Sometimes, fact really is stranger than scripted fiction.
During a press conference for WWE's upcoming Elimination Chamber 2024, the company's lead announcer Michael Cole revealed that WWE had been accosted by pirates -- and it doesn't appear to be a storyline.
(And to be clear, these are real pirates, not the Johnny Depp variety.)
A bit of background: WWE's annual Elimination Chamber premium live event -- WWE's preferred parlance to "pay-per-view" -- is an event that features matches inside the titular structure.
That Elimination Chamber itself is a genuinely impressive structure.
WWE claims the structure weighs 10 tons and features two miles of chain, but this is a pro-wrestling (which has its roots in carnies) company so take that figure with a grain of salt.
How many would you have gotten right? 🤔⛓️ #WWEChamber pic.twitter.com/NcjIDZIh5d
— WWE (@WWE) February 22, 2024
Regardless of the literal dimensions, it's still a massive structure and hauling it to Perth, Australia, the site of the 2024 event, was always going to be a bit of a logistical pain.
Turns out, it's a bigger pain than anyone anticipated.
Cole spoke at the event's press conference and revealed that pirates had stopped WWE from accessing the Suez Canal, which necessitated a harrowing roundabout delivery of the massive steel structure.
