Officially announced on October 7, 2023, the fifth Crown Jewel, and 10th overall event in the Saudi Arabian partnership, is scheduled to be held on Saturday at the Mohammed Abdu Arena, marking the second Crown Jewel held at this venue after the 2021 event.
LA KNIGHT LOOKS TO DETHRONE ROMAN REIGNS
At WWE Crown Jewel, Roman Reigns will go one-on-one with LA Knight for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The news was first reported by the LA Times.
On the Season Premiere of Friday Night SmackDown, The Greatest of All Time himself, John Cena, brought Knight face-to-face with Reigns, and the would-be challenger didn't flinch for a second before knocking a disruptive Jimmy Uso clean out of the ring. Later that evening, Knight defeated Solo Sikoa one-on-one, only to suffer an earth-shattering Spear by The Head of The Table.
One of the most dominant World Champions of all time, Reigns is enjoying a legendary title reign that stands at well over 1 000 days, winning epic battles against Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, and many more. As he presides over The Bloodline with an iron fist on The Island of Relevancy, The Head of the Table stands armed with a brutal arsenal and seems unstoppable.
But "let me talk to ya!" LA Knight's charisma has helped make him the fastest-rising star in SmackDown history. While his ever-growing popularity may seem unimportant once the bell rings, Knight has fed off the power of the WWE Universe before, and he seems capable of turning that mighty force against The Head of the Table. He also carries an unwavering confidence, an extremely hard-hitting style, and an unpredictable attack. Together, these factors arguably make him one of the most unique threats that the elite titleholder has faced in some time. "Yeah!"
OMG! This was NOT the ending to #SmackDown that The Tribal Chief was hoping for...@RealLAKnight isn't playing around, will he be the man that finally defeats @WWERomanReigns and leaves #WWECrownJewel as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion? ????#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/Ldy9k8QpRX
— WWE (@WWE) October 28, 2023
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION SETH "FREAKIN" ROLLINS vs. DREW MCINTYRE
At WWE Crown Jewel, World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins attempts to overcome a massive hurdle as he faces "The Scottish Warrior" Drew McIntyre.
McIntyre’s way of requesting this match was unusual for Rollins’ recent challengers, as he looked The Visionary right in the eye to ask for the match. The match was later confirmed by WWE Official Adam Pearce.
The tension between Rollins and McIntyre was further simmered as The Visionary was on the receiving end of a beatdown from "Señor Money in the Bank" Damian Priest while The Scottish Warrior watched. It wasn’t until “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio came running down with Money in the Bank contract that McIntyre got involved, preventing Mysterio from helping Priest cash in.
Rollins and McIntyre have gone toe-to-toe in the past, including at WWE Money in the Bank 2020, where then-WWE Champion McIntyre successfully defended his title against The Visionary. In singles competition, Rollins has a 5-4 edge over The Scottish Warrior.
Who will leave WWE Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as the World Heavyweight Champion in this huge matchup?
Did @DMcIntyreWWE just get BUSTED?!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/QvGpNwgHuc
— WWE (@WWE) October 17, 2023
RHEA RIPLEY DEFENDS HER TITLE IN A FATAL 5-WAY
At WWE Crown Jewel, Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley will look to reassert her dominance when she battles Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark, and Raquel Rodriguez in a Fatal 5-Way Match!
Since dethroning Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39, Ripley has been unstoppable.
Recently, however, The Eradicator's attention has been split between maintaining the unity and strength of The Judgment Day and battling several potential challengers, both inside and outside the squared circle.
Jax, Baszler, Rodriguez, and Stark are all dangerous competitors who present a threat to her title reign. Ripley has responded with a defiant invitation to come and try her.
Who will leave WWE Crown Jewel with the Women's World Championship after the free-for-all matchup?
LOGAN PAUL CHALLENGES REY MYSTERIO FOR THE US CHAMPIONSHIP
At WWE Crown Jewel, The Social Media Megastar has an eye for gold, specifically the United States Title being held by Rey Mysterio.
Paul has yet to win a WWE championship, despite coming close against Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel last year.
Paul called his shot soon after defeating Dillon Danis in a boxing match, declaring that he was coming for Rey Mysterio’s United States Title.
When Paul confronted Mysterio on the Oct. 20 episode of SmackDown, The Social Media Megastar explained his reasons for targeting the United States Champion, shaking Mysterio’s hand and vowing to let the best man win.
Paul defeated Mysterio on The Grandest Stage of Them All, albeit in a tag team match with The Miz against Rey and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 38 in Paul’s first-ever match. Much has changed since then, setting the stage for a monumental conflict.
