Welcome to POST Wrestling’s coverage of the WWE Crown Jewel event from the Mohammed Abdu Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
We will be doing a free show later today with a review of both Crown Jewel and the G1 Climax Final from Budokan Hall.
RESULTS
*WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (champion) over Brock Lesnar in 12:20
*SmackDown Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch (champion) over Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair in 19:23
*WWE Championship: Big E. (champion) over Drew McIntyre in 13:25
*King of the Ring – Finals: Xavier Woods over Finn Balor in 9:37
*No Holds Barred: Bill Goldberg over Bobby Lashley in 11:25
*Queen’s Crown – Finals: Zelina Vega over Doudrop in 5:50
*Raw Tag Team Championship: Randy Orton & Riddle (champions) over AJ Styles & Omos in 8:42
*Mansoor over Mustafa Ali in 10:03
*Hell in a Cell: Edge over Seth Rollins in 27:38
*Kickoff Show: The Usos over Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin in 10:39
On the kickoff show, Kevin Patrick scared Paul Heyman as he walked out of Roman Reigns’ office. Patrick asked if he went over Brock Lesnar’s contract with him last week, Heyman hopes Patrick gets fired and he ensured he would leave Crown Jewel with the WWE Universal Champion without specifying who that would be.
It was announced during the pre-show that Reigns vs. Lesnar would be a No DQ match, but then later, they said both performers had no interest in that it was just going to be a regular match.
Bill Goldberg vs. Bobby Lashley is now a Falls Count Anywhere match.
They throw to the arena where Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, and Corey Graves are on commentary.
THE USOS VS CEDRIC ALEXANDER & SHELTON BENJAMIN
The crowd cheered when the bell ran and began chanting for The Usos, who were the default babyfaces in the match.
The Hurt Business got the advantage of Jey Uso and kept him away from his corner. The audience was quiet until Jey began fighting back and reacted to each strike before tagging Jimmy.
Benjamin caught Jimmy with a step-up knee in the corner followed by an Angle Slam with Jey making the save. Benjamin hit Pay Dirt and crawled on top for a two-count.
Jimmy and Jey hit double superkicks to Benjamin and Alexander. It ended with Jey hitting Alexander with the Uso Splash and pinning him.
WINNERS: The Usos in 10 minutes and 39 seconds
It was a fine opening match but nothing special. It was assisted by the audience’s reaction to The Usos worked as babyfaces and the audience treated them as such.
EDGE VS SETH ROLLINS IN A HELL IN A CELL MATCH
Edge came out to a monstrous pop and passed by several camels near the stage.
The pyro budget alone for the opening of the show and Edge is mind-boggling.
Jessika Carr is the referee and is wearing long sleeves.
Rollins missed a suicide dive and crashed into the fence followed by Edge running his face across the fence.
Edge brought several chairs into the ring and broke off a piece to use on Rollins, which Rollins gained control of and attempt to stab Edge in the eye (to add to the collection). Rollins used several chair shots as Edge was in the same state as the viewer at home after the camera cuts for each chair strike.
Rollins escaped the crossface after grabbing the piece of the chair and hitting him in the eye. Rollins landed a frog splash for a two-count.
Edge gets a reprieve when he knocks Rollins off the top turnbuckle and he crashed off the fence and dropped through a table.
Edge brought the steps into the ring and hit Rollins with the Edge-O-Matic on top of them.
Rollins hit the pedigree, but Edge recovered and connected with a buckle bomb and follow-up spear for a big near-fall as the audience chanted, “This is awesome”.
Edge brought out a ladder but was Irish whipped into it. The two battled on the ladder in the corner that culminated with Rollins hitting a sunset bomb to Edge through a table for another near fall.
Rollins hits Edge with the superkicks similar to Madison Square Garden last month. Rollins finds a chain and wraps it around his boot and superkicks Edge one more time, he places Edge’s head onto a chair and stated “this is how your fairy tale ends”, and attempted The Stomp but was hit low with the chair by Edge.
Edge superkicked Rollins twice and removed the chain and choked Rollins with it, Rollins grabbed a wrench but Edge applied the crossface using the wrench but Edge released the hold. He took a chair and stomped Rollins onto a chair and won the match.
WINNER: Edge 27 minutes and 38 seconds
After the match, Edge stayed next to Rollins and was speaking with him.
This was a spectacular Hell in a Cell match and one could question starting the show where every weapon under the sun was utilized and cannot imagine following this with another eight matches.
It was a dramatic end to the program and played to the strengths of Edge while also having a boisterous audience, which I feel is necessary when you have these lengthy hardcore types of matches.
