WWE caught quite a bit of flack for going to Saudi Arabia.
Though the criticism has toned down throughout the years, the culture shock still gets the company some heat every now and then. There’s different customs and traditions in Saudi Arabia that aren’t found in the United States, and apparently, if you do something wrong then you can be beheaded, according to Commander Azeez.
The former WWE star competed in the 50-man Royal Rumble and detailed his experience in Saudi Arabia and revealed that he had to sign a waiver in order to go to that country. He highlighted a clause that involves the word beheading during his interview with MuscleManMalcolm.
"That was my first time ever appearing anywhere. Traveling to Saudi, which itself was a challenge. To travel there, you need to sign a waiver. There is a waiver. The waiver says that you are aware to what country you're going to. There are some legal consequences for stuff that is different in the States. I don't remember all of the points, but I remember one point was 'Beheading,'" he said.
Azeez was asked to elaborate on whether “beheading” was something that could happen if he did something wrong and he replied, "Yes. I had to sign it in the office, that I'm aware of this. I signed it. Even before we got there, it was already extreme. Meeting all the stars. That was my first time to debut. On Sunday, I'm in the room with everybody. Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, everybody was there. The match itself was packed. It was difficult to figure out 'what should I do? Who is still going to be in the ring?' I'm 37, and normally there are 30, so I would pass the whole match for a regular Royal Rumble. The ring was packed."
Thankfully, Azeez wasn’t beheaded, though going to Saudi Arabia was an experience that he’ll never forget. Though Azeez didn’t last too long in the Greatest Royal Rumble as he only participated in the match for less than six minutes. Nevertheless, the former WWE star may not be in the company anymore, but he’s been pretty active on the independent scene.
Lately, the 37-year-old has been competing in Major League Wrestling. Throughout the interview he discusses wrestling on the indie scene, his time in WWE including his release, and so much more. Check out the full interview as it’s definitely worth a listen.