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WWE presented Crown Jewel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was your typical show where the talent worked hard, there were some solid moments and by the numbers booking mixed in with some less than stellar creative moments. Let’s get to it.
Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton, Last Man Standing
I was very happy that these two got to have the match that they wanted to show us at WrestleMania but Orton’s back wouldn’t allow. They definitely will feel some of the bumps that they took tomorrow, or probably later today! They laid it all out there.
Obviously, the story was whether could Cody pull the trigger, and he did at the end. Sadly, this match showed everything wrong with WWE’s recent booking. Back when HHH was at the height of his powers, Cody’s win would have been the culmination of a storyline that made the fans happy. Well, they culminated the story, but the fans were not happy. They wanted Randy to win. That’s the big problem right now, the booking has been so dull that the fans cheer for who they like better and Orton, as a Legacy act, is who they wanted to see win. I feel bad for Cody because it’s not his fault he was booked to stand there and listen to Randy’s promo last week, making him look like a dope while Orton came across as the babyface. That’s just where WWE creative is right now, unfortunately.
Bron Breakker and Austin Theory vs. Penta and Je’Von Evans.
I said going in that it made sense to get the belts off of The Vision. Bron should be a single, not in a tag team. Unfortunately for Theory, that meant he would eat the pin but, he is the expendable member of that team so it was to be expected. At least he got to do it in a good match. But long term I am not sure what it means for him. Then again, the way Oba Femi destroys all three Vision guys all the time, I should wonder about Bronson Reed and Breakker too.
It also made sense to give the Saudis a Title change since they were only getting a four match show. Evans has been pushed so hard that the win here seemed inevitable. Now Penta has something else to keep him busy while he waits to use the briefcase. These two will probably be on opposing teams at Survivor Series.
This was as much about continuing Oba Femu’s issues with The Vision as it was about the actual match. I am not sure why it was needed. Hopefully Oba moves on to Roman Reigns now, or at least starts the build for WrestleMania.
I expected to see Oba even things up but man, having Penta kick out of Theory’s pin after Bron and Bronson Reed killed him? Man, that doesn’t bode well for The Vision. That was a lot of beating to kick out of.
Chelsea Green vs. Liv Morgan
I HATE that HHH went back to the Jey Uso crisis of confidence storyline with Chelsea. I hated the promo that they had her do on Smackdown where she question whether she belonged. It’s next level stupid to have someone who won the Title the way that she did act like she doesn’t deserve it and that it was a fluke. Jeez. She should have been slowly been booked stronger so that when she got to this match, she could have finished off the ascension. But, HHH has lost his way and we got this instead.
So what happens in the match? She gets whooped most of the bout. She hits a big spot, doesn’t win, then goes back to doubting herself. Judgment Day comes out and Liv tells them that she wants to do this by herself. Then Chelsea gets the “slips on a banana peel” finish. It was yet another lucky win and did nothing to make her seem like a serious champion.
When she hugged Paul Levesque after the match she should have said, “Will you please start booking me like a real champion?” Of course, that was not meant to be. I am glad she got to do the promo after the match but it wasn’t the crowning achievement that it should have been.
Yes, I didn’t like this. Chelsea and Liv could have had a banger, where Chelsea got a strong win and ascended. Instead, we got this.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE.
Then with no build up whatsoever, Tiffany Stratton came out and screwed her friend and cashed in on Chelsea, for no reason that’s even been hinted at in the storylines. I am sure that they will say that is why Tiffany hesitated with the previous cash in attempts, if they explain it at all, but that is not a story. It was a classic Vince Russo swerve, with the exception that I did see it coming because that’s how bad Paul Levesque’s creative has gotten.
Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn
at least we ended with a bang. These two are so, so good and they delivered exactly what I expected them too. It was a great match with a ton of drama. The post match, where Roman showed Sami respect, was great stuff. I could watch those two all day long. They are that good. Plus, there was no head scratching booking and since they were both way over, the crowd could cheer them both and be happy with the finish.
Other Thoughts:
I have nothing but respect for the people from WWE that went over to Saudi Arabia in the current world conditions. I can’t say that I would have done it. In fact, I can tell you that I wouldn’t have.
It was weird having just a four match show, but given that meant less people had to be sent into harm’s way, I am OK with it.
The building looked odd without the US announcers at ringside, especially since their location is usually used at least once a show for a spot. It was even odder when almost immediately we so the Arabic announce table. With that said, I am glad that Michael Cole and Corey Graves didn’t have to go to Saudi. I wish that the wrestlers didn’t have to go as well.
As usual, the Saudi crowd was great. They should really deliver at WrestleMania. I will also enjoy the early start. That’s so much more palatable for me.
Paul Levesque showed off a head of hair. Hmmm. You know, in sports sometimes when a player is going bad, they shave off theirs. It’s time for Levesque to give that a try because his booking, quite frankly, sucks right now.
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