WWEdebuted the Crown Jewel Championships for the first time in Saudi Arabia, as theMen’s and Women’s World Champions from Raw and Smackdown met in Champion vs Champion bouts. Crown Jewel saw Cody Rhodes defeat Gunther in a superb main event, using an inventive pinfall counter to Gunther’s deep sleeper hold, while Liv Morgan defeated Nia Jax after interference from Raquel Rodriguez and another failed MITB cash-in from Tiffany Stratton. They will go down in history as the first-ever Crown Jewel Champions.
All other champions also retained their titles. Jade Cagill and Bianca Belair retained their championships in a Fatal Four Way and LA Knight defeated Carmelo Hayes and Andrade to keep his US Championship. Seth Rollins defeated a bloodied Bronson Reed, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens’s match didn’t even manage to start because of the explosion of violence from KO, andSolo Sikoa pinned Roman Reigns to win The Bloodline ‘Uncivil War’Tag Team match.
Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline
Solo Pins Roman Reigns In Shocking Opener
The night had all been made about the reunion between Roman Reigns and The Usos.Roman “yeeted” on Smackdown, the band is back together and the party was in full swing. Even the audience had an air of “waiting for the good guys to win”, in full voice when chanting for Roman, but all of this is to ignore the efficiency, ruthlessness, and quality of the new Bloodline.Solo Sikoa shocked the world by pinning Roman Reigns, Jacob Fatu continued to look like pro wrestling’s greatest menace and everyone is about to take the new-look Bloodline a lot more seriously.
In a post-match four-on-three beatdown, Jey Uso was about to be permanently injured by his adversaries before Sami Zayn came to make the save. After being openly anti-Roman, still having his beef with Jimmy Uso, and being seen in conversation with Solo Sikoa in the parking lot of Monday Night Raw,Sami Zayn then caused more controversy by taking out Roman Reigns.
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They had Solo surrounded in the middle of the ring, only for Roman and Sami to both attempt to land the first blow and Sami to take down the OTC. Sami’s actions certainly caused a lot more questions than answers.
Cody Rhodes
Leaving No Doubt Who The WWE’s Main Man Is
Ilja Dragunov, Bron Breakker, Sami Zayn and now Cody Rhodes. That is the small list of men in WWE to have scored a pinfall victory over Gunther, such has been the dominance of the big Austrian’s last few years. As promised, Gunther had his fellow champion close to passing out with his sleeper hold, butCody Rhodes’s elite ring IQ scored him the victorywith a sensational roll-up to counter Gunther’s deep sleeper. This decision truly solidifiesCody Rhodes’ reignand status as the top babyface in the company.
The title might be made-up nonsense that holds no significance whatsoever, but this match showed why WWE has had the savvy to tease it for two consecutive Royal Rumbles.Cody and Gunther have a natural magic with one another that is incredibly rare, both in terms of their natural fit as characters and their in-ring chemistry. This match was perfectly paced, methodical without being laborious, and gave real intrigue about who would prevail. Their exchange at the final bell suggested that there is a rich history to come between them in a more prestigious setting, but this was an electrifying first bout between these two future Hall Of Famers.
Liv Morgan
Your First-Ever Crown Jewel Women’s Champion
Based on all of the evidence that 2024 has had to offer, it really feels likeLiv Morgan is the most dominant wrestler on WWE’s women’s roster.This victory over SmackDown’s champion, Nia Jax, is the latest chapter in that particular takeover. The belt may not mean anything until it’s mentioned on TV again next October, but it’s an accolade and a statement of intent that Liv Morgan is seen as a major player in WWE’s future.
Morgan will be tested in the near future, but not by just one opponent. Rhea Ripley has been taken out of commission indefinitely and that leaves Liv in limbo. There is no standout contender on Raw and that meansLiv is going to have to stay relevant with no obvious opponent in sight. Maybe someone emerges from the shadows and sparks momentum. It’s going to be interesting, that’s for sure.
The US Championship Match
The Best Match Of The Night
Sometimes, all you need is engaging characters in a story that makes sense and no-frills professional wrestling. LA Knight retained his US Championship against the warring duo of Carmelo Hayes and Andrade butthis was an occasion in which everyone shined brightly. The finale of this match was cleaner than a whistle and gave the impression that none of these competitors has seen the last of one another. A very good moment for SmackDown’s mid-card.
Seth Rollins
A Big Win In Seth’s First Match Since May
In a year in which his accumulated injuries reached critical mass, Seth Rollins has been plagued by niggling knocks that have kept him out of the ring for much of 2024.This was only Rollins' second match since WrestleMania,and it is a measure of the man that he would opt to face Bronson Reed without any kind of warm-up. That he went on to emerge victorious is an indicator that Rollins is still a major player at the top of the WWE food chain.
This rivalry with the Australian wrecking ball, Bronson Reed, has been a welcome detour that has served both men. Reed has taken the ball and run with it since injuring Seth on August 5th andRollins looked like a badass by beating one of the breakout stars of this year. All intrigue around Seth Rollins now centers around CM Punk and whether that rivalry is going to start soon or be kept on ice for WWE’s big Netflix move in January.
Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair
The Women’s Tag Champs Are Starting To Feel Immovable
A fun match sawJade Cargill and Bianca Belair defeat opponents from Raw, SmackDown and NXT,Damage CTRL, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, and Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson,to retain their Women’s Tag Team Championship.There was a lot of personality on show throughout, as Damage CTRL members grow into their face role better with every passing week, and Chelsea Green and Piper Niven’s slapstick antics were perfect for this setting. Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson’s powerful prowess was particularly eye-catching.
As for the tag team champions,Jade and Bianca are at a stage where they feel beyond formidable. They are fighting champions and regularly defend their titles, but they are showing no signs of dropping the titles any time soon. Are there any contenders that look remotely likely to topple these two superstars at this point in time?
Tiffany Stratton
Tiffy Time Is Running Out
Here is a wild stat about the last four months. Tiffany Stratton has not won a single solo match since winning the Women’s Money In The Bank briefcase in July, losing to Michin, Bayley, and Naomi in singles competition and in two of her three tag matches. Ms Stratton has been belittled by the woman she aligned herself with, WWE Champion Nia Jax, andshe has looked clueless in her attempted cash-ins so far. Put bluntly, things are not going Tiffany Stratton’s way right now.
The beauty of the MITB briefcase is that your fortunes can change in an instant, and it really looked like Riyadh might be the moment for Tiffy to challenge for the title but again it went begging. Whether it’s winning the title or stacking up some Ws,something has to change for TIffany Stratton. Her talent is undeniable and her future is golden. It’s just her present that kinda leaves something to be desired.
Randy Orton
A No-Contest But A Barrel Of Fun
There’s no doubt about it,Kevin Owens is currently the most interesting character in WWE. His righteous sense of rage is steeped in history, staying true to your word and watching on while weaker men forgive and forget. Not KO. Kevin Owens is on a vicious path of vengeance that goes through anyone aligned with Roman or any part of The Bloodline, as Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes have both experienced to their detriment.
What makes Kevin Owens magnetic is his indignation. This is his Joker arc. Some men are interested in championships and working their way towards their Hall Of Fame speech and “some men just want to watch the world burn”.This match didn’t even get underway, as KO attacked Orton with a chair before a bell was rung and stunned the referee for trying to stop him from inflicting further damage. Orton fought back, including RKOing Raw GM Adam Pearce for getting in the way, but was put through a table off a concourse after both men fought through the arena.Owens was happier at Orton leaving in an ambulance than he would have been with a victory, such is his level of pain and disgust. The man is a timebomb. Watch him explode in the coming weeks.
