Welcome to our live coverage of the 2023 edition of WWE Crown Jewel. Big D and I are doing a post show on YouTube about an hour after the show ends. Set your notification below!
On the preshow, Sami Zayn beat JD McDonagh. We’ll be back with full live coverage of the main show.
WWE Crown Jewel
Seth Rollins Vs. Drew McIntyre
Questions I have for this match.
1. Would Seth Rollins be a better babyface chasing a big dastardly heel?
2. Is it time for Drew to win the belt with his new character?
My answer for both of those questions is yes, but let’s see how this plays out.
Five minutes in and this is a good little man versus big man match. Seth is still selling his back on suplexes, though eventually then getting him up for it. If Seth can channel his inner Heart Break Kid, he and Drew can do some really good business.
Seth’s back is still the story of the match. Drew ran his back into the steps. Then he picked him up and dropped him back-first on the side of the apron, you know, the hardest part of the ring.
Seth countered Drew into a desperation pedigree for a two count. Seth also hit a desperation stomp for two. Seth went for a Phoenix Splash and ate a Claymore kick, but it was more of a counter kick rather than the full set up for his finisher. Seth kicked out at two. Drew set up for the big kick and ate a super kick, Seth hit the pedigree, and then stomped him for the pin.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Damian Priest came out to possibly cash in his briefcase. A man in disguise stole the briefcase and ran away with it. That man was Sami Zayn.
Nia Jax Vs. Raquel Rodriguez Vs. Shayna Baszler Vs. Zoey Stark Vs. Rhea Ripley
The main question I have for this match is if we see Jade Cargill at some point after this match. Would be an interesting show to hype her on.
The early story to the match is the four other women teaming up to get Jax out of the match. Rhea was the one standing with the other three women splayed on the mat. This set up Rhea vs. Nia. It broke down into a multiple submission spot with Baszler having Jax in a rear naked choke.
Raquel and Rhea tried to do a double team superplex from the top, but Shayna snuck up behind them and turned it into a superlex/powerbomb situation. This set up Raquel and Rhea going face-to-face and hitting a big boot on each other.
Zoey is doing some great high flying but the way WWE shoots this stuff is maddening. The camera work is horrendous here. Raquel hit Nia with her Tejano Bomb after sneaking up behind her when Nia was on the second rope. Rhea went for the Riptide on Raquel but Shayna snuck up behind her for the rear naked. Rhea hit Shayna with a Riptide but Zoey broke it up.
Raquel went over to cover Shayna but Rhea hit a Riptide on Zoey which broke up the pin and caused Rhea to pin Shayna.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Solo Sikoa Vs. John Cena
The only question I have is based on the result. If Cena loses here, do we get more weeks of pandering Hulk Hogan-esque promos? Does he even work Survivor Series? I’m almost rooting for him to win so we don’t have to see them.
This match is very much what you’d have expected; it’s slowly paced with lots of selling by Cena. Solo set up the spike, but Cena ducked under it and tried to put on the STF. Solo was back on the offense soon, doing a flying headbutt to Cena who was in the corner sort of like one would be in the tree of woe.
Cena ducked another spike and set up his move set that led to the Five Knuckle Shuffle. He went for the Attitude Adjustment but Solo transitioned to a Samoan Drop. Cena actually went off the top rope with a high cross body that would’ve made Ricky Steamboat give a look that made one think he smelled something funky. Cena did a choke slam. I wonder if that was for Kane.
Cena put Solo back in the STF. Solo kicked him off and Cena fed into him for the spike. Solo couldn’t go for the pin immediately as he was selling his hand. He hit him with a second one. And then a third. And a fourth. And then just obliterated him with spikes to win the match.
Winner: Solo Sikoa
There was a segment with The Miz and Grayson Waller and Ibrahim Al Hajjaj. He was supposed to tell Waller that his talk show was better than Miz’s. He didn’t and Waller booted him. Miz and Hajjaj then beat up Waller and Hajjaj hit the People’s Elbow on Waller.
That was brutal. I hope some folks were watching late and can speed through that segment.
