Tag: Damian Priest

WWE SmackDown results 11/24/23: Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch fail to put the past behind them

Also, find out who stepped up during WWE SmackDown to replace Carlito at Survivor Series.

With only five matches on the Survivor Series: WarGames card this weekend, there isn’t room for every title to be defended. That works out well for us tonight, as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship is on the line at WWE SmackDown in Chicago (well, the greater Chicago area, anyway).

It seems wild to think about, but it’s been some time since the Street Profits wore tag team titles of any kind — more than two years, actually. They’ve had opportunities over that time and always been right around the periphery of the top of the division, but they never broke through.

Teaming with Bobby Lashley and making a bit of a heel turn was supposed to unlock the Profits. It’s not inconceivable to think that they might dethrone Damian Priest and Finn Balor tonight, especially if the overall drama surrounding The Judgment Day spills over somehow. A night before the WarGames match at Survivor Series, you can’t rule that out.

A victory for the Profits might tilt the tag team division back toward ongoing teams instead of high profile singles stars teaming up. But if they don’t seal the deal, what then? It’s fair to wonder if Lashley might be tired of the Profits and their partnership explode.

Could there be more wrinkles for Survivor Series during tonight’s show as well? You certainly can’t rule it out. That’s why we’ll be watching.

WWE SmackDown results from Chicago:

(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)

  • The broadcast begins with an extended replay of Becky Lynch joining the team opposing Damage CTRL in the Women’s WarGames match at Survivor Series
  • The all-star team of faces from the Women’s WarGames match is in the house, but Bayley sees an opportunity to sow distrust between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in what looks like it will be tonight’s main event
  • A replay is shown of the reveal of Randy Orton returning Saturday night for WarGames
  • The rest of Damage CTRL is backstage and looks pretty unexcited about Bayley booking them for a match, so they decide their leader should team with Asuka for the main event
  • The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) def. Street Profits by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, getting an assist from Rhea Ripley to do so
  • Flair says she got approval for the tag team match, but her bickering with Lynch has their teammates looking concerned
  • A recorded Dragon Lee promo explains his journey through pro wrestling and the importance of family to his story
  • Kevin Owens is on The Grayson Waller Effect, as is Austin Theory impersonating Owens, and pretty soon, Waller and Theory have angered LA Knight enough that he’s involved as well
  • Kevin Owens and LA Knight def. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller by pinfall
  • Belair tells Lynch that Flair was right and tells The Man that she really needs to set aside her issues with Charlotte for the greater good, and Lynch tries to tell herself she can keep it cool
  • A video package takes us back through Santos Escobar’s attack on Rey Mysterio and his other former LWO teammates
  • Carlito is the last man standing in the LWO … but not for long thanks to Santos Escobar
  • Escobar attacks Carlito again backstage, but Dragon Lee arrives to save the day
  • Pretty Deadly def. Brawling Brutes by pinfall after Ridge Holland walks out on Butch during the match
  • Shotzi talks to Flair about helping her at her lowest point and suggests that a few words from Charlotte could change things between her and Becky, just like it did for Shotzi
  • Nick Aldis says Carlito is hurt badly and in no shape to compete tomorrow at Survivor Series, but when he goes to cancel the match, Dragon Lee makes an impassioned plea to take Carlito’s place, and Aldis says he’s in
  • The Judgment Day cuts a promo about WarGames, taunting Randy Orton and reminding him that teammate Jey Uso put him on the shelf
  • Lynch and Flair have a quick work backstage and agree that they’re good
  • Damage CTRL (Asuka and Bayley) def. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair by pinfall, taking advantage of some misfires between Becky and Charlotte, and Bianca and Shotzi have to hustle to the ring to prevent further catastrophe

WWE SmackDown preview 11/24/23: Black Friday tag team title clash

Also tonight on WWE SmackDown, Kevin Owens is the guest on what could be a contentious Grayson Waller Effect.

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As everyone shakes off their food comas and gets ready to do some holiday shopping, we’ll see if the busy schedule of The Judgment Day comes back to haunt them tonight on WWE SmackDown from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont just outside Chicago.

