By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Crown Jewel
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at Mohammed Abdu Arena on the Boulevard
Aired live on October 21, 2021 on Peacock (WWE Network internationally) and pay-per-view
-The show was hosted by Matt Camp, Kayla Braxton, and Peter Rosenberg from the WWE Studios in Stamford, Connecticut.
Powell’s POV: I missed the first thirty minutes of the show, but the only thing of note seems to be that they pulled the “no disqualification” stipulation from the Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar match for the WWE Universal Championship.
The broadcast team of Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton checked in from ringside…
1. Smackdown Tag Team Champions Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso vs. Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match. Cole touted that WWE is the first big event of the Riyadh Season. There was an “Usos” chant right after the opening bell. Jey Uso was isolated by Alexander and Benjamin. Jimmy eventually tagged in and performed a modified Samoan Drop on Benjamin and covered him for a two count.
Benjamin caught Jimmy with a knee to the head and covered him. Benjamin had the pin, but Jey broke it up at the last moment. Benjamin caught Jimmy with Paydirt and covered him for another near fall. The Usos rallied with double superkicks on both opponents. Jey went up top and performed a splash on Benjamin and then pinned him…
Smackdown Tag Team Champions Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso defeated Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match in 10:40.
Powell’s POV: A decent opener. The crowd was more vocal during the match than the Saudi fans have been at past WWE events. The Usos were clearly fan favorites and it will be interesting to see if that carries over to Roman Reigns or if the fans just dig the Usos more than Alexander and Benjamin.
-The Kickoff Show hosts ran through the main card lineup.
-A video package aired on the Edge vs. Seth Rollins feud.
-The hosts closed the pre-show by offering predictions on the main card matches.
WWE Crown Jewel Main Show
The main show opened with a video package… Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton were the broadcast team. They turned things over briefly to the Saudi broadcast team that was positioned next to them at ringside… The Hell in a Cell structure was lowered around the ring… A video package recapped the Edge and Seth Rollins feud…
1. Edge vs. Seth Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match. The female referee wore a long-sleeve black shirt under her referee shirt. The fans chanted “this is awesome” right after the opening bell. Rollins sent Edge to ringside and went for a suicide dive, but Edge moved, causing Rollins to crash into the side of the HIAC structure.
Edge brought a chair inside the ring and broke the bottom bar off. Edge went for a crossface, but Rollins avoided it. Rollins ended up with the chair piece and tried to drive it into Edge’s eye, but Edge blocked it. Rollins dropkicked Edge off the apron to the floor and then ran him into the side of the cage. Edge rallied and performed a slide kick from the ring that drove Rollins into the side of the cage.
Back inside the ring, Rollins ended up with the chair and slammed it over the back of Edge repeatedly. Edge applied a crossface. Rollins inched toward the ropes. Cole pointed out that there are no rope breaks in an HIAC match. Rollins grabbed the piece of the chair and jabbed Edge’s eye with it. Rollins performed a top rope frogsplash for a near fall.
Rollins went to ringside and pulled a table out from underneath the ring, which drew “yes” chants from some of the fans. Rollins returned to the ring and gouged Edge’s eye and then put him down with an Unprettier, which Cole claimed was Edge’s “own move.” Rollins covered Edge for a near fall. Rollins went up top, but Edge stood up and pushed him into the side of the cage and then Rollins crashed through the table. Cool bump.
Edge brought Rollins back inside the ring and covered him for a two count. A piece of the ring steps was brought into the ring. Edge performed a move onto it. Edge went up top and brought a chair with him. Edge leapt from the ropes and drove the chair onto Rollins, which Cole said was inspired by Mick Foley. Edge went for a spear, but Rollins caught him with a superkick. Rollins performed a Pedigree and covered him for a near fall.
Edge caught Rollins and performed a Buckle Bomb. Edge speared Rollins and covered him for a good near fall. A “this is awesome” chant broke out. Edge went to ringside and pulled out another table, which he slide inside the ring. Edge also pulled a ladder out from underneath the ring and flashed a sadistic look.
