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Crown Jewel 2023's main event saw Roman Reigns defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against LA Knight with a little help from The Bloodline. The two were in an entertaining feud on SmackDown in the previous weeks. Knight pushed The Tribal Chief to his limits and kicked out of the Spear once.
He came close to winning the gold, but Jimmy Uso saved Reigns. The champion then pinned Knight to retain his title and left the show with his historic reign intact.
The result fetched mixed reactions from WWE fans, and here, we look at five reasons why Roman Reigns won at Crown Jewel 2023.
#1. To draw heat from WWE fans
There is no denying that Roman Reigns is currently the biggest villain in all sports entertainment. Fans have long despised his sporadic title defenses, especially when he regularly takes time off, but being the biggest draw in the business has seen him run through a series of top favorites, with LA Knight being the latest victim.
The latest successful title defense at Crown Jewel will allow Roman Reigns to take time off after his big match. This was reportedly his last championship defense this year, and The Tribal Chief is likely to return for a title feud during the Royal Rumble season. The decision is bound to draw heat from several fans in the WWE Universe, but it will ultimately add to the aura of the biggest heel in WWE.
#2. It is too soon to put the world title on LA Knight
LA Knight is not lying when he claims to be the fastest-rising megastar in SmackDown's history. At Crown Jewel, he challenged for the world championship for the first time in his WWE career, going against the biggest champion. As over as Knight is, it would not have warranted him ending Roman Reigns' historic Undisputed WWE Universal Championship reign at Crown Jewel.
Knight and Reigns engaged in a brief but entertaining feud on SmackDown leading into their title match. Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa's interference protected LA Knight in loss and presented him as yet another wrongfully denied babyface. The loss could push him to the rise again and build momentum heading into Royal Rumble 2024.
#3. Protect Roman Reigns' historic reign for WrestleMania 40
Roman Reigns is one of the longest-reigning world champions in pro wrestling, having held the Undisputed WWE Universal Title for 1161+ days. It would have been shocking to see Reigns lose the championship at a non-big-4 premium live event. It is quite possible that this historic run is likely to end at WrestleMania 40 or potentially at SummerSlam 2024.
As mentioned above, Reigns is scheduled for time off following his title match at Crown Jewel. He will likely stay off the television for a while, allowing the creative team to avoid dismantling another top babyface's momentum on the show. In the meantime, it would set the stage for the 2024 Royal Rumble winner to go after Roman Reigns by picking him as his opponent at WrestleMania 40.
#4. The ultimate goal remains for Cody Rhodes to finish his story
Cody Rhodes is one of the select few babyfaces who could realistically end Roman Reigns' historic championship run. He won the Royal Rumble this year and challenged The Tribal Chief for his gold at WrestleMania 39 but could not dethrone the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. His story remains unfinished, but The American Nightmare is all set to resume business.
Cody locked horns with Damian Priest at Crown Jewel and defeated The Judgment Day member in a singles match. Michael Cole noted that Cody is here to finish his story, and it seemingly goes through Priest. It is likely that WWE will not have Roman Reigns lose his gold to anyone but Cody Rhodes, who is expected to feud with him on Road to WrestleMania 40 and challenge The Tribal Chief at The Grandest Stage of Them All.
#5. Royal Rumble season takes precedence
Roman Reigns won't put his title on the line at Survivor Series, where a WarGames match is expected to close the show. His absence would allow other WWE Superstars to take center stage on the final premium live event of the year, potentially settling long-term grudges. We will see them compete for momentum as everyone focuses on creating their impact and getting the rate behind them heading into the 2024 Royal Rumble.
Roman Reigns' presence on shows could overpower other budding names who could compete to get the fans behind them as they hunt a career-defining run. Every wrestler would want to compete to be the top favorite to win the Royal Rumble. This would allow fans to see every potential challenger and their respective storylines.
For the first time in a long while, there are a handful of promising WWE Superstars who could make a solid case for a Royal Rumble winner. It will be interesting to see the best names in the business compete to emerge as the best challenger while the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion awaits them at next year's WrestleMania.
Who do you think will win the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble Match? Sound off in the comments section below!
