WWE Crown Jewel 2021 Flops and Hits: Edge vs Seth Rollins unleashes “hell”, Roman Reigns’ controversial win over Brock Lesnar in main event (21st October, 2021)

#2 Flop at WWE Crown Jewel: Brock Lesnar’s controversial defeat against Roman Reigns

WWE Crown Jewel’s main event was fantastic until its last few seconds. It is important to acknowledge the good parts of this match before we dive into the criticism. The final match of the night witnessed the much-awaited Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar. Both superstars were brilliant at playing their respective characters inside the ring and went toe-to-toe throughout their battle.

Lesnar subjected Reigns to multiple Suplexes and F5s in the match while the latter hit back with quite a few Superman punches and Spears. The Beast Incarnate sold the moves brilliantly, making Reigns look highly credible in his title defense at WWE Crown Jewel. Lesnar accidentally knocked out the referee at one point, and as a result, there was no one to count for the pinfall.

The crowd counted until ten, but it was of no use. This prompted Paul Heyman to throw the Universal Title inside the ring, and it all came down to who could use it as a weapon. Lesnar snatched the championship from Reigns but was knocked out with simultaneous superkicks from The Usos. Reigns then hit the challenger with the belt and pinned him to retain his gold at WWE Crown Jewel.

Now, here’s the problem. Reigns was close to picking up a credible victory, but the interference once again made him look weak. Over the last few weeks, Lesnar has taken out The Usos with ease, but he couldn’t do that at WWE Crown Jewel -- the most important night of this storyline. Some might argue that he was dealing with the aftermath of multiple blows in the match, but so was Reigns. And no one can deny that the Suplexes and F5s are more devastating than Superman punches that barely connect.

The interference could be used to protect Lesnar and to draw more heat towards Roman Reigns. But if that was the case, it should have gone on for a bit longer, and a low blow might have accounted for a more believable case. No one expected Lesnar to dethrone Reigns as the Universal Champion at WWE Crown Jewel, but the finish was a little too predictable.

Although it can be argued that that booking stayed true to Reigns’ heel gimmick, it can also be debated that these finishes will slowly start to make his character look stagnant. If he uses illegal methods to triumph, the writers should add more creativity to the overall booking. The good thing is that we know this story won’t end at WWE Crown Jewel.

Brock Lesnar will eventually return for a match against Roman Reigns, as was evident from his expression after the loss. Moreover, Paul Heyman’s decision to throw the title inside the ring and prompt either to use it as a weapon can also account for an interesting turn in this feud. For now, Reigns will look to enjoy his big win at WWE Crown Jewel because it was still a good match despite the controversial finish.