MUSTAFA ALI VS MANSOOR
The crowd went crazy when Mansoor was introduced. This was the best selection of the remaining matches to follow the Hell in a Cell match.
Mansoor was getting the better of Ali, who retreated to the floor and caught Mansoor by yanking him off the edge of the apron. Ali hit a big tornado DDT as Mansoor sold inside the ring.
Mansoor landed a big clothesline but Ali rolled to the floor. Ali caught him with a kick from the floor but Mansoor got out of the way of a 450 splash. Mansoor hit a moonsault but Ali caught him in the Koji Clutch and Mansoor fought to get the rope break.
Ali climbed to the top, missed a 450 with Mansoor draped on the middle rope, and hit a slingshot neck breaker to win the match.
WINNER: Mansoor in 10 minutes and 3 seconds
It was a nice match with the audience reacting loudly to both the entrance and conclusion of the match for Mansoor.
Ali attacked Mansoor after the match when a man in disguise walked out, it was Olympic silver medalist Tareg Hamedi, who hit Ali with a kick and knocked him out. The crowd popped big for the reveal and the kick and Ali sold it huge.
Hamedi and Mansoor embraced and this worked really well for the crowd.
Titus O’Neil and Natalya were in the ring to honor four women that have overcome breast cancer.
RANDY ORTON & RIDDLE VS AJ STYLES & OMOS FOR THE RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Riddle came out on a camel with Orton walking next to him.
This was a super-hot crowd that was into all the major stars as there were chants of “Bro” and “RKO” when Riddle and Orton entered the match.
Omos and Orton were tagged in with Orton’s striking having no effect. Orton was selling on the floor as Riddle and Styles were tagged in.
Riddle caught him with a flying knee to stop a series of strikes and tagged Orton. Omos was yanked off the apron as Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm and was caught in mid-air with an RKO followed by the Floating Bro and Riddle pinned Styles.
WINNERS: Randy Orton & Riddle (pinned AJ Styles) in 8 minutes and 42 seconds
It was their usual tag match, which is not a bad thing as the three have their rhythm down and know how to use Omos sparingly for maximum impact, although Omos was a background figure for most of this. The finish was solid with the RKO and Floating Bro combo and again, the hot crowd elevated it.
ZELINA VEGA VS DOUDROP IN THE FINALS OF THE QUEEN’S CROWN TOURNAMENT
Vega landed a spinning DDT after Doudrop was on offense early on. Vega applied a Dragon Sleeper as Doudrop got to her feet and broke out of the hold.
After three minutes, this was officially the longest match in the Queen’s Crown tournament.
Vega hit a codebreaker after Doudrop missed a cannonball into the corner.
Vega hit a Code Red and pinned her.
WINNER: Zelina Vega in 5 minutes and 50 seconds
Cole called her “La Reina, Queen Zelina”.
It was slightly above what you would have expected and they hit all their spots, but the audience was subdued.
BILL GOLDBERG VS BOBBY LASHLEY IN A NO HOLDS BARRED, FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE MATCH
Lashley wraps his hand in a chain before the bell ring and nails Goldberg with it in the opening seconds of the match. He cut Goldberg’s head open.
The announcers noted they came on separate flights to Saudi Arabia.
Lashley brought out a chair and a table and wrapped the chair around Goldberg’s knee and stomped the chair.
Lashley missed the spear and crashed through the table in the corner as Goldberg is limping. Goldberg hit the spear and hit the jackhammer.
Goldberg didn’t go for the cover, he removed his gloves and tossed Lashley to the floor. Goldberg speared Lashley through the barricade and beat him around the ring. He tried to drop the steps on Lashley’s head, but he got out of the way.
Lashley walked up the ramp as Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander came out with kendo sticks and were knocked down by Goldberg. Goldberg used the kendo stick on Lashley and speared him off the ramp through a set of tables and won the match.
WINNER: Bill Goldberg in 11 minutes and 25 seconds
This was Goldberg’s longest match since WrestleMania 20 in 2004. It was much longer than I expected and way more one-sided than you would assume given the level of protection for Lashley over the past year.
It was the best outcome you could expect asking Goldberg to go over ten minutes and the ending was a spectacular visual.
Lashley left on his feet while Goldberg said, “don’t ever mess with my family”.
FINN BALOR VS XAVIER WOODS IN THE FINALS OF THE KING OF THE RING
Neither assumed a heel role and was presented as two guys with mutual respect fighting for the win.
Wood was kicked off the turnbuckle, Balor climbed and was stopped by Woods and he hit a superplex.
Balor fired back and hit the sling blade and shotgun dropkick. Balor climbed and missed the coupe de grace allowing Woods to use La Magistral cradle for a two-count.
