May 8, 2018 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Fallout from the Greatest Royal Rumble
The most controversial event WWE has ever put on, essentially a paid propaganda piece by the Saudi Arabian government called the Greatest Royal Rumble, took place on 4/27.
It was like no other show in pro wrestling history, as even the closest comparison, a 1995 New Japan show in Pyongyang, North Korea didn’t feature weeks of promotion praising the country and the commentary for the show wasn’t largely praising the forward thinking of the rulers of the country. One can certainly criticize both events or the ruling parties in both countries, let alone the ground rules involved in both shows. But any real comparison ends when comparing the promotion and the commentary of the two events. Both events used pro wrestling to gain publicity for the country and send a message, but only one of the shows featured constant commentary praising the rulers of the country.
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Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.