8 Things WWE subtly told us at Crown Jewel: Meaning behind confusing Reigns-Lesnar ending revealed; former World Champion to lose push after 18 months?

The previous editions of WWE Crown Jewel have been criticized for various reasons, but this was undoubtedly WWE's best show in Saudi Arabia since the deal began in 2018.

It was an incredible pay-per-view filled with great matches from start to finish. The ending has left a lot more questions than answers, but it's all going to play out starting tomorrow on SmackDown.

Two major things start on Friday Night - the build-up to Survivor Series 2021, as well as the WWE Draft officially taking effect. Here's what WWE subtly told us at Crown Jewel - one of the best pay-per-views of 2021:

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#8. The meaning behind the strange ending of Crown Jewel 2021

Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar was one of the biggest matches of 2021. Although they've faced off numerous times before, the dynamic this time around was entirely different. When they first had a match at WrestleMania 31, Roman Reigns was attempting to be The Guy.

Over six-and-a-half years later - he is The Guy. The story of the Reigns-Lesnar feud hasn't even been centered around both men - it was all about Paul Heyman and where he stood.

Brock Lesnar kept thanking Paul Heyman and insisting that he was still his friend and advocate. This stirred up the camp of The Tribal Chief, who repeatedly demanded reassurances from Paul Heyman.

Heyman was cryptic heading into Crown Jewel as well. In a backstage interview, he said that he would be walking into Crown Jewel with the reigning, defending, Universal Champion Roman Reigns, and walking out with the reigning, defending, Universal Champion - not specifying a name the second time around.

This was done on purpose, and the confusing ending only added fuel to the fire. Brock Lesnar had Roman Reigns beat at one point, but the referee getting taken down unintentionally prevented the title change.

Towards the end of the match, Paul Heyman threw the Universal Title into the ring while no referee was there - potentially signaling him helping Lesnar. However, Roman Reigns won the tug of war (a little throwback to the funny go-home segment between the two men in 2015) and used the title against Lesnar by smacking him with it.

The Usos also superkicked Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns got the pin to retain the title. Paul Heyman will be under major fire on the SmackDown post-Crown Jewel, and the ending of it was to signal potential tension and the continuation of the Roman Reigns-Brock Lesnar feud in 2022.

#7. Goldberg possibly ends The All Mighty Era at Crown Jewel

Goldberg had his best match in four-and-a-half years at Crown Jewel against Bobby Lashley. When the match started, it appeared that Goldberg was already limping to the ring and he was busted open with a chain right off the bat. While things usually go downhill from there with Goldberg matches, this wasn't the case at Crown Jewel.

Goldberg being fired up wasn't just in the storyline - he put on his best performance since WrestleMania 33 in an intense bout against The All Mighty. The circumstances were different this time, and this was more of a grudge feud, while the last match was focused on the WWE Title.

Unfortunately for Bobby Lashley, he's been on the losing end for more than a month now, getting pinned by Big E, Roman Reigns, and now Goldberg at Crown Jewel. They're all top names, and it isn't bad, but The All Mighty's dominant run has officially come to an end.

The push he received between April 2020 to October 2021 may have been the biggest of his wrestling career, and we may have witnessed his peak. Goldberg was always going to win, but hopefully WWE management takes more positives out of it and pushes Bobby Lashley again. However, he's unlikely to ever get the push that he received for most of this year.

#6. Edge puts a poetic end to his feud with Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel ahead of their move to RAW

Edge and Seth Rollins delivered yet another classic at Crown Jewel 2021. It's said that there are two matches in a pay-per-view that hold the most importance - the first and the last. Perhaps that's why Roman Reigns reportedly demanded that he either main events a pay-per-view or opens it - nothing in between.

In the case of Crown Jewel, putting Edge vs Seth Rollins first was a tricky decision, because after the halfway point, it was clear that no match on the card would top it.

The duo had their longest and arguably best match yet as Edge defeated Seth Rollins to conclude their trilogy. In hindsight, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the two stole the show despite an overall stacked card for Crown Jewel.

Thankfully, enough matches on the card delivered to make it a great pay-per-view overall.

The feud can be looked back on as a great one that lived up to the expectations. It's 2021, and nobody would have imagined 7 years ago that Seth Rollins and Edge would have a brutal, grueling yet incredible trilogy against one another.

The match was filled with quite a few subtle moments that fans missed, from Edge's throwback moment to his first Hell in a Cell match, to a small tribute to AEW star Christian - his best friend, as well as incredible storytelling to cap off the feud.

Seth Rollins losing the feud won't be a bad thing, and fans who feel that the younger star should have won shouldn't have to worry. Seth Rollins proved that he's still among the best in the world, and he played his role to perfection.

Edge and Seth Rollins both move to RAW following Crown Jewel, and the two men will now go their separate ways after months of feuding against each other.

#5. Queen Zelina to get a big push after Crown Jewel?

Ahead of her move to Monday Night RAW, Zelina Vega had an uphill task at Crown Jewel 2021. It was, of course, the Queen's Crown final. Unlike the King of the Ring tournament (which also culminated at Crown Jewel), this was the first edition. This meant that the winner will have their name etched in history, as there can only be one first.