Logan Paul Vs. Rey Mysterio
The beginning of the match was wrestled much more slowly than I thought it would be considering they tried to establish real bad blood between the two guys. And of course, considering it’s a Rey Mysterio and Logan Paul match.
Logan hit the Buckshot Lariat on Rey and nearly slipped on the front flip. Rey did a moonsault into Logan’s arms and nearly face planted on it before Logan saved him by catching him. Paul also did a fallaway slam from the top rope and turned it into a moonsault with Rey in his arms. The moves are there, but the flow to the match isn’t yet. Or at least how you’d expect it to be.
Rey went for the 619, but Logan caught his legs. Rey went to the top, but Paul got him in the electric chair position on the second rope, but Rey slipped out and hit a powerbomb and then a code red. One of Paul’s friends slipped brass knuckles on him but Rey pushed him into the corner and the brass knucks went flying. His friend went to get the knucks again but Santos Escobar grabbed the knucks, though for some reason, left them on the apron. Rey hit the 619 but Paul grabbed the knucks again and hit Rey Rey with a knockout punch to win the match.
Winner: Logan Paul
Bianca Belair Vs. IYO SKY
The crowd has been abnormally quiet since the John Cena match. The Paul and Mysterio match wasn’t what most expected, so that could be the reason too. But there is no sound coming from my speakers watching this match unfortunately.
The match overall is fine, but also slow with Bianca doing a lot of selling. Bayley showed up. IYO did a moonsault from the top rope to the floor and the fans politely clapped. IYO hit the open palmed uppercut and got hit with a spinebuster and a two count. Bayley interfered after Belair had a pin attempt. Belair clotheslined IYO over the top rope and then did a dive over the top. IYO accidentally hit Bayley who was trying to help. Belair was about to hit the KOD on Bayley and was stopped by someone who looked like Dakota Kai, but who was in fact Kairi Sane who attacked her.
Belair almost got counted out but rolled into the ring only to be hit with the moonsault by SKY and pinned.
Winner: IYO SKY
Kairi hit her elbow off the top rope onto Belair and celebrated with her after the match was over. Really good angle, though it felt tone deaf to do it on this show.
Damian Priest Vs. Cody Rhodes
Crowd has not gotten up for this one, even with the jumpstart of Priest attacking Cody before the match started.
Cody hit a Cross Rhodes which brought out Finn Balor and then JD McDonagh from behind. Priest hit Cody with a chokeslam. Dom came out with a chair. Jey Uso came out and started hitting superkicks. Cody hit a Cody Cutter, then hit his pop’s bionic elbow for a two count.
Cody then hit a Cody Cutter from the second rope for a two count. Cody hit three Cross Rhodes for the pin to win the match. Crowd finally woke up at the end of it.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
LA Knight Vs. Roman Reigns
Match started hot with Knight getting offense on Reigns early before Paul Heyman went to the apron to allow Roman to take a powder. But Knight followed him out. He hit a clothesline on Reigns from the apron and to the floor.
Match slowed down a bit with Reigns on offense. He charged Knight in the corner which started his comeback. Crowd is behind Knight big time as he’s on offense. He hit a DDT for a near fall. Reigns ducked under a clothesline and Reigns hit a Rock Bottom for a two count.
Reigns hit a Superman punch as Knight was setting up his offense. Reigns set up for the spear but Knight jumped and Reigns face-planted into the second turnbuckle. Knight hit a superplex and then his jumping elbow for a two count.
Solo came down the aisle which allowed Jimmy Uso to pull Roman out of the ring. Roman then hit another Superman punch and the spear. Knight kicked out at 2.9.
The crowd started a “Roman sucks” chant that lasted a few seconds. He then put a guillotine on Knight. Knight got out of it and hit a desperation BFT near the ropes. Jimmy Uso came back and put Roman’s leg on the bottom rope. Knight went after Uso and then Roman followed him out and he posted Reigns. Knight then put Jimmy through the table before getting speared through the barricade by Reigns. Reigns rolled him back into the ring, hit the spear, and the match was over.
Winner: Roman Reigns