Here are my Crown Jewel Thoughts:
Here's the Complete W/L Records, Facts, & Stats for WWE Crown JewelMy Picks: Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, Logan Paul, Solo Sikoa, Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn
As I always do when WWE does a show in Saudi Arabia, I made my donation to Sami Zayn's Charity Sami For Syria though he's wrestling today. I encourage all of you to do the same.
fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/Sami4Syria2022The Kickoff was the usual boring stuff until Sami Zayn VS JD McDonagh.
Wow, Bryon Saxton is the ring announcer today, which is very rare. Mike Rome is on vacation & Samantha Irvin is back in the States.
I love that Sami Zayn is allowed to wrestle in Saudi Arabia & the fans love him.
Sami Zayn VS JD McDonagh was an excellent Kickoff Match. CJ PICKS: 1 for 1.
Great opening video.
Kickoff Shows are such a waste of time besides matches. We just saw this video between Seth Rollins & Drew McIntyre on the Kickoff. We don't need to see it again during the main show. Air it once. And wherever you don't air it give more time to the match or added another match.
Seth Rollins VS Drew McIntyre was incredible & an awesome way to start Crown Jewel. I love all of the near falls. It's much better than the last WWE Title Match to open CJ in 2019. Love Damian Priest trying to Cash in but Sami Zayn stopped it. CJ PICKS: 2 for 2.
The 5-Way match is already going to suck. There's no need to waste time for this crap. What does that have to do with Rhea Ripley's entrance?
Besides Shayna Baszler putting 3 submissions on at once, Baszler VS Nia Jax VS Rhea Ripley VS Raquel Rodriguez VS Zoey Stark lived up to its hype & sucked. It was awful. Worst match on the show. CJ PICKS: 3 for 3.
Wow what a PR video full of BS.
John Cena VS Solo Sikoa was a great match. Cena is supposed to put the young guys over & he made Sikoa. I think Cena's done for now since the strikes are over & then down the line when he's allowed to, he can come back & avenge his loss. CJ Picks: 4 for 4.
Blood Money talks. Saudi Arabia gets a WWE attraction, but we don't get one here in the States. That's BS.
What a waste of time. We don't need a MizTV with The Miz on this show. I want my wrestling. More BS. They should have added another match, not this crap with The Miz & Grayson Waller and some guy that no one knows except for the people in the building. That was awful. No one should be allowed to do the People's Elbow except for The Rock, especially some stupid actor that no one in America knows or gives a crap about. What a waste of time.
Cool entrance for Logan Paul.
Rey Mysterio VS Logan Paul was awesome. Paul may be an awful person, but I have to give him credit for learning moves & becoming an excellent wrestler in only 8 matches. The Fallaway Slam Moonsault that Paul did I used to use for my Ninja Turtles as Raphael's finisher when I used them to wrestle. I called it the Sai Slam. Now, we will have no Singles Champs on Smackdown. CJ PICKS: 5 for 5.
Solid interview by Bianca Belair.
By the way, I love watching wrestling in the middle of the afternoon. It will be over by 5. It doesn't interfere with dinner & I still have all night to do what I want.
Bianca Belair VS IYO SKY was a tremendous match. I love the return of Kairi Sane. Please keep her on Smackdown & away from Nia Jax for the rest of her career. I love SKY & Sane together. CJ PICKS: 6 for 6.
Cody Rhodes VS Damian Priest was a great match even with all of the interference. BTW, you know you are hated when the evil Saudi empire boos you, so kudos to Dominik Mysterio. CJ PICKS: 7 for 7.
LA Knight VS Roman Reigns was another great match. Knight showed that he deserves to be in the main event picture & hopefully this is only the beginning for him & losing to Reigns isn't that big of a deal & he wasn't "jobbed out". CJ PICKS: 8 for 8.
