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While Crown Jewel received mixed reactions from fans, I personally believe that it wasn't only a stellar pay-per-view, but easily the best show WWE has had in Saudi Arabia.
Let us take a look at five big stories coming out of Crown Jewel and dive into the intricate backstage happenings that influenced the show. From the major controversy surrounding WWE Superstars being stranded in Saudi Arabia after the show, to the original plans for Brock Lesnar at the PPV, we unpack the five biggest rumors following WWE Crown Jewel.
#5 Unfortunate news for Cesaro's future
'The Swiss Superman' might be considered one of the greatest in-ring athletes in WWE today, but unfortunately, WWE creative still doesn't see him as a major Superstar.
Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has revealed that even though Cesaro is very well-respected backstage, the company does not view him as a top star. The former Tag Team Champion competed against Mansoor at Crown Jewel. The match ended with the Saudi upstart picking up a surprising win over the veteran.
Many fans have been critical of WWE's booking of 'The Cyborg,' and Meltzer explained why not much should be expected for Cesaro in terms of a push:
"I mean, obviously everybody respects him. I think as far as do they see him as a guy who is going to be one of their top guys? I mean look, he has been there forever, he has been great forever. So the answer is no. They don't. You know, that's Vince. He's always been like that.
"He doesn't see something in you and that's it, and even when there were periods, you know, Cesaro is one of those guys where there were periods where you know you get that groundswell support and then you know when people keep pushing for you and he had that Cesaro section period, and after a while, whether it's Cesaro or Dolph Ziggler, they get tired of pushing you when you are not getting pushed, and you just kind of throw up your hands and give up.
"And I think that the people have given up on him years ago. But he is still a really good worker, and this was a prime example."
(H/T: SportsKeeda)
#4 Reason why Bray Wyatt finally won the Universal Championship
'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt has succeeded in capturing the imagination of fans all across the world, and has become one of the most popular acts in WWE in a short span of time.
While many expected Wyatt to become the Universal Champion at Hell in a Cell itself, the company went for a faux finish which led to a severe backlash from the WWE Universe. However, the company rectified their mistake by making The Fiend Universal Champion at Crown Jewel.
This came as a surprising booking decision, as Wyatt winning the Universal Championship resulted in SmackDown having two World Champions, given the fact that Brock Lesnar was already signed to SmackDown and held the WWE Championship.
Cagesideseats had reported before SmackDown:
There’s some speculation that the Bray Wyatt Universal title win could be a set up for a big trade between Raw and SmackDown.
Brock Lesnar announced on SmackDown that he will quit the Blue Brand and be heading to RAW, which further heightens the possibility of a trade happening in the near future.
#4 Original plans for Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel
Brock Lesnar defeated long-time rival Cain Velasquez in under three minutes at Crown Jewel. The much-hyped match between the former UFC rivals turned out to be a complete dud, as it was nothing more than a squash match.
While WWE essentially built the Crown Jewel event around Lesnar and Velasquez's history in UFC, where Cain had defeated Brock to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship nearly nine years ago, the original plans for 'The Beast' included a possible match against Tyson Fury, who eventually faced Braun Strowman at the event.
Dave Meltzer revealed why WWE chose Cain Velasquez as Lesnar's opponent instead of Tyson Fury:
Fury said that the original idea talked with him about was a Crown Jewel match with Lesnar, but the idea changed when they were able to sign Velasquez. According to those internally, Lesnar vs. Fury was discussed but never got past early discussions, likely due to Velasquez having the storyline from the past and being the bigger star in the U.S. market, which is WWE’s primary market. And for Saudi Arabia, it wasn’t the matchups that were important as much as delivering matches with Fury and Velasquez.
(H/T: Sportskeeda)
#2 Why Lacey Evans was asked to drop her gimmick
WWE made history at Crown Jewel when Natalya faced off against Lacey Evans in the first-ever women's match to take place in Saudi Arabia.
While the two women put forth great in-ring work, WWE decided to tweak their gimmicks a bit, as both women ditched their regular attire and instead came out to the ring covered from head to toe. Not only that, the two seemed to shy away from their regular personas and instead presented a rather generic version of their characters.
As per Dave Meltzer, the reason behind this was WWE's decision to 'play it safe'. He further stated that the company didn't want to take any step that could be perceived wrong in any way.
The idea was the match was a step, and to make sure not to do anything that would be taken wrongly. Evans dropped her entire gimmick, her walk, and avoided doing anything that could be constituted as sexy, which is why her look besides her costuming was also very different.
(H/T: SportsKeeda)
#1 Reason behind Superstars getting stuck in Saudi Arabia
The biggest story coming out of Crown Jewel is the fiasco surrounding WWE Superstars being stranded in Saudi Arabia and missing SmackDown.
While the initial reports stated that the reason behind the delay was 'mechanical failure' of the plane, there have been multiple sources that have reported that the reason was, in fact, something else entirely.
Some reports have stated that the plane was being stalled as a result of Vince McMahon having an altercation due to non-payment. While such reports may or may not be true, one thing is certain that it wasn't a mere mechanical failure that caused the situation.
Many Superstars who were stranded in Saudi Arabia have vented on Twitter and voiced their unhappiness with the company. Superstars like Luke Harper and Curtis Axel have been blunt about their displeasure with the way things have gone.
Andrade, Karl Anderson, and Buddy Murphy among others have hinted at never wanting to return. Karl Anderson's wife has even alleged that the Superstars were being held 'hostage'.
Now you can rate Crown Jewel and SmackDown matches on Sportskeeda!
