Mansoor Recalls Vince McMahon Saying That Saudi Arabia Deal Hinged On His WWE Crown Jewel 2019 Match

Mansoor says that he had a lot of pressure to deliver at WWE Crown Jewel 2019, as Vince McMahon said the WWE & Saudi Arabia deal hinged on its success. Mansoor faced Claudio Castagnoli at the show, and he spoke about the match on Talk Is Jericho about the match and the pressure that they felt to give a top-level performance. You can see highlights below, per Fightful):

On Vince McMahon believing the Saudi deal’s fate was dependent on the match: “I think he just didn’t want the Saudis to get hot. I honestly think that he believed if the Saudis saw me in a compromising position, that they would perhaps jeopardize the deal. I had a match with Claudio, it was Crown Jewel, I don’t remember the year. But, apparently the deal was in jeopardy. Vince was telling our producer Shane Helms that this has to be a WrestleMania level match, the fate of this deal depends on it. Vince believed that if this match didn’t go well, it was going to ruin the whole thing. He needed the Saudi boy to have this amazing and spectacular performance and what a better wrestler to [face] than Claudio, 100%.”

On being praised by Vince after the match: “So, I came out and there’s like fireworks and pyro, and this pomp and circumstance. By the way, I’m like an 180 pound schlump, okay? I got in pretty good shape later in my career. I go out there with Claudio and he carries me to what was probably the best performance of my life and my career at the time. I get to the back and Vince gets up and he’s like, ‘Wow.’ Shakes my hand, gives me the hug and says, ‘Oh, you have tremendous facials.’ Thanks, Vince. [laughs] It went really well but once I got home, that was kind of it for me.”