Here are my Crown Jewel Match Rankings:
1) Seth Rollins VS Drew McIntyre
2) John Cena VS Solo Sikoa
3) Rey Mysterio VS Logan Paul
4) Bianca Belair VS IYO SKY
5) LA Knight VS Roman Reigns
6) Cody Rhodes VS Damian Priest
7) Sami Zayn VS JD McDonagh
8 ) Shayna Baszler VS Nia Jax VS Rhea Ripley VS Raquel Rodriguez VS Zoey Stark
Besides the 5-Way Match which I didn't care about going into the show & the MizTV/Waller Effect Segment, Crown Jewel was another excellent PPV (still won't call it a PLE). Every other match was awesome. I can't wait what they have planned for Survivor Series War Games.
Here are my Crown Jewel Facts:
SAMI ZAYN VS JD MCDONAGH was the 1st Kickoff Match of 2023, the 1st since Madcap Moss & The Street Profits VS The Alpha Academy & Austin Theory at Clash at The Castle on 9/3/22 & the 1st 1-on-1 Kickoff Match since Rey Mysterio VS The Miz at Elimination Chamber on 2/19/22. This was the 4th Kickoff Match at Crown Jewel & 1st since 2021, the 1st 1-on-1 Kickoff Match at Crown Jewel since 2018, & 1st Non-Title 1-on-1 Match on the Crown Jewel Kickoff. This was Sami Zaynâs 1st Crown Jewel & 1st Kickoff Match at Crown Jewel. This was his 1st PPV since he & Kevin Owens lost to The Judgment Day at Payback on September 2 & his 1st 1-on-1 Match on PPV since he lost to Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber on 2/18. This was his 1st Kickoff Match since he, Cesaro, King Corbin, & Shinsuke Nakamura lost to Daniel Bryan, Big E, Chad Gable, & Otis at TLC on 12/20/20 & his 1st 1-on-1 Kickoff Match in his Career. This was JD McDonaghâs 1st Crown Jewel. This was his 1st PPV since the Slim Jim Battle Royal on 8/5 & 1st 1-on-1 Match on PPV & 1st Kickoff Match in his Career. This was the 3rd 1-on-1 Match between them after Raw on 8/14 (won by Zayn) & 9/4 (won by McDonagh), so Zayn won 2 & McDonagh won 1.
GENERAL FACTS: This was the 1st PPV since SummerSlam on 8/5 to not have a Tag Team Championship Match & the 1st Crown Jewel since 2021 to not have one. This was the 3rd PPV in a row to not have an Intercontinental Championship Match & was the 5th Crown Jewel in a row to not have one, meaning that the Intercontinental Championship has never been defended at Crown Jewel. This was the 4th PPV in a row to not have a Womenâs Tag Team Championship Match in 2023 & 1st Crown Jewel since 2021 to not have one. This was the 1st Crown Jewel where Bobby Lashley, Brock Lesnar, or AJ Styles didn't wrestle, therefore no one has wrestled on all 5 Crown Jewel events. Seth Rollins is the only wrestler to wrestle on every PPV in 2023. This was the 1st PPV since SummerSlam on 8/5 to not have a Tag Team Match & the 1st Crown Jewel in History to not have one.
SETH ROLLINS VS DREW MCINTYRE was the 8th World Heavyweight Championship Match of 2023, 1st since Fastlane on 10/7, & 6th PPV in a row. It was the 8th World Heavyweight, WWE or Universal Championship Match at Crown Jewel & 5th in a row & the 1st time since 2021 that there was 2 World Heavyweight & Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Matches at Crown Jewel. This was Seth Rollinsâ 4th Crown Jewel & 1st since 2021, but 5th match at Crown Jewel as he wrestled twice in 2018, & 2nd Championship Match at Crown Jewel & 1st since 2019. This was his 10th PPV in a row in 2023, which is his most consecutive PPV matches since 12 in 2019. This was Seth Rollinsâ 7th World Heavyweight Championship Defense, so if he would have lost, he would have lost the 1st to lose in his 7th Defense which is the Most Defenses of All-Time. As of Crown Jewel, Rollinsâ World Heavyweight Championship Reign has lasted 161 Days, so if he would have lost, he would have been the 1st to lose in 161 Days, which is both the Shortest & Longest Reign of All-Time. This was Drew McIntyreâs 4th Crown Jewel in a row & 2nd World Championship Match at Crown Jewel & 1st since 2021. This was his 1st PPV since he lost to GUNTHER at SummerSlam on 8/5. If Drew McIntyre would have won, he would have been the 2nd 1st-time World Heavyweight Champion in a row & the 2nd in a row to be a former WWE Champion, NXT Champion, Intercontinental Champion, & Raw Tag Team Champion. This was the 10th 1-on-1 Match between them after NXT on 7/25/12 (won by McIntyre), NXT on 8/1/12 (won by Rollins), Raw on 7/9/18 (won by McIntyre), Raw on 7/30/18 (won by Rollins), Raw on 10/1/18 (won by McIntyre), Raw on 10/15/18 (won by Rollins by Count Out), Raw on 1/21/19 (won by Rollins), Raw on 3/18/19 (won by McIntyre), & Money In The Bank on 5/10/20 (won by McIntyre), so Drew McIntyre won 5 & Rollins won 5. This was the 2nd time that a WWE or World Championship Match has opened a Crown Jewel & the 1st since 2019. This was Seth Rollins' 2nd Crown Jewel Opening Match & 1st since 2021, tying him with Brock Lesnar (2019 & 2022) for most Crown Jewel Openers. This was Drew McIntyre's 1st Crown Jewel opening match & 2nd Opening Match of 2023 & 1st since the Royal Rumble on 1/28. The World Heavyweight Championship has changed hands once in 2023 when Rollins defeated AJ Styles to win the vacant title. It has changed hands 1 time in History. WWE or Universal Championships have changed hands twice at Crown Jewel in 2018 when Brock Lesnar defeated Braun Strowman to win the Vacant WWE Championship & in 2019 when Bray Wyatt defeated Seth Rollins to win the Universal Championship, but the World Heavyweight Championship has never changed hands at Crown Jewel.
SHAYNA BASZLER VS NIA JAX VS RHEA RIPLEY VS RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ VS ZOEY STARK was the 3rd Fatal 5-Way Match of 2023, the 1st since Stand & Deliver on 4/1, the 1st on the main roster since Smackdown on 3/10, the 1st Womenâs Fatal 5-Way Match since Sonya Deville VS Lacey Evans VS Xia Li VS Natalya VS Ronda Rousey on Raw on Smackdown on 9/9/22, & 1st at Crown Jewel. This was the 9th Womenâs World Championship Match of 2023, the 1st since Raw on 9/11, & 2nd PPV in a row in 2023. This was the 3rd Womenâs Championship Match at Crown Jewel in a row, but 1st WWE Womenâs World Championship Match (former Smackdown Womenâs Championship) since 2021. It was the 2nd Fatal 5-Way Match for the Womenâs Championship & 1st since Bayley defeated Sasha Banks, Lacey Evans, Naomi, & Tamina at WrestleMania 36 on 4/5/20. This was Shayna Baszlerâs 1st Crown Jewel & 1st Womenâs Championship & Fatal 5-Way Match at Crown Jewel. It was her 1st PPV since she defeated Ronda Rousey at SummerSlam on 8/5 & her 1st Fatal 5-Way Match in her Career. If she would have won, she would have been the 2nd 1st-time Champion in a row, the 11th to be a former Womenâs Tag Team Champion & 2nd in a row, the 1st to be a former NXT Womenâs Tag Team Champion, & the 7th to be a former NXT Womenâs Champion after Asuka, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, & Rhea Ripley & 2nd in a row & 2nd to be a 2-time NXT Womenâs Champion & 1st since Charlotte Flair. This was Nia Jaxâs 1st Crown Jewel & 1st Womenâs Championship & Fatal 5-Way Match at Crown Jewel. This was her 1st PPV since the Royal Rumble on 1/28 & her 2nd Fatal 5-Way Match in her Career & 1st since she lost to Alexa Bliss along with Sasha Banks, Bayley, & Emma at No Mercy on 9/24/17, giving her a Fatal 5-Way Match Record of 0-2-0. If she would have won, she would have won the 2nd 1st-time Champion in a row, the 8th to be both Raw & Smackdown Womenâs Champion after Asuka, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, & Rhea