Two WWE champions will sport additional {hardware} by the point WWE Crown Jewel ends. The promotion returns to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday to begin a brand new annual custom: the Crown Jewel championship matches.
Uncooked and SmackDown’s world champions compete to grow to be the inaugural Crown Jewel champions. World heavyweight champion Gunther takes on undisputed WWE champ Cody Rhodes, and ladies’s world titleholder Liv Morgan meets WWE girls’s champ Nia Jax. The Crown Jewel titles have been launched by WWE chief content material officer Paul Levesque at Unhealthy Blood. The champion vs. champion matches will happen yearly in Saudi Arabia.
As well as, the subsequent chapter of the Bloodline saga is about to unfold when Jey and Jimmy Uso group with “Unique Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns to tackle Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa in a six-man tag group match. The Usos not too long ago reunited after the brand new model of the Bloodline continued to run roughshod over SmackDown. With each Usos again along with Reigns, something may occur as we get nearer to Survivor Sequence.
Plus, there’s some extra unhealthy blood within the air in a pair of non-title singles matches. Seth Rollins and Bronson Reed are set to sq. off after the 2 have brutalized one another for the final month or so. Reed’s preliminary violent assault took Rollins out of motion for a number of months. And former associates have turned rivals when Randy Orton faces Kevin Owens. Owens has gotten increasingly more unstable with every passing week to begin attacking each Orton and Rhodes, his former finest associates, after teasing assaults on Rhodes for months.
Let’s check out who the CBS Sports activities specialists are selecting to win in every match on Saturday’s card, starting at 1 p.m. ET.
WWE Crown Jewel 2024 predictions
Roman Reigns and The Usos vs. The Bloodline: The wise end right here is for The Bloodline to win and hold issues heating up as Survivor Sequence approaches. Nonetheless, there’s one thing about The Usos reunion and the way heel-heavy I really feel just like the outcomes are going to skew makes me suppose WWE might need to give the followers a babyface victory on this one. There are methods to let The Bloodline get again at Reigns, Jimmy and Jey between Saturday and Survivor Sequence to maintain issues transferring in the suitable course. I hope I am improper as a result of a Bloodline win actually is probably the most cheap strategy from a wrestling storytelling standpoint however there are methods to spin Sikoa’s rising frustration into important story beats as nicely. Decide: Roman Reigns and The Usos win — Brent Brookhouse
In contrast to Brent, I assume WWE does the cheap factor. The Bloodline wants momentum heading into Survivor Sequence and so they nonetheless have a one-person edge on the unique faction. Reigns and Jey are greater attracts than anybody within the rival group. WWE dangers making The Bloodline 2.0 seem like an inexpensive rip-off in the event that they lose to Reigns’ group at consecutive pay-per-views. The largest variable is how lengthy WWE plans to attract out this storyline. If Survivor Sequence is the conclusion, the artistic group should make aware choices about how issues play out in November. If there may be much more in retailer, it won’t matter who wins at Crown Jewel. Decide: The Bloodline wins — Shakiel Mahjouri
Males’s Crown Jewel Championship — Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes: The issue I am having with the 2 champion vs. champion matches is that it seems like each are going to finish with interference or another form of unsatisfying end to keep away from a high champion consuming a loss as a result of Crown Jewel merely feels much less necessary than one thing like Survivor Sequence. When escape hatches to keep away from a clear loss, Rhodes merely has extra antagonists who can stick their noses within the match and permit Gunther to steal an inexpensive win. Whether or not Kevin Owens or somebody from The Bloodline, somebody will intrude and Rhodes will lose with out it having any actual impression on something. Decide: Gunther wins the title — Brookhouse (additionally Mahjouri)
Ladies’s Crown Jewel Championship — Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax: The brand new WWE regime appears excessive on Jax. Her newest run within the firm is by far her strongest. It is not good nevertheless it’s a transparent enchancment over previous efforts. Jax gained Could’s Queen of the Ring match in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It preceded her WWE girls’s title win and set the tone for this weekend. Morgan has extra upside however she’s a conniving heel who would not want a one-off ceremonial title win. Jax is a bodily drive. Looking extra prizes for her trophy case is accountable reserving. Decide: Nia Jax wins the title — Mahjouri (additionally Brookhouse)
Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens: Owens is simply too central to Rhodes’ story proper now to lose to Orton, who’s having fun with a nice run as a veteran who can simply slot in towards anybody. Owens wants to remain scorching and in place for a rematch with Rhodes, this time together with his outdated edge. I’ve a sneaking suspicion that this might steal the present on Saturday however the consequence doesn’t really feel doubtful. Decide: Kevin Owens wins — Brookhouse (additionally Mahjouri)
Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed: It is good to see Reed in a serious feud however one thing about this storyline seems like busywork. I am unable to bear in mind the final time Rollins was such a small participant on Uncooked. Such are the ebbs and flows {of professional} wrestling. Reed will probably be introduced as an unstoppable drive however Rollins virtually definitely finds a option to vanquish this monster. Decide: Seth Rollins wins — Mahjouri (additionally Brookhouse)
United States Championship — LA Knight (c) vs. Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes: Knight would have been a predominant occasion champion if SmackDown nonetheless had an inactive champion. Sadly for him, Rhodes is a workhorse. The U.S. champion has taken a backseat to storylines extra central to SmackDown’s two-hour block. He even seems like a supporting act in Andrade and Hayes seven-match collection. Knight continues to be one of many roster’s extra well-liked babyfaces and advantages extra from having the title than his challengers. Decide: LA Knight retains the title — Mahjouri (additionally Brookhouse)
WWE Ladies’s Tag Staff Championships — Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill (c) vs. Injury CTRL vs. Meta-4 vs. Chelsea Inexperienced & Piper Niven: Loads occurring on this match however selecting a winner in the end comes right down to what is sensible. Cargill and Belair are nonetheless comparatively contemporary into their second run as champions and no group within the match jumps out as somebody able to run with the belts, even in a reasonably weak girls’s tag division. It seems like Cargill and Belair will proceed to carry the titles till WWE can work out an intriguing course for one or each as singles. Decide: Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill retain the titles — Brookhouse (additionally Mahjouri)