Rollins cut off Edge and placed him on the table in the middle of the ring. Rollins set up the ladder in the corner and tried to climb it, but Edge recovered and ended up fighting him on the ladder. Rollins performed a sunset bomb from the ladder that drove Edge through the table and then covered him for another good near fall.
Rollins threw a fit and threw a broken piece of the table to ringside. Graves said Edge was broken. Rollins went to ringside and threw a bag into the ring. Edge stood up. Rollins stopped what he was doing and returned to the ring where he superkicked Edge multiple times. Rollins pulled a chain out from the bag of items that he’d tossed inside the ring. Rollins wrapped the chain around his foot.
Rollins superkicked a kneeling Edge with the chain wrapped around his foot. Rollins placed Edge’s head over the chair in the middle of the ring and told him this is how his fairytale ends. Rollins went for the Stomp, but Edge sat up and positioned the chair so that it hit Rollins in the balls. Edge superkicked a kneeling Rollins twice.
Edge removed the chain from Rollins’ boot and then wrapped it around his mouth and wrenched on it. Rollins grabbed a wrench from the bag, but Edge took it away from him and applied the crossface. Rollins was on the verge of tapping out, but Edge released the hold and the referee flashed a look of surprise. Edge Stomped Rollins onto a chair and then pinned him.
Edge defeated Seth Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match in 27:40.
Edge slowly got to his feet afterward and was cheered loudly. Edge got emotional as he raised his hands in the air and then pyro shot off on the stage…
Powell’s POV: A really good match with plenty of callbacks. They clearly put a lot of thought into it, which is no surprise given the two wrestlers involved and the quality of the two previous matches they had during this feud. This has to be WWE’s best match in Saudi Arabia to date. The crowd is creating a better atmosphere than past Saudi shows.
After some advertising, including one for Survivor Series with the Raw vs. Smackdown theme, a Bianca Belair video package aired…
2. Mansoor vs. Mustafa Ali. Ring announcer Greg Hamilton announced Manoor as “originally hailing from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.” The crowd roared. Ali did a lot of stalling by rolling to ringside early on. Mansoor dropkicked him from the ring. Mansoor tried to pull Ali from the apron, but Ali tripped him and then ran him into the ringside barricade. Ali brought him back inside the ring and covered him for a two count.
Ali applied a Camel Clutch. Ali eventually released it and performed a tornado DDT that led to a near fall. Ali taunted Mansoor and called him a loser while kicking him in the corner. “You are worthless,” Ali said. “You are nothing.” Mansoor blocked a kick and then worked over Ali with punches and kicks. Mansoor charged Ali and ran into his boot. Ali charged Mansoor, who turned him inside out with a clothesline.
Ali ended up at ringside. Mansoor set up for a suicide dive, but Ali hit him with a superkick from the floor. Mansoor rallied once they were back inside the ring and performed a moonsault. Mansoor covered Ali, but the cameras cut to show a girl in the crowd and missed Ali kicking out. Ali put Mansoor in a Koji Clutch. Mansoor started to fade, but then he opened his eyes and reached the ropes to break the hold.
Ali went to the ropes while Mansoor’s neck was draped over the bottom rope. Ali went for a 450 splash from the top rope, but Mansoor rolled out of the way. Mansoor performed his leap over the top rope into a neckbreaker and scored the clean pin.
Mansoor defeated Mustafa Ali in 10:00.
Mansoor was celebrating afterward when Ali attacked him from behind. Ali put the boots to Mansoor in the corner. Ali was distracted by entrance music. A man walked out in a karate gi and wore a traditional Arabic scarf that covered his face. The broadcast team said they had no idea who it was. The man slowly entered the ring while Graves said whoever it was was in no great hurry.