Ripley & 2nd in a row, the 4th Champion in a row to hold both titles, the 10th to be a former Womenâs Tag Team Champion after Asuka, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Naomi, Natalya, & Rhea Ripley & 2nd in a row, & the 8th to win all 3 Championships after Asuka, Banks, Bayley, Bliss, Flair, Lynch, & Ripley & 2nd in a row. This was Rhea Ripleyâs 1st Crown Jewel, making her the 1st since Becky Lynch in 2021 to make their Crown Jewel debut as defending Womenâs Champion & her 1st Womenâs Championship & Fatal 5-Way Match at Crown Jewel. This was her 1st PPV since Payback on 9/2 & her 2nd Fatal 5-Way Match in her Career & 1st since she lost to Liv Morgan along with Bianca Belair, Carmella, & Queen Zelina on Raw on 11/8/21, giving her a Fatal 5-Way Match Record of 0-2-0. This was Rhea Ripleyâs 6th Womenâs World Championship Defense, so if she would have lost, she would have been the 1st since Sasha Banks who lost to Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 37 on April 10, 2021 to lose in her 6th Defense, which is tied with Naomi for the 2nd most Womenâs World Championship Defenses below Bayley (12). As of Crown Jewel, Rhea Ripleyâs Womenâs World Championship Reign has lasted 217 Days, so if she would have lost, she would have been the 1st to lose in 217 Days, which is the 2nd Longest of All-Time, below Bayleyâs 2nd Reign (10/11/19 â 10/25/20, 380 Days) & only the 2nd Reign to be over 200 Days. This was Raquel Rodriguezâs 1st Crown Jewel & 1st Womenâs Championship & Fatal 5-Way Match at Crown Jewel. This was her 1st PPV since Payback on September 2 & her 1st Fatal 5-Way Match in her Career. If she would have won, she would have the 2nd 1st-time Champion in a row, the 11th to be a former Womenâs Tag Team Champion & 2nd in a row, the 1st to be a former NXT Womenâs Tag Team Champion, & the 7th to be a former NXT Womenâs Champion after Asuka, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, & Rhea Ripley & 2nd in a row. This was Zoey Starkâs 1st Crown Jewel & her 1st Womenâs Championship & Fatal 5-Way Match at Crown Jewel. This was her 1st PPV since Money In The Bank on 7/1, her 1st match overall since she lost to Nia Jax on Raw on September 25, & her 1st Fatal 5-Way Match in her Career. If she would have won, she would have been the 2nd 1st-time Champion in a row & the 1st to be a former NXT Womenâs Tag Team Champion. Baszler, Jax, Rodriguez, & Starks was the 3rd year in a row that someone was making their Crown Jewel debut challenging for a Womenâs Championship. The Womenâs World Championship changed hands once in 2023, when Ripley defeated Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39 on April 1. It has changed hands 27 times in History. It has never changed hands in a Fatal 5-Way Match or at Crown Jewel.
JOHN CENA VS SOLO SIKOA was John Cenaâs 1st Crown Jewel, making it the 1st time he made his PPV debut since he & Bobby Lashley defeated Baron Corbin & Elias at Super Showdown on October 6, 2018. This was his 2nd PPV in a row in 2023, making it the 1st time since he lost to The Undertaker (4/8/18 WrestleMania 34) & defeated Triple H (4/27/18 Greatest Royal Rumble) that he wrestled 2 PPVs in a row & the 1st time since 2018 that he wrestled at least 3 matches in the same year. He is the only wrestler in WWE history to wrestle Rikishi, Solo Sikoa, & Umaga in 1-on-1 Matches. This was Solo Sikoaâs 1st Crown Jewel. This was his 2nd PPV in a row in 2023 & his 1st 1-on-1 Match on PPV in his Career. According to @wwestats, Solo Sikoa is the 7th wrestler to make their WWE PPV Singles Debut against John Cena (Rene Depree & Jesus (2004), Sheamus (2009), Wade Barrett (2010), John Laurinitis (2012), & Kevin Owens (2015).
