Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Welcome to PWInsider.com’s coverage of WWE’s Crown Jewel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Your host is Joe Tessitore and he is joined by Big E and Peter Rosenberg.
They run through the card for today’s show.
We go to Cathy Kelley with Sami Zayn.
She asks about winning the title in Riyadh. He says there is nothing like the first time. He says it was exhilerating. He was happy that it happened in Riyadh because people were not completely behind him in the US. The second time, he proved it wasn’t a fluke. A title win doesn’t happen by accident. He says he feels like a made man twice for beating Cody Rhodes and CM Punk for the title.
Cathy asks about what he learned from Roman.
Sami says it was transformative. Roman would say it did nothing for him, but it worked for everyone. You have to take lessons from it. There were ups and downs. Sami says he wouldn’t be champion if he wssn’t in the Bloodline. Being a smart man to understand what he needed to do meant something.
Cathy talks about Roman’s comments about the titles.
Sami says Roman has a tendency to minimize what anyone else is doing. Roman can say the man makes the championship. Sami says bulls(***. This is the title that Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan held. He will not let Roman, the fans, or anyone minimize what this title means.
Cathy asks what does he need to do to win.
Sami says he only knows one style. He says he thinks he can beat Roman.
We take a look at the tag title match.
We take a look at the Women’s Crown Jewel Match.
We see the announcement by Rey Mysterio of the Team USA versus Team Mexico Survivor Series Match.
Joe mentions that Rey will be part of Team Mexico.
We take a look at the Last Man Standing Match.
Cody says, no pun intended, it is because of legacy. Randy is looking for number fifteen and Cody says he is looking for number four. Some might think it is superficial to say it is about the title, but that is not the case if you are familiar with this. He says he heard Randy say everything about his family. Randy thinks that Cody is hesitant. He says he does not think that Randy is telling the truth. There is something good inside Randy. He says he would love to get on the other side of this and that they can put this behind them. They might never be friends again. This is about the last man standing. Cody says he is at a disadvantage because he has never been in one of these matches.
We return to the tag title match.
Corey Graves talked to Chelsea Green.
Corey asks Chelsea to talk about winning the title. She says it was thirteen years in the making. She says she has been through so many ups and downs over her career. It went in slow motion when she climbed that ladder. Knowing what this moment felt for all of them, she cannot put it into words.
Corey asks about her friends and family and how it has helped her. Chelsea says she used to wrestle in front of twenty people and most were her family and they treated it like Wrestlemania. She talks about her support system.
Corey asks about Liv’s comments. Chelsea says she feels the way that Liv feels about her. She feels like the underdog. What happens if Liv beats the underdog? Nothing. What does it mean if Chelsea beats the greatest champion?
Corey asks about differences between her and Liv. Chelsea says she is in the position that Liv used to be. She does not mind that Liv underestimates her.
Corey asks if she expected to be in this moment. Chelsea says she wanted this for so long. She says he tries to be grateful for what she has achieved and to enjoy the poment. She needs to prove that she belongs.
The panel talks about the Men’s Crown Jewel Match.
CM Punk joins the panel.
Joe asks about his match with Kevin. Punk says he got beaten by a human ham sandwich who had his hand wrapped in a chain. Punk says he isn’t going to complain but he wants a rematch.
Big E asks if it helps him that his opponent usually despises him. Punk says it is irregular to agree with a minority that thinks that his opponents despise him. There is a lot of ex-girlfriend vibes. There is a lot of ego and jealousy.
Peter asks if he has more respect for one champion over the other. Punk says no because they both take short cuts. He hasn’t gotten his rematches. He won’t chase people who run from him. He is not waiting for Roman to come to work. He has taken some side quests. He did NXT and AAA. He wants to stay sharp. He says he isn’t running from challenges like Roman or Sami.
Jackie Redmond talked to Randy Orton.
She asks if he is surprised by Cody’s behavior. Randy says he has tried to do this for years. We are looking at the most dangerous version of Cody. He kicked Baron Corbin in the head and he has not been seen. He will not fall victim to Cody on Saturday. Randy says he is the last man standing of his OVW class. He is the last man standing from Evolution. He has been in a Last Man Standing match before while Cody has never been in one before.
She asks if Cody can go to the dark places that Randy can. Randy says Cody respects him too much to kick his head off his shoulders. Randy is the older brother. He will do the same thing he did at Wrestlemania and go on to being a fifteen time champion.
She asks what will it take to keep Cody down. Randy says he has to kick Cody harder. Maybe he didn’t want to go to that dark place at Wrestlemania and he held back. He will give Cody 100 percent of his foot in Cody’s face. Randy says he is done playing games.
Your announcers are Michael Cole and Corey Graves.
