Vince McMahon

WWE Hall of Famer Jerry "The King" Lawler took to his podcast Friday to discuss the travel issues that resulted in much of the WWE roster getting stranded in Saudi Arabia last week.

On The Jerry Lawler Show (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Raj Giri), King noted that a talent meeting was held prior to Monday's episode of Raw, and he described what WWE Chairman Vince McMahon told the wrestlers:

"Vince said, 'Guys, we've all been in this business for awhile, we've all experienced some travel issues in the past, but I can honestly say that in all of the years that I've been in the business, I've never seen this many travel issues happen at one time with a plane.'

"Vince said to everybody, 'Guys, I've never seen anything like it, I'm sure you've never seen anything like it and hopefully we'll never experience anything like that again. We'll always have the travel people [stay with talent], they'll be the last people to leave. We'll always take care of this.' Vince and those guys got out on his jet thinking that all of the talent was going to be right behind him, so they didn't have a clue that all of this was going on."

McMahon, Triple H, Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman and a few others were able to leave Saudi Arabia as scheduled, and McMahon reportedly wasn't aware of the travel issues being experienced by the rest of the personnel until he was already in the air.

The wrestlers were supposed to arrive back in the United States the day after Oct. 31's Crown Jewel was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the SmackDown crew was scheduled to go to Buffalo, New York, and appear on Friday Night SmackDown.

As a result, WWE had to call an audible and fly NXT talent into Buffalo on the day of the show and go with an angle that saw NXT Superstars such as Adam Cole, Shayna Baszler, Tommaso Ciampa, Matt Riddle and Keith Lee invade SmackDown ahead of Survivor Series.

In addition to McMahon, Lawler said AJ Styles and Karl Anderson were the only people to speak during Monday's talent meeting. Lawler noted that Styles expressed concern about the circumstances surrounding the travel issues: "AJ said, 'I'll be honest with you, man, we were just minutes away from somebody going off and something bad happening. All I'm thinking about is that I'm supposed to be at home playing ball with my son right now and instead I'm stuck here in Saudi Arabia and nobody can explain to me why.'"

Vince assured Styles and everyone else that the travel issues were related solely to mechanical issues, including the tug that was supposed to pull the plane away from the gate and the manifest because of the amount of weight on board.

Lawler said McMahon added that WWE's "relationship with the Saudi government and the Prince is at an all-time high," in response to speculation that issues between the two sides played into the delay.

After the travel issues were finally solved and all of the WWE talent returned home, WWE announced Monday that it expanded its partnership with the Saudi General Entertainment Authority through 2027.

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On the heels of Crown Jewel last Thursday, WWE announced it has committed to holding two events in Saudi Arabia through 2027.

The company first revealed in March 2018 it had struck a 10-year partnership with the Saudi General Sports Authority.

At the time, WWE didn't explicitly outline it would stage two major shows in Saudi Arabia, but that has been the case so far. The deal began with the Greatest Royal Rumble in April 2018 and has included Crown Jewel on two occasions and Super ShowDown.

Some fans might highlight the timing of Monday's announcement given the rumors surrounding travel issues experienced by many wrestlers as they exited Saudi Arabia following Crown Jewel.

Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that Saudi Arabia still owed WWE money from Super ShowDown in June, which led Vince McMahon to cut the live feed of Crown Jewel in the Saudi market.

WWE released a statement saying mechanical issues had grounded the plane that was slated to bring the wrestlers back to the United States. According to Meltzer, however, some personnel were skeptical of that explanation (warning: video contains profanity):

CNN Business' Paul R. La Monica noted WWE's stock price had fallen about 25 percent this year despite the company signing new television deals with USA Network and Fox. La Monica cited "lingering worries about the company's international TV contracts" as one reason for the drop and cited the Middle East and India as two markets in which WWE needed to get new deals.

Speculation continues to abound as to the reason a number of WWE personnel were delayed in their return from Saudi Arabia following Crown Jewel on Thursday.  

WWE said in an official statement the chartered plane the company was planning to use experienced mechanical issues that precluded it from flying. WWE included comments from Atlas Air, which said the plane "is being repaired and will be inspected and certified before returning to service to transport our passengers to their final destination."

However, Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that his sources said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia owed WWE money from its previous show in the country, Super ShowDown in June. Vince McMahon reportedly cut the live feed to Crown Jewel in the country as part of the dispute.

Meltzer added there was a level of skepticism regarding WWE's story (warning: video contains profanity):

According to Meltzer, McMahon and a handful of stars including Hulk Hogan, Brock Lesnar and Ric Flair were able to leave on their own private jets, which left "a lot of people very very upset."

WWE had to significantly alter its plans for Friday's edition of SmackDown with so many wrestlers still in Saudi Arabia. The show featured an emphasis on NXT, with Adam Cole putting the NXT title on the line against Daniel Bryan in the main event.

Triple H also played up NXT's involvement in Survivor Series on Nov. 24:

The general questions about WWE's travel issues are likely to put an even bigger spotlight on the company's partnership with Saudi Arabia.

Meltzer reported in July 2018 (h/t WhatCulture's Benjamin Richardson) that WWE was going to get $450 million over 10 years as part of the agreement.

