Tag: WWE Crown Jewel

John Cena, LA Knight both lost at Crown Jewel. Now what?

Is John Cena headed for retirement? Can LA Knight bounce back quickly? We make some post-WWE Crown Jewel predictions.

With the exception of Seth Rollins holding onto his World Heavyweight Championship in the opener, this year’s WWE Crown Jewel wasn’t exactly a “send them home happy” type of show.

The two women’s champions, both heels (albeit popular ones), held onto their titles. Logan Paul, who is definitely a villain in WWE, took a championship from one of the most beloved wrestlers of all time.

To top it all off, WWE had the wrestler it promotes freely as “The Greatest of All Time,” John Cena, and the performer who’s built up the most organic buzz over the past year, LA Knight, on the card as well — and both of them lost.

Neither man is in danger of fans just giving up on them, but what WWE does next with each of them will be telling. Let’s take a look at what that might be.

Is John Cena headed for retirement?

If your impression of Cena is one of a star who keeps younger talent down, you had to be delighted with his match against Solo Sikoa. Not only did he put The Bloodline’s enforcer over, he did it in emphatic fashion, with Sikoa brutalizing him at the end of the match en route to a clean pin.

That Cena lost wasn’t all that surprising, though WWE certainly hinted toward a victory by playing up how long it’s been since he won a singles match. But the manner in which it occurred? Yeah, that raised an eyebrow or two.

Perhaps this is a way of managing expectations. The actors strike that is keeping Cena from what is now his day job is still going, so he’s able to stick around for now. The second the strike ends, however, you figure he’s out of here, so a victory in a big match could send the wrong signal to fans about that reality.

One thing that seems pretty certain is that his crushing Crown Jewel defeat won’t be the last time we see Cena in a WWE ring. After all he’s done for the company, he’s going to get a chance for at least one more victory, and almost certainly in front of fans in the U.S.

Besides, we’ve seen Cena beaten down badly before and bounce back. The guess here is that he’ll keep feuding with The Bloodline, who will smell blood in the water. He may be involved in some tag matches or maybe even WarGames, depending on WWE’s Survivor Series plans.

Eventually, he’ll get that win back, whether it’s over Jimmy Uso or even Sikoa in a rematch. But make no mistake about it: We’re closing in on the end for The GOAT.

How can LA Knight stay hot?

In contrast to Cena, no one really thought Knight had a chance to defeat Roman Reigns. It would have been a huge shock for him to end the Tribal Chief’s historic championship run, especially with WWE hinting that he’ll make a run at Hulk Hogan and other record title reigns.

The whole idea was to make sure Knight looked like he belonged in that spot, and WWE knows how to do that. It not only took serious assistance from The Bloodline for Reigns to retain, Knight managed to get the better of Jimmy Uso pretty easily and fought off everyone. It was legitimately only the numbers game that did him in.

There’s virtually no chance Knight will get a rematch, nor does it seem likely he’ll be positioned to face Reigns next year at WrestleMania barring some sort of serious injury to Cody Rhodes. So the question is really who to use in a program with Knight that makes the most sense.

That means looking at the championship landscape beyond Reigns. Rollins is also a fan favorite and it would be weird for Knight to go against him unless it’s at WrestleMania. We need something sooner than that.

Paul is now United States Champion, and the mic battles between him and Knight would be entertaining. It just feels too soon for Paul to drop his first ever WWE championship, and losing would set Knight back.

That leaves one champ left for Knight to chase, and while some wrestling purists might not like this, it’s the one that it would be logical for the Megastar to dethrone: Gunther. The Ring General has already had a record-setting run with the Intercontinental Championship, one that’s elevated both him and the title.

There’s honestly not much left for him to do with that belt, whereas winning it would help validate Knight even more. WWE can even move Gunther on to bigger and better things, like pursuing Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Any analysis of what to do with Knight also inevitably has to include some urgency: He’s 40, or a year older than Sami Zayn, the last WWE star to build up so much unexpected natural reaction with the fans. It’s not like the company can try to push plans out for Knight another couple of years.

Giving him a title run would be striking when the iron is hot, which is usually good business. We’ll see if WWE agrees.

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: Not the Megastar’s time as Roman Reigns retains

It wasn’t easy, but Roman Reigns defeated LA Knight in the main event of WWE Crown Jewel.