Match Number One: Last Man Standing Match: Randy Orton versus Cody Rhodes
Cody and Randy exchange punches. Randy with kicks but Cody sends Randy into the turnbuckles and he punches Randy. Randy with a kick and forearm followed by kicks in the corner. Randy chokes Cody in the corner and then he goes for a shoulder in the corner but Cody moves and Randy goes into the ring post. The referee makes his first count of the match and Randy falls to the floor to stop the count. Cody with a suicide dive that sends Randy into the ringside barrier. Cody with punches and Randy avoids being sent into the ring steps. Randy sends Cody into the steps. Randy with a back drop driver onto the announce table. Randy with a second one.
Randy waits for Cody to get up and he hits another back drop driver onto the announce table. Randy bridges the hood against the table and Randy with a back drop driver through the hood. The referee starts his count, but Cody gets up. Cody with a punch and Randy with a forearm to the back. They go into the crowd and exchange punches. Cody sends Randy into the bleachers and they continue to exchange punches and kicks. Randy hits Cody with a trash can. The referee starts his count. Cody is up and Randy hits Cody with the lid. Randy stands over Cody as the referee makes his count. Randy hits Cody again with the lid.3
Cody with kicks and he sends Randy over the ringside barrier. Cody rehydrates and he walks into a kendo stick shot in the midsection. Randy with more kendo stick shots. The referee starts his count again. Cody gets up and Randy swings and misses. Cody with a kick and he gets the kendo stick. Cody hits Randy many times with the kendo stick. Cody clotheslines Randy over the top rope to the floor. The referee starts his count but Randy gets back to his feet. Randy goes up the ramp and Cody stops him. Cody punches Randy. Cody kicks Randy in the ribs and he punches Randy as they go up the ramp to the stage. They exchange punches. Cody sends Randy into the entrance and the referee starts his count. Cody goes to the back and he returns with a trash can and he hits Randy in the head with it when Randy gets back to his feet. Cody with the lid to the head.
Cody comes from the back with a table and he sets it up. Cody hits Randy in the back with the trash can. Randy with a thumb to the eyes and Randy sends Cody into the table. Randy with a kick and he goes for a power bomb through the table and he sends Cody through the table. The referee starts his count. Cody beats the count and Randy is a bit surprised. Randy with a forearm to the back and they make their way back towards the ring. Randy with forearms across the chest. Randy with a European uppercut and he sends Cody back into the ring. Cody kicks Randy in the chest when Randy tries to enter the ring. Cody with an IEDDT to Randy. Cody goes up top and Randy stops him with a punch and it crotches Cody. Randy with punches and he sets for a superplex. Cody stops Randy and Randy with a head butt. Randy hits the superplex.
Randy with two clotheslines and then he ducks a clothesline from Cody and hits a power slam as Cody comes off the ropes. Randy hangs Cody in the ropes for an IEDDT. While the referee counts, Randy twists to the mat and sets for the RKO and Cody blocks it and Cody with a thumb to the eyes. Cody with punches and running forearms. Cody floats over and he hits a power slam. Cody goes for a Cody Cutter and he hits it. Cody with jabs and he sets for the Bionic Elbow and Randy with an RKO. Cody beats the count to get back to his feet. Cody falls to the floor and Randy throws the kendo stick away. Randy takes the top of the ring steps and he tries to hit Cody with it but Cody moves and Randy hits the ring post. Cody hits Randy with the ring steps.
Cody kicks Randy and he punches him. Cody puts Randy on the announce table. Cody punches Randy on the announce table. Cody looks under the ring and he pulls out a ladder. Cody with punches to Randy and he hits him with a kendo stick. Cody climbs the ladder and goes to the top. Cody goes for a frog splash off the ladder but Randy moves and Cody hits the table and it collapses. Both men get to their feet before the en count. Cody falls onto the remnants of the announce table. Randy with a European uppercut and he pulls Cody to the ring. Randy waits for Cody to get back to his feet long enough to do something. Randy decides it is time to set for the kick. Cody avoids the kick and Cody with a double jump Cody Cutter. Cody with CrossRhodes
Randy barely beats the count and Cody sends the ring steps into the ring and he gets a chair. Cody hits Randy in the ribs and back with the chair. Cody punches Randy. Randy lays on the steps and Cody has the chair and he stands over Randy and his positioning allows Randy to connect with a low blow. Cody gets back to his feet to beat the count and Randy goes for an RKO but Cody blocks it and hits CrossRhodes. Cody with another CrossRhodes. Cody holds on and hits a third CrossRhodes in this sequence. Cody stops the referee’s count before he can get to ten. Randy rolls over to his hands and knees. Cody backs up and he sets for the kick and he connects. Randy fails to beat the count.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
Match Number Two: World Tag Team Championship Match: The Vision versus Penta and Je’Von Evans
Matches Announced for Crown Jewel:
Men’s Crown Jewel Championship Match: Roman Reigns versus Sami Zayn
Women’s Crown Jewel Championship Match: Liv Morgan versus Chelsea Green
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
