— Former WWE wrestler JBL recently was asked on Fox Business’ Varney & Co. to comment on WWE’s scheduled live event, Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia in light of recent reports that many of the talent are uncomfortable or downright dreading going overseas for the event. He responded with:

“From what I understand, yes [ Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia will happen ]. The idea is WWE is gonna go there. Right now the official line is that they’re monitoring the situation.

My personal opinion is that they should go. I think the only way you promote change, like we did with Cuba – you isolate a country, all you do is impoverish that country. You want to promote change? WWE went to Abu Dhabi, did the first women’s match that had ever happened in the middle east, the crowd chanting in English ‘this is change’.

And for these senators to come out and bash the WWE on this? I have spent seven Christmases in Iraq and Afganistan with the WWE. I was with WWE, the first group that went down to visit the twin towers while they were still burning and bodies were pulling out. We were the first group, on 9/13 to have a mass gathering, right after 9/11. People didn’t know what was gonna happen. For these guys to hide behind their patriotism and their flag-waving to me is – to try to improve their abysmal approval ratings to me is wrong.

WWE has been at the forefront of change, and you want to change Saudi Arabia, you send something like WWE there.”