The Judgment Day has been occupied with the impending WarGames match at Survivor Series on Saturday, and understandably so. Not only do they have to deal with a quartet of Raw’s most popular faces, but they learned this week that Randy Orton would be making his long awaited return from injury to battle against them as well.

Alas, as Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, Damian Priest and Finn Balor don’t have the luxury of worrying about what’s happening on only one brand. They’ll put their titles on the line tonight against the Street Profits, who are anxious to prove their new attitude is paying off after aligning with Bobby Lashley.

The other big segment that has been promoted for tonight involved The Grayson Waller Effect and its guest, Kevin Owens. You may remember that KO did a guest stint a few weeks ago while subbing for Corey Graves, wit the condition that if he touched anyone, he’d be suspended.

Well, Owens made it through a big chunk of the show but found unable to resist trying to beat up Grayson Waller — an understandable reaction, really — and did, indeed, end up suspended. They’ll no doubt discuss that tonight on SmackDown, and it should be an interesting conversation, to say the least.

A quick reminder that SmackDown is on FS1 tonight, not FOX, which will be showing the Oregon State-Oregon college football game. Conveniently, FS1 is doing a rebroadcast of the show at 10 p.m. right after the first run, so if you’re out shopping or hanging with family, you can catch it later if needed.

But we’ll he here recapping SmackDown as it goes down, so please visit us later this evening for live results and updates if you need them.

How to watch WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 — Live stream US, international

A quick holiday week reminder on how to watch WWE Survivor Series: WarGames this weekend.

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It’s nearly Thanksgiving, so it’s that time of the year again where WWE presents Survivor Series, the long-running premium live event that usually pits teams and brands against each other, although the latter isn’t happening this year.

Instead, two WarGames matches will headline Survivor Series, as it’ll take two babyface groups trying to take down heel stables that are running rampant across Raw and SmackDown.

Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair and Shotzi will compete against IYO SKY, Kairi Sane, Bayley, and Asuka in WarGames. Over the last few weeks, Damage CTRL has increased in membership to five, but Bayley has been noticeably marginalized within the group. If tensions arise during the match, it could potentially end her involvement with the stable she once formed.

The other WarGames match pits Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn and probably Randy Orton against Damian Priest, Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh and Drew McIntyre.

On the go-home episode of Raw, Rhodes clearly hinted at the Viper, who has not wrestled in over 18 months, being their mystery partner. It’s hard to believe it could be anyone else, even with the internet buzzing about CM Punk’s theme music playing at the Allstate Arena. When Orton emerges from behind the curtain, it will undoubtedly be a special moment for one of WWE’s iconic figures.

Survivor Series features a small match card otherwise since WarGames will dominate the night. Gunther vs. The Miz, Rhea Ripley vs. Zoey Stark, and Carlito vs. Santos Escobar all have the chance to potentially shine with more time, though, to make the undercard intriguing and entertaining.

These matches will grace Survivor Series. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the action this weekend.

WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2023

  • Date: Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023
  • Location: Allstate Arena, Chicago, Illinois
  • Start time: 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT
  • How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., and on WWE Network in the rest of the world

WWE Survivor Series: Wargames 2023 card — Randy Orton returns

An updated look at the full match card for WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2023.

WWE Survivor Series returns to the Allstate Arena in Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 25, continuing its tradition as an annual premium live event. It usually serves as the last big event before Royal Rumble, often featuring Raw vs. SmackDown matches, but WarGames has recently become the headlining bout.

Among the matches confirmed for Survivor Series 2023, Zoey Stark, who won a battle royal on the Nov. 6 episode of Raw, will challenge Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship.

Trish Stratus’ former protege lost the Fatal Five-way match at Crown Jewel for Ripley’s title, but she’ll have her chance at redemption in a singles championship match — her first since her promotion to the main roster following WrestleMania 39.

During Raw, it was mentioned that the winner of the No. 1 Contenders match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship would face Gunther at Survivor Series. The Miz claimed that opportunity by defeating Bronson Reed, Ricochet and Ivar, to set up a match for a title often associated with him.