REY MYSTERIO VS LOGAN PAUL was the 13th United States Championship Match of 2023 & 1st since Smackdown on September 29 & 1st PPV since Payback on September 2. This was the 3rd United States Championship Match at Crown Jewel & 1st since 2019. This was Rey Mysterioâs 2nd Crown Jewel but 3rd match as he wrestled twice in 2018 & 1st United States Championship Match at Crown Jewel. This was his 3rd PPV in a row in 2023 & 1st 1-on-1 Match on PPV since he defeated Austin Theory at Payback on September 2. This was Rey Mysterioâs 3rd United States Championship Defense, so since he lost, he was the 1st since Matt Riddle who lost to Sheamus at WrestleMania 37 on 4/11/21 to lose in his 3rd Defense. As of Crown Jewel, Rey Mysterioâs United States Championship Reign has lasted 85 Days, so he is the 1st to lose in 85 Days. This was Logan Paulâs 2nd Crown Jewel in a row, but 1st United States Championship Match at Crown Jewel, making him the 1st since AJ Styles in 2018 & 2019 to wrestle for the WWE or Undisputed WWE Universal Championship & United States Championship at back-to-back Crown Jewels. This was his 1st PPV & 1st match overall since he defeated Ricochet at SummerSlam on 8/5. It was his 5th PPV of 2023, continuing his record of most matches in his career, as he only wrestled in 3 matches in 2022. This was the 1st time that he wrestled the same opponent in a Tag Team & Singles Match, as he & The Miz defeated Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 38 on 4/2/22. Since Logan Paul won, he is the 1st 1st-time Champion since Austin Theory in 2022 & the 1st Celebrity to be United States Champion in WWE History & the 1st Celebrity of any kind to win a Championship, not counting the 24/7 Championship. This was the 2nd US Title Change of 2023 & 1st since Mysterio defeated Austin Theory on Smackdown on 8/11. It was the 83rd US Title Change in History & 1st ever at Crown Jewel.
BIANCA BELAIR VS IYO SKY was the 14th Womenâs Championship Match of 2023 & 1st since Smackdown on October 20, & & 2nd PPV in a row in 2023. This was the 4th Womenâs Championship Match at Crown Jewel, but 2nd Womenâs Championship Match in a row at Crown Jewel. This was Bianca Belairâs 3rd Crown Jewel in a row, her 3rd Championship Match in a row at Crown Jewel, making her the only woman to wrestle in 3 back-to-back Womenâs Championship Matches at Crown Jewel. This was her 1st PPV since she lost to IYO SKY at SummerSlam on August 5. If she would have won, she would have been the 5th 3-time Womenâs Champion after Asuka, Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss, & Charlotte Flair & the 1st since Asuka in 2023. This was IYO SKYâs 2nd Crown Jewel in a row but 1st Womenâs Championship Match, making her the 1st wrestler to wrestle for the Womenâs Tag Team & Womenâs Championship at back-to-back Crown Jewel events. This was IYO SKYâs 5th Womenâs Championship Defense, so if she would have lost, she would have been the 1st since Asuka who lost to Sasha Banks on Raw on July 27, 2020 to lose in her 5th Defense, which along with Charlotte Flairâs 1st Reign & Alexa Blissâ 3rd Reign is tied for the 6th Most Womenâs Championship Defenses below Becky Lynchâs 2nd Reign (6), Asukaâs 2nd Reign (8), Becky Lynchâs 1st Reign (9), Ronda Rouseyâs 1st Reign (11), & Bianca Belairâs 1st Reign (14). As of Crown Jewel, IYO SKYâs Womenâs Championship Reign has lasted 89 Days, so if she would have lost, she would have been the 1st to lose in 89 Days, which is the 10th Longest Reign of All-Time. This was the 6th 1-on-1 Match between them after NXT on 3/13/19 (ended in a No Contest), Raw on 8/1/22 (ended in a No Contest), Raw on 9/26/22 (won by Belair), Backlash on 5/6 (won by Belair), & SummerSlam on 8/5 (won by SKY) making it the 1st match to be re-matched from SummerSlam, so Belair won 2, SKY won 2, & 2 matches ended in a No Contest. The Womenâs Championship has changed hands 3 times in 2023 with the last title change taking place at SummerSlam on 8/5 when SKY defeated Bianca Belair. It has change hands 27 times in History. It has never changed hands at Crown Jewel.