Critics of the move first pointed to Saudi Arabia's human rights record and then to the alleged role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The crown prince denied he ordered Khashoggi's murder, but a UN report determined there was "'credible evidence' that he and other senior officials are liable for the killing," per the Guardian.

WWE reported its 2019 third-quarter financial results Thursday, touting $186.3 million in total revenue, which was a slight drop from 2018's third quarter.

In the Q3 report, WWE attributed the drop from $188.4 million in revenue during last year's third quarter to a decrease in live-event ticket and merchandise sales. WWE's live-event net revenue went from $26.7 million to $23.2 million, and its consumer product revenue fell from $19.6 million to $17 million compared to 2018 Q3.

Despite the drop, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon provided a positive outlook due largely to SmackDown recently debuting on Fox and NXT moving from WWE Network to USA Network:

"During the quarter, we remained focused on expanding the reach of WWE's brand with the successful debut of Friday Night SmackDown on Fox Broadcast and NXT on USA Network. With our flagship programming now spanning both broadcast and cable throughout the week in the U.S. and our expanding roster of international distribution partners, we remain excited about our ability to deepen the engagement with our fans around the world."

SmackDown on Fox debuted to 3.9 million viewers this month before experiencing significant drops each week, while NXT debuted on USA Network with over 1 million viewers last month before dropping due, in part, to the debut of AEW Dynamite on TNT in the same time slot.

WWE also reported an average of 1.51 million paid subscribers to the WWE Network and continued progress on other digital platforms.

In comparison to the third quarter in 2018, WWE's digital video views increased by 12 percent and its hours consumed on digital and social platforms increased by 14 percent.

WWE projects that its adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization will fall in the range of $180 million to $190 million for 2019 as a whole, which would be an all-time record for the company.

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WWE responded to Jordan Myles' displeasure with a shirt designed for him, saying the superstar previously approved the design.

"Albert Hardie Jr. (aka Jordan Myles) approved this t-shirt for sale," WWE said in a statement. "As always, we work collaboratively with all of our performers to develop logos and merchandise designs and get their input and approval before proceeding. This was the same process with Albert, and we responded swiftly once he later requested that the logo/t-shirt be redesigned. No t-shirts were sold."

Myles took to Twitter over the weekend and called out WWE over the shirt design, a black shirt with lips and a smile with Myles' name that resembles the Sambo doll caricature. Myles called the design a "slap in the face to EVERY African American performer, fan and supporter."

"I've used this shirt as fuel. I knew the shirt existed, and my soul hasn't been able to rest properly since I've laid eyes on it. My voice will be heard... my true opinion will be heard.. and MY PEOPLE will have their moment," Myles tweeted.

Myles, 31, signed with WWE in February and won the NXT Breakout Tournament in August. That win led to him losing a well-received NXT championship match against Adam Cole, but Myles has not been seen on NXT programming since.

Cedric Alexander joined Myles in protest of the shirt by changing his Twitter profile to black and white and tweeting out "#ForTheCulture."

While WWE replaced the shirt, Myles said his issue was with the shirt being designed in the first place.

The wrestling business' caricaturization of minorities has been an issue for decades. Certain characters portrayed by minority performers have been seen as stereotypes, and while the issue has gotten better, there have been instances in recent years where WWE took criticism for insensitivity.

Earlier this year, Kofi Kingston became just the fourth black WWE performer in history to win a heavyweight championship with the promotion.

WWE announced Tuesday that Bruce Prichard will replace Eric Bischoff as the executive director of Friday Night SmackDown on Fox.

In the statement, WWE noted that Prichard will report directly to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and added that Prichard will "oversee the creative development of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX and ensure integration across all platforms and lines of business."

The move comes just four months after WWE named Bischoff executive director of SmackDown and Paul Heyman executive director of Raw.

After an 11-year hiatus, the 56-year-old Prichard returned to WWE earlier this year as part of the creative team. He has worked in the wrestling business since the age of 12 and first began working for WWE in 1987.

Prichard has served in a number of different roles during his time in WWE. He has been a producer, worked in talent relations and even had an on-screen role as Brother Love. He is perhaps best known for being part of a three-man creative team alongside McMahon and Pat Patterson in the early-to-mid 1990s, however.

The 64-year-old Bischoff's claim to fame is his success as president of WCW in the mid-to-late 1990s. Beginning in 1996, Bischoff helped WCW Monday Nitro beat Raw in the ratings for 83 consecutive weeks.

He did some on-screen work for WWE and some behind-the-scenes work for Impact Wrestling after WWE bought WCW in 2001, but it had been several years since he was last associated with a company before WWE hired him this year.

Both Prichard and Bischoff host separate podcasts alongside Starrcast promoter Conrad Thompson in which they reminisce about their time in WCW and WWE, respectively, and provide inside knowledge on specific topics.

It isn't yet known how the shake-up might impact Something to Wrestle and 83 Weeks, and it also has yet to be announced if Bischoff is gone from WWE entirely or if he will be moved into a different role.