WarGames will also happen, as WWE confirmed in a promotional video package for Survivor Series. They didn’t set anyone for it at the time, but on Raw, after a wild brawl to close the show, Adam Pearce announced that Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn will face Damian Priest, Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh of The Judgment Day in this two-ring match of chaos.

Just this week, that match got two more twists. Drew McIntyre allied himself with The Judgment Day, while it was revealed that Randy Orton will return after more than a year recovering from injury to join the other team.

Survivor Series goes down on Saturday, Nov. 25 from the Allstate Arena near Chicago.

Latest update: Nov. 20, 2023, 11:55 p.m. ET.

WWE Survivor Series 2023 card:

  • Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn and Randy Orton vs. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh) and Drew McIntyre – WarGames match
  • Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Shotzi and Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (Asuka, Bayley, IYO SKY and Kairi Sane) – WarGames match
  • Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zoey Stark – Women’s World Championship match
  • Gunther (c) vs. The Miz – WWE Intercontinental Championship match
  • Santos Escobar vs. Carlito

WWE Raw results 11/20/23: Drew McIntyre wins WarGames advantage, Randy Orton is in too

The Viper didn’t appear on Raw but it seems almost certain he’ll be in WarGames this Saturday.

When Drew McIntyre turned on the biggest faces on the Raw roster last week, it wasn’t a complete surprise. But that doesn’t mean it was any easier to take, and what he does tonight on WWE Raw from Grand Rapids.

The Scottish Warrior has been in the midst of what appears to be a slow motion heel turn for weeks, bitter at seeing his world championship aspirations foiled: first by Jey Uso, back when he was still part of The Bloodline, and more recently by Seth Rollins, who defeated him straight up.

That made it perfectly logical when he aided The Judgment Day in retaining their tag team titles, even if the WWE Universe was still upset when it happened. It also seems like it won’t be enough to help him prove his point.

Might siding with The Judgment Day and trying to stomp out Uso, Rollins, Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn personally in WarGames do it? Perhaps, and since McIntyre is slated to kick off the show tonight, we may find out if that’s his plan pretty quickly.

Of course if he throws in with the heels, the face will need a fifth man of their own. You’ve all heard the rumors. Some of you even seem to be hoping a certain Pepsi Phil will get the call. However, there are others who are hoping the Viper makes his long awaited return, and that would make this show very interesting indeed.

Also there could be a new theme song, which would be pretty cool as well.

Here’s what happened tonight in chronological order.

WWE Raw results from Grand Rapids:

(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)

