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Crown Jewel 2021 is the sixth major event for WWE in Saudi Arabia since 2018. These pay-per-views have been under major scrutiny from fans and critics for the political views and actions of the Saudi Arabia government. It has also been under criticism for the quality of its headline matches.
Through five separate major shows, WWE has put a heavy focus on part-time stars and legends in the main event. This trend has been saved for WrestleMania and other Big Four pay-per-views. However, the company's Saudi Arabia shows has been the top money earner at the end of the past few years.
With Crown Jewel 2021 right around the corner, it's an ideal time to remember the past few shows and their headliners. In this article, let's take a look at the ranking for every WWE in Saudi Arabia's main event so far.
5) The Fiend Bray Wyatt vs. Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship – WWE Super ShowDown 2020
WWE Super ShowDown 2020 was the last pay-per-view to take place in Saudi Arabia before the pandemic began. It turned out to be a deflating show with a polarizing main event.
The Fiend Bray Wyatt was on a pretty good reign as the Universal Champion following his feud with Seth Rollins.
The Fiend Bray Wyatt defeated Daniel Bryan on two occasions, while also beating The Miz on his way to a huge showdown with Goldberg. Many fans viewed this as one last obstacle before Wyatt faced Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 36.
The contest followed the usual Goldberg template since his 2016 return to WWE, focusing on short lengths and big moves. The Fiend looked as if he would absorb the huge impact offense of his challenger, but Goldberg kept coming at full speed. He hit the spear and a jackhammer, of sorts, to win the Universal Championship.
The Super ShowDown 2020 main event ended the reign of destruction for the Fiend and killed any momentum he gained with his Universal Championship reign. It caused an uproar from fans and drew large-scale criticism. This is why it's the worst WWE main event in Saudi Arabia.
4) The Undertaker vs. Goldberg – WWE Super ShowDown 2019
WWE wanted to use these Saudi Arabia shows to deliver dream matches that the fans have never been able to see. WWE Super ShowDown 2019 marked only the third pay-per-view taking place in the country and would be headlined by The Undertaker facing Goldberg for the first time.
It seemed as if Goldberg was finishing up his second run with WWE back at WrestleMania 33 when he lost the Universal Championship to Brock Lesnar. However, Saudi Arabia's events have led to several part-time stars signing new deals to come in for these major shows. Goldberg is one of the key players who has remained a central figure of these pay-per-views.
The WWE Super ShowDown 2019 main event went awry almost immediately. Goldberg went for a spear and hit head-first into the ring post. This legitimately gave the Hall of Famer a concussion, which hurt the quality of the rest of the bout. Goldberg nearly injured The Undertaker with a jackhammer that became a brainbuster, dropping the Deadman on his neck.
The two men couldn't get on the same page due to their ages and Goldberg's concussion. The Undertaker mercifully ended this bout with a sloppy-looking chokeslam. This gave Taker the feeling that he needed to call it a career and was visibly upset following this main event.
3) D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels & Triple H) vs. The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker & Kane) – WWE Crown Jewel 2018
WWE Crown Jewel 2018 set the tone for the rest of the upcoming major events in Saudi Arabia. The main event saw Shawn Michaels come out of retirement after eight years to team up with his D-Generation X tag team partner Triple H to face The Brothers of Destruction in The Undertaker and Kane.
Many fans were conflicted by this decision. Although nostalgia is heavily relied on by WWE, this seemed a little extreme. Shawn Michaels' retirement following his loss at WrestleMania 26 against The Undertaker was one of the best matches and moments in company history, so his return garnered criticism.
Despite these issues, the four performers would still have to deliver in the main event spot on WWE Crown Jewel 2018. However, the best-laid plans don't go as perfectly as they once seemed.
Almost immediately, this contest went off the rails as Triple H injured his bicep. This was a huge setback since The Game didn't have the ring rust of the other three men in the match.