There are tons of bilingual “Yeah!” signs in the crowd for LA Knight makes his ring walk, which is a cool touch. Roman Reigns also gets a big reaction as he does his typically measured entrance, though there are lots of boos mixed in. Michael Cole notes that Reigns has had his title for so long that he’s made three successful defenses of it in Saudi Arabia alone.

Knight and Reigns have to be physically separated by the ref as they’re introduced. Roman hits a shoulder block and mocks his foe’s catchphrase, then stays on the attack in the corner.

The first cover goes to Knight, but it’s only good for a one count. He slams Reigns back down but is distracted by Paul Heyman on the outside, and Reigns regroups with him … but only until a swinging kick by the challenger connects, followed by an elbow and a diving clothesline off the apron.

The Tribal Chief weathers that storm and tosses Knight into the steel steps, hearing the boos as he does. Reigns raises a finger to his lips to hush the crowd as he continues a measured attack, suplexing the challenger for a near fall.

Another two count follows thanks to a leaping clothesline, and Knight needs something to help turn the momentum around. The fans are trying to will him into it, but Roman waves his finger at them as if to say “uh-uh.”

A clothesline in the corner allows Reigns to play to the crowd again. Knight finally stops him with an elbow and boots to the face, and a DDT leaves both men on the canvas.

They both rise to trade strikes, with Knight using a combo of strikes to set up a jumping clothesline, a Russian leg sweep and a DDT for a near fall. He stomps away on the champ in the corner, hearing a “Yeah!” for each one.

A hip attack crumbles Reigns, but the champ recovers quickly with a Rock Bottom for a near fall. Roman wants a Superman punch but is countered with a neckbreaker, then bounces right back to land that Superman punch for a two count.

Reigns tries for a speat but gets leapfrogged, and Knight buries repeated shoulders in his midsection. They head to the middle rope, where Knight wants a superplex, sticking with it even after temporarily being knocked to the mat. He follows with his trademark elbow drop but sees Reigns kick out at two.

Right on cue, here comes Solo Sikoa to the ramp, and Jimmy Uso drags Reigns to the floor. Knight grabs Uso but takes a Superman punch from Reigns. There’s a spear as well … but Knight kicks out at the last moment.

The Head of the Table yells at Knight that he’s a flash in the pan, perhaps trying to convince himself of that. The fans give it to him, saying he sucks. Reigns tries to choke out Knight with a front guillotine, and it’s locked in tight. Will Knight fade?

Roman looks incredulous as LA powers to his feet. He uses body shots to free himself, then backs Reigns into the corner but falls back into the hold until he can guillotine the champ on the top rope. The Blunt Force Trauma is on the mark, but Uso puts Reigns’ foot on the bottom rope.

A furious Knight bounces Uso’s head off the Arabic announce table a bunch of times, then Reigns suffers the same fate. Roman goes flying into the barricade and Uso gets sent through the announce table, but Reigns returns to spear Knight through the barricade. Back in the ring they go, where Roman connects on a spear that keeps Knight down.

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Kairi Sane returns at WWE Crown Jewel, helps IYO SKY defeat Bianca Belair

Kairi Sane returned at WWE Crown Jewel to help IYO SKY retain her WWE Women’s Championship.

Ever since finishing her time with STARDOM earlier this year, Kairi Sane‘s WWE status has been a point of speculation. Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended) reported she signed with WWE “a while back,” but the company only recently added her to their internal roster. Additionally, PWInsider reported that she may return as early as Crown Jewel on Saturday, Nov. 4.

Well, it all came to fruition at the aforementioned premium live event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as Sane returned during the WWE Women’s Championship match between IYO SKY and Bianca Belair.

With SKY on Belair’s shoulders, Sane arrived from out of nowhere to attack the title challenger at ringside while the referee was distracted, which contributed to SKY retaining her title in the ring. But after the match, Sane hit her patented elbow drop on Belair to add an exclamation point to her return.

The crowd may have been mild for Sane’s return, but it marks a significant turning point for a WWE women’s division that’s receiving a greater spotlight under Triple H’s WWE creative direction.

Sane is one of the most accomplished female wrestlers in the world, having achieved numerous accolades across the industry. This includes winning the inaugural IWGP Women’s Championship and earning multiple titles in STARDOM, not to mention holding the NXT Women’s and WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships and winning the 2017 Mae Young Classic.

