WWE is set to hold its second major event in Saudi Arabia on November 2, called Crown Jewel, as part of a 10-year deal the company signed with the Saudi General Sports Authority.

April 2018's Greatest Royal Rumble was the first pay-per-view aired on the WWE Network as part of this deal, and while the show was roundly criticized for the exclusion of women from performing, that controversy didn't appear to impact WWE viewership or finances short term.

However, Crown Jewel is now the subject of much debate following the disappearance and suspected murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on October 2 in Istanbul. According to the Washington Post, Turkish officials have informed U.S. counterparts that they have evidence Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi consulate in the city.

Khashoggi was critical of the Saudi royal family in his writing, and his disappearance and suspected killing is widely believed to have been at the behest of those in power in the country. 

Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman spearheaded Saudi Arabia's agreement with WWE as part of his Vision 2030 initiative, which has been presented as an attempt to develop public service sectors in the country.

Many have urged WWE to either cancel or postpone the event until further evidence is gathered in the case, but WWE has yet to make any official changes to its plan.

WWE released a statement on October 11 saying, "We are currently monitoring the situation." 

Many fans have noticed WWE has stopped mentioning Saudi Arabia when talking about Crown Jewel, which may be a sign the company is preparing to hold the event somewhere else.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle have urged WWE CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon to consider other options.

During an October 12 interview with WCBS 880, Richard Blumenthal—a Democratic senator from WWE's home state of Connecticut—said, "I would hope that WWE will recognize on its own a conscience and conviction if there is proof that Saudi officials approved and ordered this kind of killing, and I would lean first on the United States government to do its duty so that it can lead private interests like WWE, and the first place to look is to the United States of America."

William Steakin of The Independent Journal Review gathered comments from Senators Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Chris Coons of Delaware, Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. All believe WWE needs to rethink Crown Jewel.

Menendez said, "Private enterprise is private enterprise, different than a governmental entity, but because Linda McMahon is part of the president's cabinet, it falls into the grey area where the administration really should give it some thought and maybe even prevail upon them not doing it."

Politicians aren't the only ones weighing in on the situation. While discussing Khashoggi on Last Week Tonight, John Oliver argued WWE's relationship with Saudi Arabia is little more than propaganda for the country: 

There are even people within WWE's orbit who have expressed doubts over whether Crown Jewel should take place in Saudi Arabia. Sam Roberts, a regular contributor on PPV pre-show panels, thinks the company should relocate the event.

Roberts had this to say on a recent episode of his Notsam Wrestling podcast (h/t Ross Kelly of WrestlingInc): "I'm okay with the deal. Saudi Arabia has done a lot of questionable things, but I'm okay with the deal in general. My own personal opinion is that because of this story, and because honestly, the U.S. is still figuring out whether they're gonna have to retaliate against Saudi Arabia, I don't think that Crown Jewel should take place in Saudi Arabia."

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reported October 15 that numerous members of the WWE roster expressed concern to him over going to Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel.

WWE responded to the article with a statement to the New York Post's Chris Perez, stating, "As always, we maintain an open line of communication with our performers as we continue to monitor the situation."

Senators, on-air personalities and members of WWE's own roster are said to be against this event, but WWE has a few employees defending its decision not to cancel the show.

Former WWE champion JBL appeared in an interview with Fox Business and said WWE is helping to promote change by having the show, and he even cited the first women's match in Abu Dhabi late last year as an example of how the company can make a difference:

While Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss wore full bodysuits instead of their usual attire to stay in line with the local traditions and laws, it was still an important moment for women in the Middle East.

Randy Orton was interviewed by TMZ Sports (h/t Alfred Konuwa of Forbes.com) and echoed the same thoughts: "I think the only way to help with change over there is to go and not cancel the trip. Our girls performed in Abu Dhabi not too long ago and I think we'll be there eventually with Saudi and Crown Jewel. That's the goal, to make things better everywhere, and I think us not going, doesn't help. Going helps."

This isn't the first time WWE has had to defend its relationship with Saudi Arabia, either. When the partnership was first announced, Triple H spoke to Matty Paddock of The Independent about how he hopes to feature women at these events someday.

"While, right now, women are not competing in the event, we have had discussions about that and we believe and hope that, in the next few years they will be. That is a significant cultural shift in Saudi Arabia," he said. 

While it may seem like an easy decision to cancel the event to some, WWE is a business with stockholders. Not only would they lose out on the revenue from the show, but it could actually cost them money in the end. 

Wall Street analyst Erik Handler told Dade Hayes of Deadline.com that WWE could lose up to $16 million in income if it pulls Crown Jewel out of King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh. 

WWE has to make a decision soon. Holding a pay-per-view takes a lot of planning, and with Crown Jewel scheduled to take place on November 2, WWE would have two weeks to market the event in a new city, find a venue, sell tickets and rearrange Superstars' travel schedules.

Postponing the show is an option, but that would cause other logistical problems. It's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't situation for McMahon and Co.

It's going to be interesting to see how WWE handles this situation over the next couple of weeks. Unless President Donald Trump personally asks WWE not to go, there is a good chance Crown Jewel will go on as planned.