Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther

Everybody has a price.

This week's edition of Raw was taped last week because of the European tour that company has scheduled throughout the week. It's another example of how the TKO corporation, the group that was formed during the merger of the UFC and WWE last year, looks to globilize the product, an aspect that was made even more clear when the historic 10-year Netflix deal was signed earlier this year. 

However, the controversial Saudi Arabia deal was inked before Endeavor took over with the merger, as Vince McMahon signed a contract with the Saudi government in 2018, generating an estimated $40-50 million per event. This puts the Saudi shows among the most lucrative on the WWE calendar, even making it more profitable than Wrestlemania. Endeavor runs the WWE to make a profit, and even the $21.9 billion that the merger between WWE and UFC was estimated to be worth isn't going to turn down the Saudi cash, particularly for the boost it provides for the stock prices.

The controversy based around Saudi Arabia has mostly been swept under the rug, millions of dollars can do that. Prime time boxing matches, professional golf, and other American spots were imported on a regular basis by the Saudi government to be used as a modern propaganda tool.

Again, tens of millions of dollars will do that.

As sleazy as it might've seen at first, the concept of these American super shows from across the sports landscape being promoted in Saudi on a regular basis has made it more commonplace and on some level, more "acceptable" so the level of  controversy has waned. The WWE, along with other sports franchises, have become a staple of Riyadh season since it was instituted by the Saudi government in 2019. The name sounds like a tradition, but it was merely created five years ago to attempt to reshape the image of the county. Yes, five years later it's still shady and still somewhat disappointing that sports stars can be bought to be used for PR spin, but the money is what counts at the end of the day. Morals or ethics don't pay the bills. Given the lubricious amount of money Saudi makes from the oil industry, the talent knows that the check is going to clear.

So, in many ways, when analyzing these shows, you can leave the ethics at the door so to speak, it's been there, done that. We know the story, the WWE is there not because they approve of the government's faux attempt to seem more modern or as a way to move past the corruption the region is known for, but rather just to collect the cash and go home. As a result of where these shows are scheduled on the WWE calendar to coincide with Riyadh season, management often has to shoehorn a major match onto WWE programming when the usual direction of the product would dictate something else.

When these shows first started in 2018, I described them as glorified house shows because the pomp and circumstance was manufactured specifically for the Saudi officials, not the WWE fan base. This year, to placate the Saudi executives and make that hefty cash, the WWE Crown Jewel Championship will be created for both the men's and women's division. The irony that the females on the card must wear different attire than their usual outfits, but that rule isn't enforced for the male talent not withstanding for the event. The over-the-top championship belts were revealed at the Bad Blood pay-per-view earlier this month. The titles will be awarded to the winners of Cody Rhodes vs/ Gunther, and Nia Jax vs. Liv Morgan at the Crown Jewel event at the beginning of November.

On paper, Cody vs. Gunther sounds like a marquee match until you take into account that neither of their respective titles will be on the line. The Crown Jewel championship will only be used as a prop for the specific event and will not be defended at any point afterward. The two heavyweight champions will square off in an exhibition bout with nothing actually on the line so what's the point? If anything, outside of the millions of dollars (and that's what counts), there's nothing to be gained from this scenario since one of the world champions will be positioned as secondary ahead of Wrestlemania season. It goes without saying that the value of each champion should be maximized ahead of WM to allow for the biggest spectacle possible ahead of the biggest show on the WWE calendar, albeit not as profitable since the Saudis have that spot.

All things considered, I don't think this is the time for either Cody Rhodes or Gunther to take a lost, given their individual paths among the WWE landscape. Cody took such an emotional journey to the WWE title that a loss to a major opponent should be saved for a bigger stage, if he's going to lose in a high profile spot, it should be at WM 41, not before that. With The Rock's return at Bad Blood, a potential Cody loss should be kept for when it would matter the most or have the most impact. If Rhodes loses to Gunther, it could hurt his credibility as an opponent for The Rock early next year. Along the same lines, but in a different fashion, Gunther is still building his title reign and should be kept strong to fully solidify him as a main event star. He just won the title at Summer Slam, it would hinder his progress if he was typecast as the secondary champion with a lost to Cody at this point. From purely a booking standing, you simply don't schedule this match to avoid this type of scenario, but money talks, even for the TKO corporation.

How the office navigates this delicate scenario remains to be seen, but a lot of it might depend on where management plans to take either champion in the months ahead. With a Crown Jewel championship revealed, a DQ or some other non-definitive finish isn't an option. If Rhodes is eventually going to defeat The Rock in a title match at Wrestlemania next year, the argument could be made that a loss in Saudi Arabia wouldn't make a major difference in his status as the top guy for the WWE. If management doesn't view Gunther as a long-term champion then maybe that can book him to lose to Cody, but with the level of authenticity that Gunther has, I don't think it would be wise for him to lose until he's going to drop the championship, which shouldn't be any time soon.

If I had to guess, I'd say that the office will somehow have The Bloodline or even The Rock himself cost Cody the match-up as a way to give Rhodes an excuse to lose the match, while adding to his feud with The Rock so it won't damage his status. In that case, the loss is secondary, and the rivalry has the spotlight. Granted, that type of resoultion would also make Gunther's win secondary so the victory wouldn't do much for him either, but given the circumstances, a solution where neither champion looks weak is probably the best result for the Saudi event.