With her involvement in a SmackDown match, Sane looks destined for the blue brand, and it seems like Bayley’s ringside reaction to what happened suggests a storyline involving her, SKY, and problems within Damage CTRL. Let’s see how this, and Sane’s second go-around, unfolds starting with the next episode of SmackDown.

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results: IYO SKY beats Bianca Belair thanks to a big return

IYO SKY got some crucial help to defeat Bianca Belair at WWE Crown Jewel … but not from Bayley.

Bianca Belair sounds confident ahead of this one, but we’ll see how it plays out. She’s out of the gate quickly, trying to ground IYO SKY and then knocking her down. Belair smashes SKY into the apron a few times, then pulls off a stalling vertical suplex and her handspring moonsault for a near fall.

A dropkick sends SKY back into the corner, but she dodges a corner charge and starts working over Belair’s right leg. The champ continues that strategy, pausing only for a quick cover.

IYO smashes Bianca’s face into the canvas before returning to her leg assault, then pulls off a double stomp to the chest. Back to the right leg goes SKY, this time with a leglock on the mat. Belair manages to use several repeated right hands to free herself.

SKY tries for a legdrop off the top rope but finds no one home. She also misses a jump into the corner, and Belair treats her to a fallaway slam. But Bianca is selling her right knee a lot, even as she pulls off three body slams in a row.

A tilt-a-whirl gutbuster allows Belair to cover for two, albeit slowly due to her knee. Bianca ends up in the Tree of Woe, where SKY delivers a dropkick to the knee. IYO covers but only gets two …

… so she immediately returns to a stretch muffler on the right leg. Belair shows off her crazy power with an overhead release suplex for two. Another power move gets the same result for Bianca, who stays down a bit trying to recover her strength.

After SKY’s next near fall, the champ seems a little put off that Bayley is out at ringside. The champ barely escapes a KOD attempt, guillotining her challenger on the top rope and smashing Bianca in the face with knee shots.

SKY pulls off a top rope moonsault to the floor, landing hard in the process. She hits a springboard dropkick back in the ring and covers but only gets two again.

Bayley looks nervous as Belair gets the next two count, but SKY is able to avoid a handspring moonsault. Belair hits a facebuster, but Bayley is on the apron to distract the ref and prevent the count. She takes a right from Bianca for that, then a springboard plancha to boot. SKY makes it worse by accidentally clocking here teammate before she’s sent into the barricade.

It looks like Bayley is going to suffer an even worse fate, but someone arrives to hit Belair with a back elbow … it’s a returning Kairi Sane. That allows SKY to get her Over the Moonsault in, which is enough for her to retain the title.

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WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results: Logan Paul is golden thanks to some brass (knuckles)

Logan Paul took a shortcut to beat Rey Mysterio for his first WWE title at Crown Jewel.

Logan Paul is shown driving the desert in a dune buggy before driving right onto the stage for his ring entrance. The fans come to life for Rey Mysterio as he makes his way down the ramp. Wade Barrett puts over Paul’s punching power, but of course he can fly as well.

Paul looks typically confident as he works through the opening wrestling exchanges. Rey has some tricks, of course, including a rolling throw out of the corner.

Mysterio hits a high cross body but sees Paul roll through into a fireman’s carry. A springboard moonsault gets the challenger a near fall.

Paul opens up with strikes in the corner, and Rey stumbles forward and falls at his foe’s feet. A waistlock takedown has Mysterio in trouble, and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gets Paul another two count.

A gorilla press slam leads to a Warrior splash and yet another near fall for the challenger. Paul grabs and lifts Rey into a bearhug, though Mysterio is able to get his feet under him on the mat. Logan uses a gutwrench backbreaker but gets arm dragged to break the hold.

That only slows Logan for a second as he taunts Rey in the corner. But he misses a corner charge and ends up splattered out on the floor. Mysterio rolls Paul back into the ring and heads up top for a senton and a springboard cross body that forces the challenger into a kickout.

Rey tries a couple more pinning predicaments for two counts each time. Paul fires back with a Buckshot lariat, then covers for his own two. Mysterio grabs a crossface, but Paul manages to crawl to the ropes even with one arm trapped.