Shawn Michaels had to do a lot more and hold his own, but it just wasn't the same HBK that fans remember due to his now bald head. Michaels and Kane had a miscue when Kane's mask and hair fell off during the latter stages of the bout.
D-Generation X got the victory after a Pedigree from The Game to Kane to end WWE Crown Jewel 2018.
2) 50-Man Royal Rumble Match for the Greatest Royal Rumble Trophy & Championship – WWE Greatest Royal Rumble
The very first WWE pay-per-view to take place in Saudi Arabia was the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018. This followed WrestleMania 34 and featured a large number of stars returning, especially for the headline and titular bout.
The 50-Man Royal Rumble Match saw many superstars and legends appear including Chris Jericho, Mark Henry, Kurt Angle, and Shane McMahon.
To give the winner some incentive, WWE created a trophy and custom championship for the winner. This was a historic event in many ways due to this. Superstars from all three brands were included and looked to get the victory.
The 50-Man Royal Rumble Match marked the final WWE match of Chris Jericho's career before he returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling and, eventually, signed with All Elite Wrestling.
Another current AEW star, Daniel Bryan, now known as Bryan Danielson, was only in his second pay-per-view contest since returning to in-ring competition.
Daniel Bryan put in an impressive effort, breaking the record for the longest time in a Rumble Match at over 76 minutes. The bout also featured the infamous Titus World Slide moment when Titus O'Neil tripped coming down the ramp and slid under the ring. This is arguably the most memorable moment from this entire event.
Braun Strowman won the Greatest Royal Rumble Match to hold up the trophy and championship. Both of which were never seen again in WWE following the pay-per-view.
Braun also broke the record for most eliminations in a Royal Rumble Match with 13 eliminations. The records set during this contest are recognized and still stand to this day.
1) Seth Rollins vs. The Fiend Bray Wyatt in a Falls Count Anywhere Match for the WWE Universal Championship – WWE Crown Jewel 2019
WWE in Saudi Arabia events has seen the rise and fall of the Fiend Bray Wyatt.
In 2019, no character captured the imaginations of the WWE Universe quite like The Fiend. From the original vignettes of the Firefly Funhouse to his eventual in-ring debut at SummerSlam 2019, he captivated fans in a way unlike anyone has in years.
WWE went full speed ahead with their support of this character and wanted to elevate immediately to the main event scene. Just two months after his in-ring debut, the company announced that The Fiend Bray Wyatt was scheduled to face WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins at Hell In A Cell 2019.
This main event proved to be a turning point for Wyatt's career and the company. The Hell In A Cell 2019 main event was highly criticized by many fans and voted on many platforms as the worst match of the year. The Hell In A Cell Match went to a no-contest when Seth Rollins smashed The Fiend Bray Wyatt with a sledgehammer over the head with the referee calling for the bell.
To make up for this awful finish, WWE announced a rematch between the two men at their next pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia at Crown Jewel 2019. This time, Rollins and Wyatt faced in a Falls Count Anywhere Match where there must be a winner. One of the main criticisms of their previous meeting was the red light set over the arena during the contest, and this also had the same lighting, unfortunately.
However, both men put in a solid effort to try to entertain the fans in Saudi Arabia. The Fiend Bray Wyatt once again proved himself to be an unstoppable force who kept moving forward despite taking on a lot of damage. Seth Rollins used all weapons to overcome the Fiend with this contest going all over the arena.
The conclusion saw The Fiend Bray Wyatt fall into the electrical equipment following a superkick from Seth, which caused a brief fire. However, a spark incapacitated Seth and The Fiend popped up. He hit Sister Abigail to win the WWE Universal Championship.
The Fiend was redeemed with the title win after his failure at Hell In A Cell 2019. It helped get the character back on track and garner momentum once again.
Despite the main event not being the best match possible, it was higher quality than the previous headliners in Saudi Arabia. That's why Seth Rollins vs. The Fiend Bray Wyatt is the best WWE in Saudi Arabia's main event.