Can Paul capture his first title in WWE, or will the WWE Hall of Famer hold on to the U.S. Title?
WHAT!? @LoganPaul just hit @reymysterio with that POWERFUL right hand! ??
— WWE (@WWE) October 28, 2023
With @Litocolon279 running to Rey's aid, can @EscobarWWE take out The #StreetProfits alone? ??#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/K2g610joqq
CODY RHODES vs. DAMIAN PRIEST
Cody Rhodes looks to get retribution on the biggest member of The Judgment Day when he takes on Damian Priest at WWE Crown Jewel.
Rhodes has never had much love for The Judgment Day. This contempt increased when Priest hit him with a low blow and put him through a table moments just before interference from SmackDown’s Jimmy Uso paved the way for Señor Money in the Bank and Finn Bálor to recapture the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles from Rhodes and Jey Uso after only a nine-day reign.
Priest is laser-focused on ending Rhodes' story in a different way than The American Nightmare envisioned, and with the dark faction watching his back, he could make that dream a reality.
Moments after @CodyRhodes challenges @ArcherOfInfamy to a #WWECrownJewel matchup, a brawl breaks out that ends with Señor Money in the Bank and @jd_mcdonagh targeting the leg of The American Nightmare. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/zJrtYyfI4q
— WWE (@WWE) October 25, 2023
JOHN CENA RETURNS TO THE RING TO FACE SOLO SIKOA
At WWE Crown Jewel, John Cena will once again journey into battle when he goes head-to-head with Solo Sikoa.
Over the years, Cena has seen it all. A 16-time World Champion, he has taken on the likes of The Rock, Brock Lesnar, the late Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, The Undertaker and Randy Orton. In his most recent return to WWE, "The Greatest of All Time" hasn't been shy about making his presence known on the mic, as a guest referee and, of course, competing in the squared circle. Above all, however, Cena has proven to be a thorn in the side of The Bloodline.
Since 2021, Cena has challenged Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, joined forces with Kevin Owens to defeat Reigns and then-"Honorary Uce" Sami Zayn, defeated Jimmy Uso and Sikoa in another explosive tag team encounter, and ushered in the fastest-rising star in SmackDown history, LA Knight, to challenge Reigns for his title at WWE Crown Jewel. After Cena delivered an Attitude Adjustment to Solo on the Oct. 20 edition of SmackDown, their showdown was inevitable.
What will happen when the dangerous Sikoa looks to destroy Cena?
.@HeymanHustle sets a trap for @JohnCena and paves the way for @WWESoloSikoa to send a brutal message to The Greatest of All Time ahead of their clash at #WWECrownJewel.#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/Nam8Cq5gxj
— WWE (@WWE) October 29, 2023
WWE WOMEN'S CHAMPION vs. IYO SKY
Bianca Belair is back and focused on reclaiming her WWE Women's Championship from high-flying titleholder IYO SKY at WWE Crown Jewel.
Moments after an injured Belair defeated Asuka and Charlotte Flair in a Triple Threat Match to capture the WWE Women's Title at SummerSlam, The Genius of the Sky emerged to cash in her Money in the Bank contract and seize the gold.
After spending nearly two months on the shelf thanks to a vicious attack by Damage CTRL, Belair finally returned with a purpose on the Oct. 20 edition of SmackDown, repelling Sky and Bayley's post-match attack on The Queen before hitting The Role Model with the K.O.D.
One week later, The EST of WWE came to the squared circle to reveal that she had been granted an opportunity to get retribution on Damage CTRL and reclaim the WWE Women’s Championship with a highly anticipated showdown against the WWE Women's Champion at WWE Crown Jewel.
Who will leave WWE Crown Jewel with the WWE Women's Title?
The recently returned @BiancaBelairWWE emphatically declares her intentions towards @Iyo_SkyWWE and the WWE Women's Championship. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/t0qm0Ygopc
— WWE (@WWE) October 29, 2023
SAMI ZAYN vs. JD MCDONAGH
Sami Zayn is tired of the antics of The Judgment Day and is stepping up to take on JD McDonagh as part of WWE Crown Jewel Kickoff.
Zayn has been battling The Judgment Day for months, and with Kevin Owens now on SmackDown, he was forced to go it alone in a standoff against McDonagh and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio.
That bravery was rewarded by Ricochet, who evened the odds and had a match against Mysterio, but Zayn now wants McDonagh on one of WWE’s grandest stages: Crown Jewel.
Source: WWE