Mysterio goes for a springboard moonsault, but Paul grabs and plants him for another near fall. Both men head to the top rope, where Paul is knocked to the canvas before fighting back up to meet the champ. Logan pulls off a moonsault fallaway powerslam (which probably has a name of which I am unaware) that nearly wins it.

After mocking the late Eddie Guerrero, Paul is forced to roll through a frog splash attempt, and now Mysterio is on offense. They head up to the turnbuckles again, where Paul is able to pull off a sunset flip bomb, then a Code Red that gets a very close near fall.

As Logan is over by the ropes, one of his podcast dudes hands him a pair of brass knuckles … though he quickly gets them knocked back out to the floor. Santos Escobar prevents Paul’s crony from grabbing them again, though they end up on the mat.

Paul takes a 619 but grabs the knux, and he’s able to smash Mysterio in midair to get the pinfall and Rey’s title.

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WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results: Solo Sikoa extends John Cena’s losing streak with savage beatdown

Solo Sikoa came up with a huge win by beating the GOAT, John Cena, at WWE Crown Jewel 2023.

A chorus of boos greets Solo Sikoa as he makes his way to the ring. Michael Cole suggests this is the biggest match of his career to date, which is hard to argue. To no surprise, John Cena receives a much more enthusiastic response while Cole reminds us it’s been more than 2,000 days since he won a WWE singles match (also in Saudi Arabia over Triple H).

Cena gets out of harm’s way as Sikoa tries to come right at him, then uses a headlock takedown effectively. He works over Solo’s right hand, which is the one that delivers the Samoan Spike. Smart.

A quick cover by Cena is just the wrestling version of a heat check. He pushes Sikoa back into a corner, then fight to the floor. A headbutt finally gets Solo some momentum as he shakes out his right hand.

Another headbutt gives Solo a chance to stare down the fans. A slower pace is favoring him, and his spin kick snuffs out a brief Cena rally. Sikoa lands on Cena’s chest in the corner, calling out to the crowd again afterward.

A thrust kick as a counter to an AA attempt gives Sikoa a near fall, and a hip attack crushes Cena along the turnbuckles. Solo wants the Spike, but Cena sees it coming and applies the STF. Sikoa rolls Cena’s shoulders onto the mat for a pinfall attempt that forces him to break the hold.

A jumping headbutt while Cena is in the Tree of Woe leads to another Sikoa near fall. A belly-to-belly suplex is good for another two count, and Solo points to his foe as if to say “Is this your king?”

Cena takes another hip attack as the fans try to will him back into it with their applause. He does avoid the Samoan Spike though, hitting two shoulder tackles and planting Solo for a Five Knuckle Shuffle.

An Attitude Adjustment looks like it’s next, but Sikoa counters with a Samoan Drop and another near fall. There’s a third hip attack, but Cena fires back with a high cross body and his own two count.

How about a chokeslam as a counter to the Samoan Spike? That’s a different twist from Cena and it’s good for a two count as well. Spinning Solo is the answer, also for two, and Cena has to fight to block the Samoan Spike. He does it and manages to grab the STF again. Sikoa teases tapping out but crawls to the bottom rope for a break.

Out of nowhere, Sikoa hits the Samoan Spike, but he sells the damage to his hand and never gets to cover. There’s a second Samoan Spike, and Solo wants a third. That hits too as the fans start to boo.

Cena crawls to the ropes and lifts himself up. But all that gets him is a fourth Samoan Spike, and Sikoa goes over and hammers Cena with more right hands before finally covering for the pin.

It takes a while for Cena to rise, but he gets a standing ovation from the crowd and waves to fans before leaving the ring.

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WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results: Mami still on top as Rhea Ripley retains in Fatal 5-Way

The odds were against her, but Rhea Ripley emerged from the Fatal 5-Way at WWE Crown Jewel still the Women’s World Champion.

As befitting a dominant champion, Rhea Ripley receives a special, very elaborate entrance with a bunch of extras. That certainly makes it feel like she’s not losing here, but since she doesn’t have to be pinned, you never know.

Nia Jax realizes quickly that everyone is going to target her and slips out to the floor. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark go for some early pinfall attempts, but someone is always there to break them up. Jax picks her moment to return, powerslamming Stark, but Raquel Rodriguez is able to kick Jax and give extra momentum to a Baszler suplex to send Nia to the floor.