  • Drew McIntyre explains his heel turn in frankly relatable terms and says he’ll stand with The Judgment Day in WarGames, bringing everyone else involved in that match out ahead of the match for the advantage later tonight
  • Damian Priest says as the leader of the WarGames team, Rhea Ripley should have asked him first before adding McIntyre to their team, and through Ripley admits that probably should have been the case, they’re going to wait for Drew before picking the person for the advantage match
  • Nia Jax def. Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall
  • Priest is impatient but McIntyre has arrived, and he wants to be in the advantage match; Priest eventually relents and says Drew can go prove his worth to the team, then tells Ripley he better get the job done
  • The good guys in WarGames discuss who they might add for their team, with Rhodes suggesting he has an “old friend” he can call, telling Uso to just focus on the advantage match
  • Becky Lynch def. Xia Li by pinfall
  • After the match, Damage CTRL comes down through the stands, but so does the face team, and a huge brawl breaks out that needs security and officials to break up
  • Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci have a disagreement about the Ring General’s instructions, with Kaiser telling Vinci to stay in the back for his match with Johnny Gargano
  • A video package hypes up Zoey Stark ahead of her match with Ripley at Survivor Series
  • Johnny Gargano def. Ludwig Kaiser by pinfall after Vinci ignores Kaiser’s instructions and distracts him
  • Pearce has lost it because he’s being nagged by multiple teams who want to challenge for the women’s tag team titles, eventually giving up and putting them all in one match to find a No. 1 contender, and not even Chelsea Green’s threat to talk to “the office” makes him rethink his decision
  • Stark and Shayna Baszler have invaded The Judgment Day’s locker room, and Zoey fells confident enough to taunt the champ there; Rhea says she kind of respects Zoey’s chutzpah and that she’ll get her beating on Saturday
  • Tegan Nox and Natalya win a Women’s Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contenders Fatal 4-Way
  • Gunther demands an explanation from Kaiser and Vinci and isn’t in the mood for Ludwig’s excuses; he tells them to watch him handle The Miz and suggests they sort it out
  • Pearce has his hands full again backstage, where the men’s teams want the same opportunity as the women’s teams, so he tells them they can have Tag Team Turmoil next week on Raw, then turns to find SmackDown GM Nick Aldis there asking for a conversation
  • The Miz gets bullied by Gunther until he can take no more
  • Seth Rollins gives Jey Uso a pep talk ahead of the advantage match
  • Ivar (and Valhalla) have some words for Bronson Reed, challenging Reed to a match next week on Raw
  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Chad Gable by pinfall
  • Priest tells McIntyre he better get the job done, and the Scottish Warrior says he won’t just win but will take Jey Uso out
  • Reed accepts Ivar’s challenge and says the Viking won’t survive
  • A short video explains the rules for the WarGames matches
  • Though Rollins and Zayn say they’ve had no luck securing a fifth member for their team, Rhodes tells them the person he called picked up and “he’s in”
  • Drew McIntyre def. Jey Uso by pinfall, winning The Judgment Day the advantage for WarGames
  • After the bell, McIntyre continues to beat on Uso, and quickly, everyone in the WarGames match is in the ring, with the faces clearing the ring thanks to steel chairs; Rhodes says he’s glad The Judgment Day has the advantage because they have someone on their side: an Apex Predator

WWE Raw preview 11/20/23: WarGames advantage on the line in Grand Rapids

We’ll also hear from Drew McIntyre on WWE Raw tonight. Will he join The Judgment Day’s WarGames team?

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We’re just five days away from Survivor Series WarGames, but there’s still some serious business to attend to in Grand Rapids tonight on WWE Raw.

Can The Judgment Day or Cody Rhodes’ team of heroes grab the WarGames advantage?

Despite assembling an all-star team of sorts to take on The Judgment Day in the men’s WarGames match, Cody Rhodes and company found they couldn’t gain the upper hand last week by taking the tag team titles from Damian Priest and Finn Balor.

We’ll get to the reason why in a second, but there’s no time to wallow in misery as the advantage for WarGames is on the line in Grand Rapids. One member of each team will square off in a singles match to gain the coveted edge, and it will be interesting to see if the good guys go with the man who only seemed to grudgingly join the fight, World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.

For The Judgment Day, no one but Dominik Mysterio would be a surprise.

Will Drew McIntyre be added to the WarGames match?

Right now, all WWE is promoting for Drew McIntyre is that he’ll explain his actions from last week’s episode of Raw, when he ensured The Judgment Day held onto the tag team titles. He then doubled down by shaking hands with Rhea Ripley as the show went off the air.

While no one expects the Scottish Warrior to actually join The Judgment Day, what seems likely to happen is that he’ll reveal that because of mutual interests, he’s going to be their fifth member for WarGames — which will in turn force our heroes to find a fifth member for their side.

We’ll see if that plays out tonight on Raw.

Can Raquel Rodriguez back up her big talk against Nia Jax?

Nia Jax has been an absolute force of nature since making her WWE return, crushing just about everyone in her way. Raquel Rodriguez was vocal about saying she was the one who could stand up to Jax.

Something has to give when they collide tonight, and while Ripley already beat both women in a Fatal 5-Way, you figure that the winner could be close to a solo title opportunity either this weekend or in the not too distant future.

Also advertised for Raw from Grand Rapids:
  • Becky Lynch looks for some payback against XI Li
  • Chad Gable steps up to take on the man who’s been running through the Alpha Academy, Shinsuke Nakamura

Raw hits our screens on this pre-holiday Monday at 8 p.m. ET, so tune in then or check us out here at Wrestling Junkie for live results and updates later tonight.