CODY RHODES VS DAMIAN PRIEST was Cody Rhodesâ 1st Crown Jewel, making it the 1st time he made his PPV debut since he lost to Goldust at Fastlane on 2/22/15. This was his 2nd PPV in a row in 2023 & his 1st 1-on-1 Match on PPV since he defeated Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam on 8/5. This was Damian Priestâs 2nd Crown Jewel & 2nd in a row, but 1st 1-on-1 Match at Crown Jewel. This was his 3rd PPV in a row in 2023 & only his 4th 1-on-1 Match on PPV after he defeated The Miz (Lumberjack Match on 5/16/21 WrestleMania Backlash), defeated Sheamus (US Title Match on 8/21/21 SummerSlam), & lost to Bad Bunny (San Juan Street Fight on 5/6/23 Backlash), making this his 1st Non-Title Non-Gimmick Match on PPV in his Career. He was the 1st Tag Team Champion to wrestle in a 1-on-1 Singles Match on PPV since Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel in 2018. This was the 2nd 1-on-1 Match between them after Raw on 6/26, which was also won by Rhodes.
LA KNIGHT VS ROMAN REIGNS was the 5th Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match of 2023 & the 1st since SummerSlam on 8/5, marking 92 Days between Defenses. It was the 9th WWE or Universal Championship Match at Crown Jewel & 5th in a row & the 1st time since 2021 that there was 2 World Heavyweight & Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Matches at Crown Jewel. This was LA Knightâs 1st Crown Jewel, making him the 2nd year in a row after Logan Paul to make his Crown Jewel debut challenging for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. It was his 5th PPV in a row in 2023. If he would have won, he would have been the 1st 1st-time WWE Champion since Big E & the 1st person to win the WWE Championship as his 1st Championship on the main roster since Jinder Mahal & the 1st 1st-time Universal Champion since Braun Strowman & the 1st person in History to win the Universal Championship as his 1st Championship on the main roster. He would have also been the 1st in history to be a former Million Dollar Champion. This was Roman Reignsâ 4th Crown Jewel in a row & 3rd Championship Match in a row at Crown Jewel, making him the 1st wrestler to wrestle in 3 Championship Matches at back-to-back Crown Jewel events. It was his 1st PPV & match overall since he defeated Jey Uso at SummerSlam on 8/5 & his 7th match of 2023, making it the least number of matches he wrestled on TV & PPV since he wrestled only 1 match in 2012 (12/16/12 TLC) which was his 1st PPV & 1st match on the main roster. This was Roman Reignsâ 9th WWE Championship Defense, so if he would have lost, he would have been the 1st since Bobby Lashley who lost to Big E on Raw on 9/13/21 to lose in his 9th Defense. As of Crown Jewel, Roman Reignsâ WWE Championship Reign has lasted 580 Days, so if he loses, he was the 1st to lose in 580 Days, which is the 6th Longest of All-Time. This was Roman Reignsâ 30th Universal Championship Defense, which is the most Defenses in History. As of Crown Jewel, Roman Reignsâ Universal Championship Reign has lasted 1161 Days, which is the longest Reign of All-Time. This was the 4th Universal Championship Match to main event Crown Jewel in a row, Knightâs 1st ever PPV main event & Reignsâ 3rd Crown Jewel main event in a row, making him the 1st wrestler to wrestle in 3 Crown Jewel main events in a row, & was his 7th PPV main event of 2022, which is the most PPV main events in 2023, & 1st since SummerSlam on August 5. The WWE Championship has never changed hands in 2023, with the last title change taking place at WrestleMania 38 on 4/3/22, when Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar. It has changed hands 145 times in WWE History. The Universal Championship has never changed hands in 2023, with the last title change taking place at Payback on 8/30/20, when Roman Reigns defeated Braun Strowman & Bray Wyatt in a Triple Threat Match. It has changed hands 14 times in WWE History. WWE or Universal Championships have changed hands twice at Crown Jewel in 2018 when Brock Lesnar defeated Braun Strowman to win the Vacant WWE Championship & in 2019 when Bray Wyatt defeated Seth Rollins to win the Universal Championship. Roman Reigns' Undefeated Streak remains at Crown Jewel at 4-0.