Raquel shows off her power on several opponents, but Ripley is able to fight her off. Rhea waves in Nia and the two of them stand and slug it out. Ripley tries to lift Jax onto her shoulders but she can’t pull it off and gets hit with a Thesz press and a big legdrop. Jax covers but Stark breaks up the pinfall attempt.

Baszler gets a cool spot by having everyone but Stark in submission holds at once. Stark breaks those holds and tries for a pinfall, then suplexes Rodriguez. A Tower of Doom spot follows, and everyone is down but Jax.

It quickly becomes just Ripley and Rodriguez left to face each other, which turns into strikes and slaps. They both go for big boots at once and end up on the mat, then slide out to the apron. But it’s Stark who hits the next cool move, flying to the floor and landing on both of them.

Can Stark finish Ripley? She hits the Z-360 but Jax breaks up the pin. Jax wants an Annihilator, but Rodriguez hits the Texana Bomb, and Ripley has to break up that cover to assure her championship doesn’t go goodbye.

Ripley gets rescued from a Baszler submission and kicks Rodriguez, but Stark prevents Rhea from pinning Shayna after a Riptide. Ripley and Stark fight atop the top rope, and while Rodriguez tries to crawl over and cover Baszler, Rhea drops Zoey on top of her.

Rhea covers Shayna, who has taken the most damage in all this, and hears the three count to remain champion.

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WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results: Seth Rollins holds off Drew McIntyre, retains title

See how Seth Rollins defeated Drew McIntyre to retain his World Heavyweight Championship at WWE Crown Jewel 2023.

The fans in Saudi Arabia don’t disappoint in their singalong as Seth Rollins makes his entrance. Michael Cole notes that the World Heavyweight Champion has been a mainstay of Saudi shows, making his eighth appearance here overall.

Drew McIntyre gets a good reaction as well, which makes sense as his heel turn is still kind of in progress. Cole introduces the Arabic announce team but stumbles over it a little, and Wade Barrett gives him some good-natured grief.

Rollins chuckles a bit after they first lock up, but maybe not as much as a shoulder tackle sends him down. Another one has the same result, and McIntyre is already feeling it as he does Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal celebration.

The champ hits a series of chops and sends McIntyre to the floor, where he scores with a swinging kick between the ropes and a running knee off the apron. The fans urge him into a suicide dive, but the challenger catches him and treats him to a belly-to-belly suplex on the floor.

Things get no better in the ring for Rollins as McIntyre nails a spinebuster and covers for two. Working on Rollins’ back seems to be the strategy, which isn’t a bad idea.

The two men trade chops until McIntyre kicks Rollins in the chest in the corner (sort of), and covers for another near fall. The champ rallies by sending his foe hard into the post, and Drew is selling the impact to his left shoulder.

Rollins drops McIntyre with strikes and then to his back with a running knee, and he springboards twice, the second time with a moonsault, to score a near fall. A nice reversal leads to a Falcon Arrow for Seth and another near fall.

After a Rollins superplex, McIntyre impressively fires right back with a suplex and comes close to getting the three. He follows with a Future Shock after Seth can’t pull off a buckle bomb, only to see Rollins kick out at the last second again.

Rollins catches his foe with an inside cradle for a tow count, then gets a short respite by sending McIntyre to the floor. His suicide dive is on point, but Seth grabs the small of his back in pain. Getting it smashed into the steel steps definitely won’t help, nor will getting it dropped onto the apron.

A Pedigree gets things going back in Rollins’ favor, as this time it’s McIntyre who barely beats the ref’s three count. A series of shots to the head and neck manage to chop McIntyre down to the canvas, but he catches Rollins coming in for a Stomp and delivers a couple of belly-to-belly suplexes and a neckbreaker.

The Scottish Warrior kips up, calling for the Claymore and doing his countdown … but he runs into a superkick, followed by a Stomp. McIntyre kicks out again, sending a bit of a buzz through the crowd. The announcers put over how few people kick out of the Stomp.

Rollins misses on a Phoenix Splash and is nailed by a Claymore, but he is able to kick out at the last possible moment. McIntyre misses another Claymore and takes the Pedigree/Stomp combo for the second time, and that’s enough to finally allow Rollins to retain.

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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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