer is British broadcasting personality Radzi Chinyanganya, best known for hosting ITV gameshow Cannonball, and in his ongoing role as a presenter of the world’s longest-running children’s TV show, the BBC’s Blue Peter. Calling the action are commentators Nigel McGuinness and Vic Joseph, joined by ring announcer Andy Shepherd and NXT UK General Manager The Legendary Johnny Saint.
“NXT UK is the next step in our global localization strategy, and we are proud to do this in a place where WWE has had a special relationship for more than 30 years,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative.
WWE Network is the home of NXT UK plus all WWE live pay-per-view events – including WrestleMania® – for $9.99 per month. WWE Network also includes groundbreaking original programming, reality shows, documentaries, classic matches and more than 10,000 hours of video on demand.
Upcoming live events for NXT UK take place in Plymouth and Liverpool on the following dates:
* Saturday, Oct. 13 and Sunday, Oct. 14, at Plymouth Pavilions
* Saturday, Nov. 24 and Sunday, Nov. 25, at Liverpool OlympiaTickets for these events are available via www.livenation.co.uk. Further information is available at www.wwe.com/events.
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