The man removed his face covering. Cole said it was Tarek Hamdi, a silver medalist in karate. Hamdi, who had a cut above his left eye bandaged, dropped Ali with a kick. An excited Mansoor stood up and celebrated with Hamdi
Powell’s POV: A nice match. Both men played their parts well. The gimmick of Mansoor winning in front of his hometown crowd continues to be effective. Sure, it’s predictable, but it’s certainly crowd pleasing, which is the most important thing. I just wish WWE took this approach with other wrestlers in their hometowns more often. I’m not familiar with Hamdi, but many in the live crowd seemed to be.
After some advertising, Titus O’Neil and Natalya stood in the ring with four women who had pink title belts. Titus identified the women as cancer survivors and fired up the crowd, who cheered them…
Imagery from Riyadh was shown while Cole called it a gorgeous city. Footage aired of Saudi fighter jets flying above the venue a day earlier. Graves said it was quite a moment and the building was shaking. The broadcast team transitioned to talking about the Raw Tag Title match…
3. Randy Orton and Riddle vs. AJ Styles and Omos for the Raw Tag Team Titles. Riddle rode a camel to the ring while Orton walked along side them. Orton and Styles started the match. Omos checked in and dominated Orton. Styles tagged in again and put Orton down with a dropkick. Omos tagged in and put a nerve hold on Orton, who ended up raking his eyes to break it. Styles tagged in and so did Riddle, who got a two count. The crowd wasn’t hot for Riddle’s offense, but there were some “Bro” chants following his initial offensive burst.
Orton tagged in again and hit some of his signature spots on Styles. Orton set up for a Draping DDT, but he was distracted by Omos, who grabbed him by the throat and then had to shake off Riddle, who had grabbed his ankle. Styles went for a Phenomenal Forearm, but Orton hit him with the RKO on the way down. Orton tagged Riddle, who performed a Floating Bro and then scored the pin…
Randy Orton and Riddle defeated AJ Styles and Omos in 8:40 to retain the Raw Tag Titles.
Powell’s POV: A television match in terms of the length and quality. There was nothing wrong with it and the RKO looked great, but it’s nothing you haven’t seen from these teams before.
Kevin Patrick checked in from the backstage area and interviewed Becky Lynch and asked if she was worried coming off her loss to Sasha Banks on Smackdown. Lynch took offense and accused Banks of cheating her way to victory. He also pointed out that she could lose the title without being pinned in a Triple Threat. Lynch said she’s aware and knows how a Triple Threat works. She said it was time to remind everyone just who the hell she is…
4. Zelina Vega vs. Doudrop in the finals of the Queen’s Crown tournament. Both women wore oversized t-shirts and had their arms and legs covered. Vega clotheslined Doudrop over the top rope early. Vega went up top and dove at Doudrop, who caught her. Vega tried to roll her up, but Doudop picked her up and knocked her down twice with clubbing blows. Doudrop dropped an elbow on Vega and played to a less than enthusiastic crowd.
Vega came back with a tornado DDT for a near fall. Vega applied a sleeper. Doudrop stood up with Vega on her back and then backed into the corner to break the hold. Doudrop clotheslined Vega and both women stayed down for a moment. The crowd came to life with some clapping. Vega avoided a cannonball in the corner. Vega kicked Doupdrop in the corner and then dragged her away from the ropes and covered her for a two count.
Doudrop rallied with a sidewalk slam for a two count of her own. Doudrop performed a senton and then went for a running splash, but Vega rolled out of the way. Vega performed a Code Red and scored the clean pin.
Zelina Vega defeated Doudrop in 5:55 to win the Queen’s Crown tournament.
Afterward, Vega went to the stage and put on the crown. She sat on the throne and Greg Hamilton said, “All hail Queen Zelina.” Vega waved to the crowd while some pyro shot off…
Powell’s POV: I’m surprised by the outcome, but no complaints. Good for Vega. It’s been a strange stretch for her. She was released and ended up re-signing only to have the company release her husband Malakai Black a short time later. It’s nice to see her get some creative love.
Footage aired from the parade that was held to launch Riyadh Season a night earlier… A video package recapped the Goldberg and Bobby Lashley feud…
Be the first to comment