WWE Raw results 11/6/23: Surprise main event sets the table for WarGames

See who challenged Seth Rollins on WWE Raw and which eight men ended up confirmed for WarGames.

No. 1 contenders in pro wrestling can be funny. Sometimes all you have to do to be one is ask the champion for a title match. Other times you have to do something to offend them so they want you to be their top contender, which is some nice reverse psychology. And still other times, you have to earn a shot at the title in the ring, which is what’s going to play out tonight on WWE Raw from Wilkes-Barre.

Gunther has fended off many challenges to his Intercontinental Championship during a record-setting reign. So Adam Pearce is making four men who want a shot at him compete against each other to sort themselves out: Bronson Reed, Ivar, Ricochet and The Miz. Some have already taken on the Ring General and others have not, but it’s an intriguing field, to say the least.

At least Gunther doesn’t have to (for now, anyway) worry about facing all four in one match … which is what Rhea Ripley just had to do at Crown Jewel. Now Pearce is going to cast an even bigger web to find a challenge for Mami than he is for Gunther, as a Battle Royal will take place in Wilkes-Barre to figure that out.

These are some time honored ways of sorting out the title challengers and should be fun. And there’s going to be a tag team match between The Judgment Day and The New Day, so that’s a good thing as well.

Plus there are rumors of a big main event, so let’s see what the night has in store.

WWE Raw results from Wilkes-Barre:

(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)

  • Seth Rollins wants to thank Sami Zayn, and he does … by giving Zayn a world title shot tonight
  • Backstage, Damian Priest is furious about that first segment, but he and Finn Balor have their own business to attend to right now
  • The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) def. The New Day by pinfall
  • Perhaps unsurprisingly, Drew McIntyre doesn’t want to talk about his loss at Crown Jewel, blowing off an interviewer on his way into the building

  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Akira Tozawa by pinfall, then seems to dismiss a challenge from Otis for the time being
  • A hype video for Natalya is shown touting her accomplishments and legacy, which she punctuates by declaring herself the most accomplished woman in WWE history
  • Pearce runs down the four men in the Intercontinental Championship contender four-way, making a case for each of them
  • A busy Pearce double checks with Rollins to see if he’s sure about defending his title tonight, but Seth simply says “I’m born to run, boss”
  • The Miz def. Bronson Reed, Ivar and Ricochet in an Intercontinental Championship No. 1 Contenders Fatal 4-Way match, though the finish is a little wonky
  • Tozawa apologizes to Alpha Academy, but Chad Gable says they will be there to support him for his Heritage Cup match tomorrow on NXT; Maxxine Dupri runs through her strategy for the Battle Royal
  • Earlier today, Pearce signs the Creed Brothers (and Ivy Nile) to Raw contracts, and #DIY comes to challenge them to a match tonight
  • The Creed Brothers def. #DIY by pinfall after Ludwig Kaiser gets in a cheap shot on Johnny Gargano to set up the finish
  • A video package takes us back to Zayn’s last world championship opportunity, a losing effort against Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber; he then gets good luck wishes from Jey Uso, who informs him that Pearce gave Jey and Cody Rhodes a rematch for the tag team titles next week
  • Jackie Redmond asks Becky Lynch about her thoughts on the Battle Royal, and she says count me in; Nia Jax is behind her to say she’s going to win tonight, which would make her the happiest she’s been since breaking Becky’s face, though The Man reminds Jax she got fired after that happened
  • Elsewhere, the women’s tag team champions exchange pleasantries with Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark
  • Zoey Stark wins the Battle Royal for a Women’s World Championship shot at Survivor Series, last eliminating Shayna Baszler
  • Rhea Ripley is asked about the next week of preparation for The Judgment Day, but Stark drops by to remind her she already hit Rhea with her finisher at Crown Jewel, which doesn’t seem to faze the champ
  • Seth Rollins def. Sami Zayn by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
  • As Zayn goes to leave, The Judgment Day comes down the ramp and lays him out; they battle to the ring, where Jey Uso, and eventually, Cody Rhodes come to the side of the faces, setting off a huge pull-apart brawl that rages out of control; a furious Pearce says that if all eight men want to play games, they can play WarGames at Survivor Series, but they resume fighting as the show goes off the air

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 takeaways: Roman Reigns keeps dominating, Logan Paul is a champ

Here’s what caught our Vaughn Johnson’s eye the most during WWE Crown Jewel 2023.