Bischoff's ouster from the role of SmackDown executive director comes less than two weeks after SmackDown moved from USA Network and debuted on Fox.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Master P Calls Out Vince After Buying Indie Promotion

Rap legend Master P is now in the wrestling game, and he had some strong words for WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

After purchasing the House of Glory independent wrestling promotion, Master P said the following in a video he posted on Instagram: "And we're getting into wrestling. I'm just telling y'all. Vince McMahon, you in trouble, cause I'm about to take over wrestling."

House of Glory is a company based in New York City that has been in existence since 2012, and it has been run by wrestlers Amazing Red and Brian XL.

Many big names have competed in House of Glory over the years, including The Hardy Boyz, The Young Bucks, The Lucha Bros, LAX, Ricochet, Lio Rush, EC3 and Sami Callihan.

While most wrestling fans are fixated on the perceived war between WWE and AEW, Master P's comments suggest he wants to get in on the act as well.

If Master P can use his money and influence to grow House of Glory and build it into more of a national brand moving forward, it will only be a good thing for wrestling fans in terms of providing more competition.

Wyatt and Banks Reportedly Suffered Injuries at HIAC

After competing inside the cell at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, both Bray Wyatt and Sasha Banks are reportedly dealing with injuries.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Raj Giri), both Superstars have undisclosed injuries. Meltzer noted that Wyatt's injury is "not serious" as he appeared in a dark segment after Raw.

As for Banks, Meltzer reported that WWE is remaining quiet about her condition, and The Boss doesn't want it to go public. Meltzer added that Banks has said the injury is not concussion-related.

Meanwhile, PWInsider (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton) reported that Banks suffered a back injury. The severity of the reported injury is unclear.

Following her loss to Becky Lynch in a Raw Women's Championship match at Hell in a Cell, Banks revealed on her Instagram story that she needed stitches to repair a cut on her lip.

Despite pushing Lynch to the limit, Banks fell short in her bid to become a five-time Raw women's champion.

Seth Rollins took the fight to Wyatt in their Universal Championship match at Hell in a Cell to the point that it ended by referee stoppage when Rollins used a sledgehammer.

After the match, The Fiend recovered and attacked Rollins, ultimately locking Rollins in the Mandible Claw and leaving him in a pool of blood.

AEW Reveals Matches for AEW Dark Debut

All Elite Wrestling is advertising four matches for the debut of AEW Dark on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on the AEW YouTube channel:

AEW Dark will be a weekly show on YouTube that features the dark matches that do not air on AEW Dynamite.

This week's episode will include four matches: Darby Allin vs. Cima, Penelope Ford and Bea Priestley vs. Britt Baker and Allie, SCU vs. Jurassic Express and finally Lucha Bros, Angelico and Jack Evans vs. Private Party and Best Friends.

All of those matches took place either before or after the debut episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT last week.

Since AEW has a fairly large and deep roster, it is nearly impossible for everyone to get airtime on Dynamite ever week. Only two hours of television fills up fast, but AEW Dark will provide everyone with a platform to be seen by a large audience.

 Tune into TNT on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET to catch all the action of All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite.

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The XFL's official website revealed details Monday morning about its upcoming player draft.

The draft is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 15, through Wednesday, Oct. 16, and the league will look to stand out by utilizing social media to announce each selection. Each of the eight franchises will have 71 roster spots to fill, and picks will be announced via the league's website, Twitter and Instagram feeds as well as individual team's social media handles.

The draft will follow snake format, which is most commonly used for fantasy football and allows each team one pick per round in a pre-assigned order. In this case, the XFL used a lottery to decide the drafting order. Each team will have just 90 seconds to make a pick.

There are five separate "draft phases": 

1. Skill players (QB, RB, WR, TE)

2. Offensive line (tackle, guard, center)

3. Defensive front-seven (DL, LB)

4. Defensive backfield (CB, NB, SS, FS)

5. Open draft (all remaining players plus punters, kickers and long snappers)

See the full grid showing how the snake draft will work through each phase, here.

Commissioner Oliver Luck sent invitations out to players, and the league disclosed Monday that "approximately 1,000 professional football players" will be available to draft. The full draft pool was released later Monday.

"It's difficult to put together a composite guy that will be an XFL player," Luck told ESPN's Kevin Seifert in August. "But each of them will have a unique story. In some cases, they were in a bad spot. Maybe they were a fifth-round NFL draft pick but ended up on a team with four or five really good running backs. They're all players that we believe can play quality football."

Later in August, former Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Landry Jones became the first player to sign with the XFL.

Each team will be assigned a quarterback outside of the drafting process. 

The eight XFL franchises are as follows: Dallas Renegades, D.C. Defenders, Houston Roughnecks, Los Angeles Wildcats,  New York Guardians, Seattle Dragons, St. Louis BattleHawks and Tampa Bay Vipers. 

"The XFL is about football and fun, and our team identities are intended to signify just that," XFL president and COO Jeffrey Pollack said via the league's official website when the franchises were announced in late August. "Now it's up to our fans and players to help write the story. What happens on the field and in the community, in the years ahead, will determine the true spirit of each team."

The XFL, rebooting from its inaugural run in 2001, will kick off in February 2020.