WWE superstar Natalya: I'd love to wrestle in Saudi Arabia
Wednesday 8 May 2019 13:34, UK
WWE superstar Natalya says she would love to be part of a "history-making" women's event in Saudi Arabia.
The company will stage their third event in Saudi Arabia in June, with the return of Goldberg from retirement the highlight of the pay-per-view in Jeddah.
To date, none of the WWE events in the country have featured female wrestlers, although Renee Young was part of the commentary team for the second one in 2018, Crown Jewel.
"I would really love a chance, one day, to go to Saudi Arabia," Natalya said in an interview with ESPN 1530's No Holds Barred. "I think that would be such an incredible thing for women to make some history over there.
"For women to be able to one day perform in Saudi Arabia, I know it's not something that were doing at this moment, but one day I want to be one of the women to do that.
"For me, I just think it would be so historical for women to make those positive steps over there. I think it'd be a huge step for WWE and a huge step for that country. It's something I want to be a part of."
WWE had faced criticism for continuing with their plans for their second show in Saudi Arabia in the wake of the global outcry regarding the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Mr Khashoggi, a Saudi government critic who lived in the United States, was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.
At that time, chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon said: "Moving forward with Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia was an incredibly tough decision, given that heinous act.
"But, at the end of the day, it is a business decision and, like a lot of other American companies, we decided that we're going to move forward with the event and deliver Crown Jewel for all of our fans in Saudi Arabia and around the world."
