Same premise, minus the social issue distraction… But for both Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), there exists more fighters hurting themselves in the octagon and more wrestlers tanking bumps in and outside of the ring than there are TKO executives. MMA fighters and pro wrestlers don’t realize how much leverage they truly have, especially household name wrestlers who don’t have their careers dictated by actual wins or losses like UFC fighters.

Thus, when your TKO executives still want you to fly to and wrestle at Saudi Arabia for the WWE Crown Jewel event, the wrestlers could band together and REFUSE TO PERFORM. What could TKO do if ever WWE superstar grouped together and refused to be sent in an area of severe danger.

You know, like Saudi Arabia where the Houthis have recently attacked oil pipelines and the airport in Riyadh, home of both WWE Crown Jewel and 2027’s Wrestlemania 43.

The very airport that WWE superstars will arrive at was attacked. On October 10th and 11th, multiple strikes occurred that caused up to 14 people killed and a reported 300 who were wounded by the blasts. That is dangerous…

One would think, “the United States will protect WWE from harm”. Wait, isn’t Saudi Arabia a massive ally of the United States and also a bigtime trading partner? Wasn’t the entire premise of 1990-1991’s Desert Storm to protect the possibility of Saudi Arabia being invaded after Iraq invaded Kuwait? Saudi is a major investor in United States businesses, too.

I wouldn’t quite guarantee safety… Yes, the United States still has one of the most superior militaries in the world and has the biggest missile stock, but we’re in a day and age where drones and other types of missiles can be launched or fired from mobile sites. This is a different type of warfare, but I’d also argue a different type of combatant, too. It’s one thing when you’re up against a ruthless dictator, but it’s another matter when their dictator is also another the highest ranking religious cleric. When you’re willing to die in the name of your religion, no other Fs will be given about human life.

The Middle East has been a dangerous place for decades, and United States involvement with Israel, the 1953 Iranian coup, placing bases throughout the Middle East, and fighting multiple wars, unjust or not, has made the region feel an anti-American sentiment. Iran has had issues with the United States since the 1953 coup that overthrew an elected leader and it’s been rocky relations with us ever since in that region. Then, since June of last year and especially since late February if this year, the United States has engaged in serious military strikes against Iran that saw their leadership destroyed and martyred. In return, Iran has ramped up its own attacks against any Middle Eastern country favorable to the United States, including Saudi Arabia, and has encouraged any proxy group to attack on their behalf, like the Houthis located in Yemen which is South of Saudi Arabia.

They attacked the airport… Where is the seriousness by TKO executives about this situation?

Nope, gotta protect that massive Saudi Arabia deal that guarantees $25 to $30 million per regular event, while paying WWE $100 million for Royal Rumble 2026 and $250 million for Wrestlemania 43.

What the TKO and/or Endeavor/Silver Lake folks think about is how the TKO stock could tank if WWE has to move locations of those Premium Live Events (PLE). Meanwhile, they aren’t thinking of the total disaster TKO could have if, and I pray this would never happened, is if the Crown Jewel event is hit with an attack. In addition to the WWE wrestlers, losing Saudi Arabia fans would be a tragedy as well. Any loss of life would be a tragedy. By still having Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, WWE is placing its own wrestlers, production staff, and fans from Saudi Arabia at risk.

These are serious times and we need serious leadership to make decisions that protects lives.

So far, TKO has said nothing about moving the event…

And that proves what a joke TKO and its executives truly are.

All of these revenues generated from massive TV deals, Saudi Arabia, and severely price gouging WWE fans for live events and merchandise, yet TKO has the NERVE to ask its performers to take a 50% paycut and/or be terminated. Meanwhile, if you look at TKO’s proxy statements, its executives are pulling in the big bucks by sitting in a boardroom while their performers take the punishment inside and outside of the ring.

Right now, WWE’s World Champions are guaranteed to be there, with Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn and Liv Morgan vs. Chelsea Green with other matches to be determined later.

Those 4, alone, should go to WWE and TKO’s management and outright REFUSE to perform at this event due to safety concerns.

Now, we all know that Roman Reigns will likely get private jet treatment to transport to the event and that usually occurs at a different part of the airport or in a secure location. Each of the wrestlers, at minimum, should demand equal treatment. Again, the airport in Riyadh was attacked…

But if Roman Reigns values his own life and wants to cement the respect of the entire WWE locker room, he should take a stand and demand the event be moved. Sure, WWE might lose $20-$30 million this time, but Roman and the entire roster will be alive on November 7th to perform somewhere in America. World Title vs. World Title matches will draw here in the United States, and thus, WWE and TKO won’t lose that much money. Then, 6 months later, you can re-assess Wrestlemania 43.