Let’s jump into the biggest happenings from Saudi Arabia:

Roman Reigns wins … again

It may sound like the same old story, but it has been an effective one for more than three years.

Roman Reigns retained his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Saturday, and did so with the help of his Bloodline family members.

The latest victim in the Tribal Chief’s reign of dominance was LA Knight, who came into Crown Jewel with the fans firmly behind him.

I don’t think anyone thought Knight had a realistic chance of winning the title, but the key for me was making sure Knight looked like he belonged in the same league with Reigns despite losing. I think WWE accomplished that in Saudi Arabia.

Not only did Knight lose due to constant interference, Reigns didn’t even kick out of Knight’s finisher, Blunt Force Trauma. Instead of kicking out, Reigns managed to get his foot on the ropes to stop the count, which only happened because Jimmy Uso put it there.

Where does Knight go from here? Well, I see him playing a key role in WarGames, which was made official during Crown Jewel. From there, I think he could have a very entertaining feud with Logan Paul over the United States championship.

For Reigns, see you in 2024, I guess. Enjoy the holidays.

Logan Paul is a champion

As I just mentioned, a YouTube star is the new WWE United States Champion.

But while that may sound like another farcical decision done to merely generate mainstream eyeballs, in reality, this was the fruition of a carefully crafted plan that has been executed over the course of multiple years.

Paul first appeared in WWE in 2021 and signed a contract with the promotion in 2022. WWE could have easily put a title on him back then and it could have caused a stir, but it would have been looked at as merely a publicity stunt.

But having Paul work against a variety of opponents, lose to some, defeat others, and actually prove himself in the ring made him topping the legendary Rey Mysterio for the prestigious United States digestible for wrestling fans. That’s because Paul put the work in before being put in such a coveted position.

And to his credit, Paul has delivered. Even in the ring with a legend like Mysterio, Paul didn’t look out of place. He didn’t look like a fish out of water. He looked like someone that has been working to improve his skill in the ring.

Like him or not — and I completely understand if you do not — he has earned this opportunity. And yes, this is still a publicity stunt, but it is one that was well thought out and executed.

Solo Sikoa beats the brakes off John Cena

Man, is this really it? Is the last time we’re really going to see John Cena in the ring was him being beaten to a pulp by Solo Sikoa? It sure looked like it on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

But something tells me that isn’t quite the way Cena would even like to go out. I think this story isn’t quite over and Cena will ultimately pick up the win he has been desperately looking for — and it could happen over Sikoa. 

But maybe that is my wrestling fan naivete talking. Maybe Cena simply wanted to ride off into the sunset by putting a young star over in dominant fashion. If so, what a way to go out. 

Women’s matches receive little reaction from fans

Look, I understand why this happened. I understand the cultural differences as to how women are viewed in Saudi Arabia. I don’t personally agree with it, but I am aware of the situation at hand here.

However, I still feel like I have to acknowledge it because it is such a stark contrast to what we’re used to hearing from the women’s matches. It’s not for a lack of quality. I feel like the five-way was fine, but the title match between Bianca Belair and IYO SKY was great. 

But when the fans don’t seem to be interested, it hurts the quality of the match.

Sky Pirates are back

One of the biggest moments of the show was during a women’s match, as Kairi Sane made her official return to WWE television by helping SKY retain the WWE Women’s Championship and reunite the Sky Pirates from NXT.

I feel like if Sane’s return happened elsewhere, it would have received a much bigger ovation. But alas, it didn’t.

However, that doesn’t take away from the importance of Sane’s return as it adds a new wrinkle to the to the SKY-Belair-Bayley story and adds depth to an already deep women’s division in WWE.