In the last few years, we've seen the likes of Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Carmella, and a few others be the "firsts" in various aspects - whether it was starting a title lineage, main eventing pay-per-views, or anything else. Zelina Vega joined that list by becoming the first Queen of WWE. Charlotte Flair might hold the nickname, but it now officially belongs to Zelina Vega.

The size difference between her and Doudrop made many feel that the latter would win at Crown Jewel, but it wasn't meant to be. Zelina Vega has gained momentum recently, and although she wasn't handled that well after his return, she had the best moment of her WWE career.

The tournament was criticized for the lack of time given to the women in each match, and rightfully so. At 5 minutes and 50 seconds, this was the longest match of the tournament. It wasn't great, nor was it notable, but it got the job done. Zelina Vega was the right winner if WWE was going with a heel, but in the long run, this may not prove to be as big a stepping stone as one would hope.

Either way, it's likely the start of a short-term push for Zelina Vega following Crown Jewel, who might enter title contention sooner rather than later. Don't be surprised to see her pick up a string of wins on RAW.

#4. RK-Bro puts an end to their biggest feud at Crown Jewel

RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro had a good clash against AJ Styles & Omos at Crown Jewel, and based on the result, the feud could finally be over. It's hard to believe that the RK-Bro storyline has already gone on for half a year, and it's safe to say that it's been a big success.

WWE hasn't emphasized the RAW Tag team division in a long time, but RK-Bro have felt like the most important champions in recent history. However, the weakness in the tag team division has meant that there haven't been too many opponents for RK-Bro.

The Street Profits being back on RAW is a big boost, but there needs to be more teams. For now, Crown Jewel saw the end of a feud that has lasted more than a couple of months now with RK-Bro triumphing over AJ Styles and Omos.

The Street Profits are more than likely to be next in line, and they're also likely to compete for the RAW tag team titles post-Crown Jewel for the rest of the year.

The Usos picked up a win at Crown Jewel as well, and a feud against RK-Bro seems to be in the cards for Survivor Series.

#3. Xavier Woods' King of The Ring win at Crown Jewel won't affect Finn Balor's push on RAW

In what can be considered an upset, Xavier Woods defeated Finn Balor at Crown Jewel to win the King Of The Ring 2021 tournament. While the KOTR tournament is traditionally won by heels, it was a bit different at Crown Jewel this year. It seems poetic that Xavier Woods won the King of the Ring tournament, especially since he was the first to tweet about wanting for it to return.

Xavier Woods said that the match against Finn Balor at Crown Jewel was the most important of his career, and it all paid off. Although many might feel that The Prince should have become King Balor, this may not necessarily affect his push in the long run. In a way, moving to RAW might help Finn Balor as there's a need for more top babyfaces.

He may not have won the King of the Ring tournament, but he doesn't need it either. This felt more like WWE paying homage to The New Day and giving Xavier Woods his own singles accomplishment.

Kofi Kingston is a grand slam champion and won the WWE title at WrestleMania 35. Big E is already a multi-time Intercontinental Champion and won the WWE title not too long ago after cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase. Xavier Woods was yet to have a notable singles accomplishment, and this was WWE continuing to push The New Day as the most important tag team in the company's history.

#2. Big E's time continues at Crown Jewel, but big things await Drew McIntyre on SmackDown

Given the positioning of the WWE title match at Crown Jewel, the odds were against Big E and Drew McIntyre having a good match. Thankfully, they beat the odds and had an incredible bout at Crown Jewel - concluding McIntyre's 3-and-a-half year run on RAW.

Credit should be given to both men, who exceeded expectations. Their match was one that somehow got overlooked because of the other big bouts at Crown Jewel, but they made it a memorable one. Big E and Drew McIntyre sharing a moment of respect made it even better, with the right man giving the Scottish Warrior his farewell from RAW.

Big E retaining the WWE Championship was always going to happen, especially since Drew McIntyre is moving to SmackDown as of tomorrow night, when the WWE Draft takes effect.

Big E will continue to be the face of RAW, while the Universal title picture might be on the horizon for Drew McIntyre, who is rumored to be Roman Reigns' first challenger post-Crown Jewel.

It will be interesting to see how Drew McIntyre is handled on SmackDown. He will be an important part of the roster, with the show needing top babyfaces in the long run.

#1. Becky Lynch throws the women's title picture into a state of confusion at Crown Jewel

The co-main event of Crown Jewel was the SmackDown Women's Championship triple threat match. As with nearly every match on the card - it delivered, and possibly even exceeded expectations. These were three of the top four women in WWE right now, with only Charlotte Flair not present.

The confusion of the situation at Crown Jewel was the fact that Becky Lynch was drafted to RAW with the SmackDown women's title, and Charlotte Flair was sent the other way holding the RAW Women's title.

Sasha Banks, in particular, had the opportunity and responsibility of bringing the SmackDown women's title back to the home brand, but she couldn't get the job done. All three women played their roles to perfection, with Becky Lynch spending a good deal of time on the sides to avoid taking too much offense.

She got beaten up and thrown around but picked up the win at Crown Jewel by pinning Sasha Banks. The commentators pointed out the confusion of the titles being on the opposite brands post-Crown Jewel. They didn't hint at a title swap between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, but we may just see that happen.

Also, the fact that Bianca Belair wasn't pinned shows WWE's seriousness towards pushing her as the long-term face of the women's division.