There’s just too much danger in this region and lots of anti-American sentiment per recent foreign policy decisions on top of decades of things bubbling in the Middle East. It wasn’t safe before 2025 or 2026 and even Saudi Arabia, itself, had issues with its culture to be a questionable place to host WWE events. Again, think about that plane ride where WWE superstars weren’t allowed to leave the country for over 1 day or think about how female WWE wrestlers have to look when wrestling at their events. Saudi aside, the hostilities of neighboring countries has always created risks for WWE hosting events there and that was probably part of the premium that gave WWE $20-$30 million per event and pricing in $100 million for Rumble 2026 and $250 million for Wrestlemania 43.

This airport strike changes the game… Way too close to where Crown Jewel and eventually Wrestlemania 43 will be.

Safety first, as a WWE event could be a major target with it being a major American brand.

The TKO executives should be ashamed of themselves for not already moving the Crown Jewel event.

If Saudi right now is so safe, then the TKO executives and their full extended families should all attend the event to make a point. Come on, if life is so precious, then prove it by placing your entire family on a plane and sitting in that arena while chaos is happening in that region. Lead by example instead of continuing to siphon funds as fat cat executives while the wrestlers continue to bump and wrestle in dangerous environments.

And for the record, I’ve been consistent on protecting wrestler safety as noted in my column on September 22nd after the Houthis hit the oil pipeline and when the United States issued a travel advisory. Crazy how much things have escalated since.

Wrestlers HAVE THE LEVERAGE because without them, there are no events. The top wrestlers (Roman, Cody, Punk, etc.) need to protect the entire roster and join them in standing up to the clowncar known as TKO executive team who only cares about making themselves rich. The reason why WWE has never unionized is because top stars buddy up to WWE management and are essentially paid more money to be the best company men possible. Hulk Hogan ratted out Jesse Ventura when he tried to unionize before Wrestlemania 2, and Vince since took care of the top guys while thinking the midcarders were disposable.

Well, now this isn’t about unionizing. This is about safety and being potential political and religious targets in a region that has been violent. Stand up to the arrogant TKO management and protect your co-workers from harm’s way! REFUSE to perform at WWE Crown Jewel!!!!!

Remember, WWE wrestlers… There are more of you than there are of them (TKO executives).

Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ

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Live viewers: send us your thoughts in the chat room, and some of the responses will be posted here. Please double-check your spelling and grammar! Visit NoDQ.com/merch for t-shirts and other apparel. Follow Aaron Rift (@AaronRift) and @NoDQdotcom on social media!

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“Every single day, you’re putting in work. Every live event, there was, you know, hundreds. And now, with my schedule, people will pick on it, but they don’t remember. They don’t remember from 2012 to 2018, when I was doing 150 to 200 shows a year, every single year, just working my ass off, but staying in the lab, continually getting the reps, conquering my 10,000 hours. You know what I mean? Putting my time in. That’s where I learned how to do everything.

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“We’re in a world now where views are currency, and when you’re speaking about wrestling, if you want to maximize your views, you use my name.

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“That’s tough, because I think I’d go with Hulk [Hogan]. It’s hard not to say Steve [Austin], but then Dwayne [The Rock]—I really respect how he did it. It was just lightning in a bottle. You’ve never seen it like that. Nobody picked it up so quickly and at such a jump. It was just like, yeah, this guy doesn’t really have it figured out yet. He’s finding it, you know, early on, with The Rock trying to figure out that character, and then boom, superstardom in a matter of, what, 18 months? And then he was able to just go, like, ‘I don’t need the machine anymore.’

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“No, because, I mean, the truth is, are there a lot of people watching that guy’s show? So you’re going to say stuff. You already know I’m a metric mover. That type of stuff. They know I give views and all that stuff, so it’s fine. I mean, it is what it is.

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While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com discussed what Femi said…

“At the post-show, Oba did his interview talking about Roman Reigns and made it sound like it was imminent and not at WrestleMania. So what I was told is that he was reacting to the crowd and thought that that’s what he should do because the crowd was really into it. But the match is not scheduled for Survivor Series. Obviously, Roman’s gonna be in the 10-man WarGames.

The plan is WrestleMania. But he just got excited because the fans all wanted it and he had to respond. And he did, but by responding, he said, ‘I want that title.’ It makes everyone think, oh, he’s gonna get the title shot in the next pay-per-view cycle, which obviously he is not.”

During the October 12th edition of RAW, Femi continued his storyline with Paul Heyman.

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“I just don’t like Roman with what he does out there. I think that he has better stuff in him yet, but I think that maybe he got a little fat, got a little lazy. You know, sometimes when you’re given so much, you quit producing.

