Opinion
The Greatest Royal Rumble and the Issue of Women Competing in the Middle East
So, the Greatest Royal Rumble has been announced and it sounds like a great card, but one of the things that was noticed immediately was that there were no Women’s Division matches, there seemed to be confusion and outrage over this because Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss had wrestled in Abu Dhabi to great acclaim, marking the first time the the WWE Women’s Division had been allowed to have a match in the Middle East. So, why aren’t they being allowed to work at the Greatest Royal Rumble? Well, the answer is a little complicated, and it has nothing to do how good or bad the Women’s Royal Rumble was back in January.
It’s important to understand that the Middle East, though predominantly Muslim, is a diverse region. Each country has its own history, culture, traditions, and its own position on women’s place in society.
Most countries in the Middle East do allow women to compete in sports of some kind, usually soccer/football, sometimes basketball, and track and field, though it varies from country to country. Several countries send teams to the Olympics that include women, Iran recently started doing this, the flagbearer for the Iran 2018 Winter Olympics team was a woman. Though I will admit that how much they are actually encouraged to participate in sports is a bigger question.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the region that does not outright allow women to compete in sports. Girls are allowed access to sports in private schools, but not in public schools. Women have been allowed to compete in the Olympics. Jeddah, where The Greatest Royal Rumble is being staged has started up a running collective for women and a basketball team, that a few other cities have joined in, and a department for women’s sports has been started and is headed by a female member of the royal family.However, Saudi Arabia is the most conservative country in the region, and it considers itself the bastion of the faith. It is also important to understand that while most women in Saudi Arabia do NOT consider themselves oppressed, changes are being made to give them more rights, though the changes have been way too slow for activists in and out of the kingdom.
So, why were Sasha and Alexa allowed to compete in Abu Dhabi? Abu Dhabi is in the United Arab Emirates, which is a conservative country, but Abu Dhabi is a little more tolerant, and invited them to compete. In order to do so, they were required to wear bodysuits that covered them from their collarbones to their ankles and down to their wrists. There was some controversy among American fans about this, but the pay off was that, not only was the match great, the crowd loved it. According to Stephanie and other people who were there, the crowd was chanting ‘This is hope’ during the match. It is also important to remember that Sasha and Alexa willingly complied with the request and were thrilled to be given that opportunity.
Which brings us back to the situation in Saudi Arabia with the women not being allowed to compete. No, they can’t compete…yet, and yes, it sucks, BUT women have started being allowed into sports stadiums in Saudi Arabia and Jeddah is a little more permissive than, say, Riyadh, the capital. Think about this, if women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to see this live, it could start a conversation and lead to a day where women are allowed to compete in Saudi Arabia.
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Opinion
Chris King: Is Brock Lesnar Truly Retired?
Brock Lesnar retired at WWE WrestleMania 42, right? Are we totally sure? Chris King asks…
Brock Lesnar retired at WWE WrestleMania 42, right? Are we totally sure? Chris King asks…
At WrestleMania 42, ‘The Beast Incarnate’ Brock Lesnar took off his boots and gloves following his loss to Oba Femi. Lesnar has done it all inside of his twenty-four-year career in professional wrestling. He’s a ten-time WWE Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion, and he’s one who ended The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania.
While Lesnar was in the ring, he was visibly overwhelmed with emotion and crying while he thanked the fans in his own way. The Beast even threw up an x to signal to Paul Heyman, his longtime friend and advocate, that this was not scripted and was real. There had been rumors that Lesnar and Oba were supposed to have a series of matches before everything went down at Mania.
‘The Career Killer’ Gunther was doing Heyman’s bidding as he faced Seth Rollins for a favor. For a while now since Gunther retired Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles, the rumor has been Gunther was set to retire Lesnar in his hometown at this year’s SummerSlam event. There’s been no confirmation if Lesnar is truly retired, but on this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown, we saw Heyman talking with General Manager Nick Aldis. Later that night following Rhodes’ match against the debuting Ricky Saints, Gunther choked out the WWE Champion. Could this be the favor from Heyman?
I know in the world of professional wrestling we live by the mantra of “never say never,” but what if Lesnar is actually retired and this was WWE’s way of shutting down those rumors about Gunther and Lesnar? What if Gunther’s next program is chasing after the WWE title, and where is Randy Orton at in all of these plans? There are so many questions that need to be answered, hopefully soon!
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Opinion
Chris King: Defend The Intercontinental Championship At Backlash!
With WWE Backlash upon us, Chris King wants to see Penta defend the Intercontinental Championship in Tampa!
With WWE Backlash upon us, Chris King wants to see Penta defend the Intercontinental Championship in Tampa!
This year’s annual Backlash showcase is only a few days away, and while there are many big matches announced, one that definitely should be isn’t on the card. In my opinion, outside of Roman Reigns/Jacob Fatu and Seth Rollins/Bron Breakker, the Intercontinental Championship scene has been stellar over the last month.
Penta has been an excellent champion, especially after his triumphant title defense in a ladder match against JeVon Evans, Rusev, Dragon Lee, and the Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 42. Their ladder match at Mania was one of the best that WWE has produced in a while.
The momentum never stopped, as on the post-Mania episode of Monday Night Raw, ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page made his debut and was quickly inserted into the Intercontinental title scene. Page had a fantastic showing against his longtime NXT rival Evans and picked up a big win in his debut match thanks to an assist from Rusev.
All Ego immediately joined forces with ‘The Bulgarian Brute’ Rusev, who was also vying for the Intercontinental Title in his own right. On this week’s episode of Raw, Page and Rusev defeated Evans and Penta. All Ego pinned the champion, making a huge statement and putting him one step closer to getting a title shot. For the past few weeks I’ve been anxiously waiting to see if WWE was going to add this incredible fatal four-way match for the Intercontinental Championship, but it hasn’t happened yet.
As much as the WWE Universe enjoys witnessing great matches on free television, I truly believe all four superstars deserve the chance to showcase their talents on the PLE. While Penta has done a terrific job as the intercontinental champion, it’s time for a fresh face to hold the prestigious title. Page would make a great braggadocious heel that would help elevate the Intercontinental Championship to new heights!
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Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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