Woods executed a Gord buster onto his knees, scaled the top and landed the elbow drop, and pinned Balor.
WINNER: Xavier Woods in 9 minutes and 37 seconds
Woods was elated as he reacted to the win and the closing elbow drop looked great.
This was well-wrestled, and it was clear from the start of the tournament that Woods was the sentimental pick, which many assumed was a guarantee he would lose. So, they surprised everyone but giving them what they wanted.
Woods said he decides what camera to look into and when. He calls the shots now.
BIG E. VS DREW McINTYRE FOR THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP
McIntyre used a belly-to-belly suplex on the floor and continued inside the ring as he was dominating Big E until the champion hit his own belly-to-belly.
McIntyre caught him with a Michinoku Driver. Big E. caught McIntyre with a Uranage out of the corner. McIntyre landed the Future Shock for a two-count.
McIntyre attempted the Claymore but was caught with a powerbomb and Big E. applied the stretch muffler, but McIntyre broke out.
Big E. caught him with the Big Ending for a major near fall. Big E. climbed the turnbuckle and went for a Big Ending off the second rope, which was blocked and McIntyre hit a bulldog.
Big E. went for the spear off the apron but was cut off with the Claymore for a huge near fall. That was a great spot.
McIntyre tried his own Big Ending, was stopped, and Big E. hoisted McIntyre and hit the Big Ending for the win.
WINNER: Big E. in 13 minutes and 25 seconds to retain the WWE Championship
I liked this match a lot and if circumstances were different with the draft, this feud could have lasted beyond one match. Both were solid in their performances and the audience loved it.
BECKY LYNCH VS SASHA BANKS VS BIANCA BELAIR FOR THE SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
All three wrestled in tights with t-shirts and coverings over their arms.
The crowd was chanting loudest for Becky during the introductions.
Belair lifted Banks and held her above using one arm, which looked spectacular.
Belair broke up the Bank Statement that Banks had applied on Lynch. Belair lifted Banks for the KOD and was stopped by a missile dropkick from Lynch.
Lynch came off the top and was caught by the other two, who tossed her into the turnbuckle.
Banks hit Belair with the three amigos but Belair rolled out of a frog splash attempt. Banks was sent to the floor when Belair body checked her out of the ring.
Belair went to bridge out of a pin attempt by Lynch, Belair came over and tried to climb on top for Belair to continue to bridge with both on top but it was badly timed and came off weak.
Banks applied the Bank Statement to Belair and Lynch simultaneously applied the Disarmer, both of which Belair escaped.
Banks grabs Belair by the ponytail and Belair used the braid to spin Banks and use a version of the European Clutch for a two-count. Lynch returned and hit the Man Handle Slam on Banks, which Belair broke up.
Lynch nailed both coming off the announcer’s desk. Back in the ring, she applied the Disarmer to both Banks and Belair, but Belair lifted both.
Belair hit the KOD to Lynch, Banks, and Belair went to the floor, Banks returned and was cradled by Lynch, who grabbed the bottom rope for the pin.
WINNER: Becky Lynch in 19 minutes and 23 seconds to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship
This was a triple threat sprint for the time it lasted with nonstop three-way spots and creativity that worked to varying degrees. The audience took to Lynch as the top babyface. They did a lot of cool power spots with Belair and protected her by sparing her from taking the fall while Banks has the “out” that Lynch grabbed the rope, although, in theory, Lynch and Banks are on different brands so there isn’t a lot they can do off that finish.
ROMAN REIGNS VS BROCK LESNAR FOR THE WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP
This is their first match together since SummerSlam 2018.
Lesnar was attempting suplexes from the beginning that Reigns initially blocked before Lesnar finally hit one.
Reigns recovered and sent Lesnar into the post, nailed him with a Superman Punch off the apron and hit a huge dive.
After a pair of Superman punches in the ring, Reigns charged at Lesnar with a spear, he leap-frogged and Reigns crashed into the corner.
Lesnar hit the F-5 for a huge near fall and the audience was going wild. He went for another F-5 and it was countered with the guillotine but Lesnar used a spine buster to escape.
Lesnar’s next F-5 attempt led to referee Charles Robinson getting struck by Reigns coming off the shoulders. Lesnar lifted and dropped Robinson, he turned around and was hit with a spear.
Paul Heyman threw the belt between them and said, “you know what to do with it”, leading to a tug-of-war that Lesnar won but was struck by The Usos with a double superkick. Reigns hit Lesnar with the championship as another referee ran into the ring and counted three.
WINNER: Roman Reigns in 12 minutes and 20 seconds to retain the WWE Universal Championship
There was a great atmosphere for the match and the story was that you’re left unsure who Heyman was trying to help.
