Another Crown Jewel show is at our doorstep. For the sixth time in WWE history, the PLE emanated live from Saudi Arabia, and it was a great night. There was a stacked card and new champions were set to be crowned but does that mean the night delivered?
Let’s take a look.
Roman Reigns, Jimmy and Jey Uso vs. Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu
Rating: 2.75/5
The anticipation for this six-man tag was high on Saturday. There was a ton of star power in the match but the action fell flat for the most part. It was your usual tag match with a face in peril leading to a hot tag from Roman Reigns.
As an opener, there was more to expect from this match. The action was fine but there wasn’t anything special to the contest. It was a TV match that just so happened to be on a PLE.
The finish was interesting with Solo Sikoa going over Reigns. One would have expected either Usos to eat the pin but the OTC taking the fall builds Sikoa up and makes their upcoming match mean more.
Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair Damage Control vs. Meta Four vs. Chelsea Green & Piper Niven (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal Four-Way)
Rating: 3/5
It appeared as if the crowd was sitting on its hands for this match. Each team received little to no reaction, which is a shame because each woman displayed some solid action and character work throughout the contest.
These eight women worked their butts off to get the crowd back and got some nice chants when they were pulling off the outside of the ring spots. Once again, Chelsea Green was the MVP of the match. She is incredibly entertaining and deserves to have a shot at wearing some gold.
Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill winning wasn’t a huge shock. They are the most polished team on the roster, and it doesn’t look like they will have much competition for a while.
Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed
Rating: 3.25/5
Seth Rollins and ‘Big’ Bronson Reed have been building up a great program. It is a fresh matchup for both men and their brawls have been the best segment of Monday Night Raw. This brawling continued into their match at Crown Jewel.
Rollins jumped Reed before the bell, and that started an arms race where both men tried to hit a home run with every move. It was a great dynamic and the best way to showcase the talents of both men. The action was great, and it showed that Reed was a man who could be relied upon for a big-time match.
However, having Rollins go over wasn’t the right choice here. Reed needed the win to legitimize his ascension to the top of the card. Hopefully, he can regain some momentum in the coming weeks.
Nix Jax vs. Liv Morgan (Crown Jewel Championship Match)
Rating: 3/5
The build towards this champion vs champion showdown was lacking headed into this match. Nia Jax and Liv Morgan weren’t given much to work with, and the crowd wasn’t into the contest as much as they should have been.
Morgan playing the cowardly heel to Jax’s monster heel was the only way that this match could be booked. Not to say it wasn’t entertaining but it felt a bit stale as the wrestlers were pigeonholed into their roles.
The teasing of Tiffany Stratton cashing in the briefcase was fun but WWE needs to pull the trigger on that soon before fans get tired of the tease.
Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens
Rating: 3/5
This wasn’t a match but it was very fun to watch and helped to move the program forward. It has been refreshing to see Kevin Owens pushed back into his heel persona. It is where he has done his best work and, if the beginnings of this program are any indication, it’s only going to get better.
The brawling around ringside was a fun watch. It sold the hatred Randy Orton and Owens share for each other. Their lack of concern for any official helped to sell how intense this feud will get, and that there will more than likely be a gimmick match going forward.
LA Knight vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade El Idolo (United States Championship Match)
Rating: 4/5
LA Knight, Carmelo Hayes, and Andrade have been wonderful in their mid-card program. They have been in great matches and great segments, and it should come as no shock that this match was a highlight of the evening.
The athleticism showcased for this match was off the wall. Andrade and Hayes pulled off some fantastic dives and even Knight’s double elbow drop from the top rope was intriguing. There were parts of the match where it was hard to figure out who was going to walk away with the strap.
Knight’s popularity is sky-high, so it was the safe move to have him win. It was cool to see him pull off a double BFT for the win, putting a nice exclamation point on the match.
Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther (Crown Jewel Championship Match)
Rating: 4.25/5
Gunther and Cody Rhodes worked their butts off to get fans invested in this match. Their aura alone makes for an intriguing matchup but their promos leading to the contest made us care that much more.
As expected, the wrestling was spot on. This shouldn’t come as a shock considering that these are the two world champions.
Gunther was awesome as he methodically worked over Rhodes. The Undisputed WWE Champion had his spurts of offense that helped to sell his eventual comeback.
Gunther and Rhodes put on a show for the Saudi Arabian crowd. Their back and forth was fantastic and it was hard to tell who was going to win the match.
Both men could have used the win but having Rhodes win made sense. Having him get the upper hand on Gunther’s sleeper hold was the perfect way to sell Gunther’s arrogance and Rhodes’ ingenuity.