I feel like either that, or he just needed better writers. Maybe that was it. You know, I forget that today, you don’t think about your own sh*t, they write everything for you. I couldn’t wrestle today, man, because I’d be going crazy. I want to do my own interviews, man. I don’t want nobody else writing for me, man.”

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The biggest shock of the night was Bryan Danielson returning to the ring to tag with the Death Riders against The Don Callis family. With all the news in the past about his neck being pretty messed up so much so that flying on a plane brings him a lot of pain and discomfort…seeing Bryan be Bryan one more time was the cap on a perfect night for PAC. I can only hope PAC is at peace now his memory will live on forever. Vaya Con Dios PAC.

Moving along, the WWE’s Money In The Bank event is coming up this weekend and I think they need some serious shake ups with the show and going forward from it. With the Men’s MITB match, I think without question Penta needs to win this match. He’s red hot right now and he would benefit the most from winning the briefcase. The match is pretty loaded though with the aforementioned Penta along with Bron Breakker, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, CM Punk and Kevin Owens. I can’t see Evans winning. He’s just too young and not nearly high enough on the card to be believable as a World champion contender.

Bron Breakker is stuck in a holding pattern. He could be a wild card to win the match, but I don’t see it happening. Trick Williams is all ready US Champion so he doesn’t need the briefcase as well. Punk and Owens are too big to carry around the briefcase for who knows how long. Plus I’m enjoying Sami Zayn being all paranoid because he has so many potential challengers. Punk and Owens don’t need to win the MITB to make Sami paranoid.

That leaves Penta as my pick to win. Question is does he cash in that night on the winner of Roman Reigns vs. LA Knight or does he hold onto it and torment Sami a bit as champion?

Roman vs. LA Knight is an interesting match up. I really want to see LA Knight win the big one. He’s been so close yet so far away so many times. The WWE needs a shakeup and I think LA Knight winning the title would do just that. LA Knight as I said has been denied that moment so many times. Roman as champion has been done. It’s time for something new and improved. Of course LA Knight could win the title only for the Men’s MITB winner (I’m hoping for Penta) to come running down and cash in win the title. So LA Knight would be a World Champion…if only for a few minutes. That seems like something they would do to him. Serves him right for getting and keeping himself over.

The Women’s MITB match is a little less confusing. I’m almost certain that Roxanne Perez is going to win the MITB briefcase for the women. The match includes Sol Ruca, Lola Vice, Jacy Jayne, Tiffany Stratton and Lash Legend. Legend is apparently the odds on favorite to win for some reason according to insiders and stuff. But I’m going with The Prodigy. It makes more sense for her to hold the Women’s MITB briefcase over Lash Legend. They have been positioning Roxanne as the one in the Judgment Day who hasn’t held a title. So it would make sense for her to win so I’m hoping she does. I wouldn’t see her cashing in right away unlike a potential Men’s cash in later in the night. I just don’t see the potential in Lash Legend as a Women’s Champion…right now. Someday sure, but right now…no.

This MITB briefcases can make or break a superstar. So far as the WWE keeps noting, its a 100 percent cash in rate for the women. So whoever wins the match is almost certainly going to be either the WWE Women’s Champion on Smackdown or the Women’s World Champion over on RAW. That’s why I think Roxanne is more likely to win than Lash Legend. Roxy is primed to be a champion right now. I mean I like Liv Morgan, but it would be more fun Roxanne to be able to challenge for the championship while Liv stews over it.

I’m assuming Stephanie Vaquer will retain the Women’s championship at MITB in the triple threat against Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan. If somehow Liv wins back the title, her and Roxy would have an interesting dynamic kinda like the one they did with Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton where everyone was waiting for Tiffy to cash in. But I hope Liv doesn’t win…especially if she’s only going to defend the title once every couple of months.

So to recap I am hoping for the following.

Penta wins the Men’s MITB Briefcase.

Roxanne Perez wins the Women’s MITB Briefcase.

LA Knight wins the World Heavyweight Championship.

These are three things that need to happen and would make me happy for once.

On that note I am done for this week. I am sorry for any delay as usual. Like I said, PAC’s death honestly threw me for a loop as I’m sure it did everyone else and I just didn’t know what to write. So until next time take care everyone.

As usual if you want to leave me feedback you can do so down below, over on Twitter or email me at phantomlordnyc@gmail.com

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According to WrestleVotes Radio, the segment received considerable praise backstage. A source stated that several WWE officials and members of the production team were particularly impressed with Reigns’ back-and-forth with Knight, specifically noting the level of emotion Reigns displayed. The source noted that Reigns has sometimes been more reserved in that area.

The reaction was reportedly strong enough that there were discussions internally about how effective that version of Reigns could be used moving forward in the appropriate setting.

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