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results: Reigns, Paul, Sikoa big winners in Riyadh

Get full results for WWE Crown Jewel 2023, where Roman Reigns and Logan Paul were among the night’s big winners.

Roman Reigns has been champion for a historically long time by 21st century standards, backing up his claim to be the Head of the Table. LA Knight is the brash newcomer who got over mostly on his own and is getting his first shot at gold. Something will have to give today at WWE Crown Jewel.

The annual Saudi Arabian show has perhaps its best card to date, packed with title matches and big on star power without relying on nostalgia as much as the first events WWE held in this country. There’s still a bit of that thanks to John Cena (who takes on Solo Sikoa), but thanks to the Hollywood actors strike, even he has been a regular in recent weeks.

The main event doesn’t appear to have that much intrigue, as Reigns appears likely to head to WrestleMania next year with his record-setting Universal Championship reign fully intact. But WWE also has lightning in a bottle with Knight, so as they say, you never know. It certainly feels like there is more of a chance for a shocking upset this year than in 2022, when Reigns had a title defense against Logan Paul.

Speaking of Paul, he’s widely expected to claim his first WWE championship of any kind when he faces Rey Mysterio. Does that mean he’ll be a more regular presence on WWE programming in the months ahead?

And there could be title changes in the women’s division as well, where both championships are on the line. Time to see how it all unfolds.

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 kickoff show results:

  • Sami Zayn def. JD McDonagh by pinfall

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results:

(please click on any match with a link for full details)

  • Seth Rollins def. Drew McIntyre by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
  • Damian Priest attempts to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase afterward, but is foiled by a figure in black who takes his case … and reveals himself as Sami Zayn
  • Rhea Ripley goes by a distraught McIntyre backstage as if to say “I told you so”
  • Rhea Ripley wins the Fatal 5-Way match to retain the Women’s World Championship, pinning Shayna Baszler
  • Solo Sikoa def. John Cena by pinfall, though Cena receives a standing ovation from the fans when he leaves the ring
  • The Miz welcomes Saudi movie star Ibrahim Al Hajjaj to Miz TV only to see the segment hijacked by Grayson Waller; together they manage to fight off Waller, though, who takes a Skull-Crushing Finale from Miz and a People’s Elbow from the actor
  • Logan Paul is shown cruising around the desert in a dune buggy and then driving right into the arena for his ring entrance
  • Logan Paul def. Rey Mysterio by pinfall to become the new WWE United States Champion thanks to a shot from a pair of brass knuckles
  • Bianca Belair says she’s on to Phase 2 of her revenge plan against Damage CTRL, which involves her getting her title back tonight
  • Bianca Belair def. IYO SKY by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Championship, thanks in large part to a returning Kairi Sane
  • Cody Rhodes def. Damian Priest by pinfall after Jey Uso manages to fight off interference from other members of The Judgment Day
  • Roman Reigns def. LA Knight by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, with some help along the way from Jimmy Uso

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WWE Crown Jewel 2023 predictions: What will go down in Saudi Arabia?

Will LA Knight dethrone the Tribal Chief? Can John Cena actually … win one? We pick all the WWE Crown Jewel winners.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque being at the head of WWE’s creative process has created a lot of positive ripple effects for the company.

But one I did not expect to see was an increase in anticipation for WWE’s Saudi Arabia events. 

We have come a long way from the early days of WWE’s arrangement with Saudi Arabia in 2018, when the shows felt shoehorned into the promotion’s already packed premium live event schedule and Vince McMahon relied too heavily on acts of yesteryear to generate interest.

Remember when Shawn Michaels came out of retirement just to participate in arguably the worst match of his illustrious career? I’m willing to bet Michaels prefers everyone forgot it ever happened.

But I have to give credit where credit is due, because the latest WWE event in Saudi Arabia, Crown Jewel, actually has a card that I am looking forward to watching and one that actually feels connected to the product viewers consume on a regular basis, which was not the case back in 2018.

Who will walk away a winner on Saturday? Let’s get to the predictions …