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WWE is set to present its next major pay-per-view in the coming week as Crown Jewel 2021 will air live on October 21 from the Mohammed Abdu Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
With Crown Jewel 2021, Vince McMahon and co. are returning to Saudi Arabia after a long gap of over 18 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As with every previous WWE show in the Middle East, the upcoming pay-per-view is set to be a grand one.
Multiple must-see matches are set to take place at the event. This includes the finals of King of the Ring, Queen's Crown tournament, Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, Edge vs. Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair, and multiple others.
To get you up to speed with all that's going around, here are the top Crown Jewel rumors that you need to know. Be sure to comment down and let us know your thoughts on these and predictions for the show.
#5 WWE wants to change the perception of Crown Jewel, make it a must-watch show with long-term repercussions
WWE has made sure that their Saudi Arabia shows look as grand as WrestleMania. However, there is often not enough buzz around these, with many considering them just glorified house shows.
However, that could change with Crown Jewel 2021. According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast, the company wants the change this perception and is taking steps to make the show a must-watch, possibly with long-term repercussions.
“It’s a big show, they’re giving away big matches in Saudi Arabia. It’s a money deal for them. Will there be any long-term changes to their storytelling? Most of the time, no but maybe we’ll see some changes happen this time around. Because I know the big deal for them has been [that] they are very much aware that the Saudi show seems like a nothing show. It just seems like a very big house show with no longer-term repercussions."
"But they want to change that and make this a show you want to watch. One o’clock in the afternoon on a Thursday is maybe not the most peak viewership but they don’t give a sh*t about peak viewership. They don’t care about any of that because they make the same amount of money no matter how many people watch live or not on Peacock. I would not be surprised if they continue on with these stories and stuff,” said Andrew Zarian. (h/t WrestlingNews)
Could we see a major title change at Crown Jewel 2021? Or a major storyline twist that could lead to month-long storylines and feuds?
#4 Potential spoiler on the Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar match at WWE Crown Jewel
Undoubtedly the biggest match heading into Crown Jewel 2021 is the Universal Championship clash as Roman Reigns defends his title against arch-rival Brock Lesnar.
The new babyface version of Lesnar with a new look has been an absolute hit with the WWE Universe. The way the Beast Incarnate has been playing mind games with Reigns, making him doubt the loyalty of Paul Heyman, has made for some amazing television time.
Truth be told, if there's one guy who could realistically dethrone The Tribal Chief as the Universal Champion, it has to be Brock Lesnar. However, as per recent reports, that might not be the case at Crown Jewel 2021.
According to WrestlingNews.co, Roman Reigns is expected to hold on to the Universal title for a long time and there are no plans for him to drop the title this year. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer has also reported that the end of this match at the upcoming pay-per-view could be a non-finish, continuing the feud between Lesnar and Reigns.
Taking all these rumors into consideration, Roman Reigns is likely walking out of Crown Jewel 2021 still the Universal Champion.
#3 Future plans for Brock Lesnar after WWE Crown Jewel
WWE Universe would reportedly not be seeing Brock Lesnar for a while after his match at Crown Jewel 2021. According to WrestlingNews.co, The Beast Incarnate is not scheduled for any WWE show this year after the event in Saudi Arabia.
The report also added that Lesnar is next scheduled to wrestle at next year's Royal Rumble. A recent promotional tweet from America's Center, the venue for Royal Rumble 2022, also saw Brock Lesnar being featured on the poster of the pay-per-view.
#2 What's next for Roman Reigns after WWE Crown Jewel?
As stated earlier, Roman Reigns is the favorite to walk out of Crown Jewel with the Universal title still around his waist. The biggest question that follows is - what's next for The Tribal Chief?
As has been the case over the last several months, Reigns already has a number of feuds lined up for him. With WWE confirming Survivor Series to have a brand supremacy theme, we might see him face Big E in a huge "Champions vs. Champions" match at the pay-per-view.
Another top star who is reported to challenge Roman Reigns is Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Warrior has been drafted to SmackDown and has made his intentions clear to come after the Universal Champion. Dave Meltzer has reported the same on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
''McIntyre was moved over since Roman Reigns desperately needs a new opponent, and on paper right now there is essentially nobody else for him. Plus, McIntyre goes over with multiple losses at the end of his Raw run and presumably another to Big E, and then will become Reigns’ big contender probably around December,'' said Meltzer.
As of now, McIntyre is set to challenge WWE Champion Big E at Crown Jewel. However, the title is highly unlikely to change hands.
#1 Nixed plans for Queen's Crown tournament match
WWE's announcement of the inaugural Queen's Crown tournament was met with a lot of positive reactions from the fans and critics. However, the atrocious booking of the matches and the female stars getting very short matches has enraged the WWE Universe.
One of the fan-favorites heading into the tournament was Liv Morgan, who has been looking to get that one big push. However, all hopes for her came crashing down as she lost to Carmella in the first round of the tournament.
According to a report by Fightful Select, Morgan was originally planned to go over Carmella in round one. The report further added that there is significant frustration backstage about the booking of the women's division.
This past week on SmackDown, Zelina Vega defeated Carmella in round two of the tournament. She will now be facing the winner of the match between Shayna Baszler and Doudrop in the final at Crown Jewel 2021.
