Lita had previously been outspoken about WWE’s Saudi Arabian events being driven by money and not the desire to help the culture of the country move forward. The Hall Of Famer however has since decided to take the road herself. She is currently scheduled to face the Raw women’s champion Becky Lynch at the next WWE event from the country, Elimination Chamber.
Lita discussed her previous comments on the matter during a recent appearance on Ring The Belle podcast. She noted how she had criticized the lack of women’s matches on the card. She mentioned how things have changed since then:
“I’ve talked to the women personally that have been over there. And they’re like, ‘It’s unbelievable. There are women crying, never thinking they would get to see two women be so strong in the ring’. They’re like, ‘It’s really powerful. You’re going to enjoy that.’ And so, sure, do they have a long way to go? Do we as a society have a long way to go? Absolutely. But, you got to take the opportunities when they’re there.”
Lita On WWE Shows In Saudi Arabia
Lita had talked about WWE’s partnership with Saudi Arabia after their first event back in 2018. The former champion claimed that she understood WWE was a business and they are always looking to expand their global presence. Though she felt like it was a direct conflict of interest:
“However, I do feel this was a direct conflict of interest with them maintaining any integrity or truth to the fact that they say they would like to push forward women, their roles and their reputations in this business as anything resembling equal to a male. Make the money, that’s fine, but don’t try to cover it up.”
The first three WWE PPV events in Saudi Arabia did not feature any women’s matches. Although during the 2019 Crown Jewel event, Natalya and Lacey Evans became the first female competitors to wrestle a match in the country. The Crown Jewel 2021 event then featured two women’s matches on the card.
Thanks to PostWrestling for the transcribed quotes
