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THE WWE CROWN JEWEL 2023 TIP SHEET

WWE’s Crown Jewel takes place on Saturday.  Here’s our take on what will go down at the show!

Roman Reigns vs. LA Knight for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Dave: I don’t see any way that Knight wins the Title here so to me the question is how do they have him lose yet keep him strong so that he remains a strong possibility to win it down the road.  If that is how it goes down, I am sure that HHH has a plan in mind.  Doing a change would be a huge moment for the Saudis, for sure, but I just don’t see it happening here.  What I could see happening is when Solo and Jimmy get involved, John Cena makes the save and we start seeing War Games shape up.

Mike: I really wonder if they do some sort of disputed finish or Damian Priest gets involved and is the one who drops the fall.  Either way, I don't think it's a wise idea to have Knight losing clean, but there's always Solo to interfere....

Richard:  LA Knight, welcome to the Roman Reigns title match formula.  Maybe he is smart enough to watch those matches and have traps set up to stop the interference, ref bumps, and other assorted stuff that happens in Roman's title defenses.  If they want to have fun, they can have Jey 'dress up' like his brother and Roman doesn't realize it isn't the right Uso and it puts him in peril.  Will Knight get the same reaction in Saudi Arabia that he gets in the United States?  Regardless of what happens in this match, Knight has to come out of it in nothing worse than his position at the start of the match.

Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Dave: I absolutely love what they have done with Drew’s character.  He’s so real.  Why would he suddenly just forgive Jey Uso for all the crap he has done to him. A real person wouldn’t do that and it’s clear Vince McMahon isn’t doing the creative any more.  I see Seth retaining so I wouldn’t be shocked if it happens because there is a moment where Drew had sympathy and it costs him the match.  That would further the story of his character.

Mike: The right thing here is to have Drew win the title after finally turning to the dark side to do it.  The story for some time has been that Seth has been walking wounded and just trying to survive, so they start friendly and then when it appears Drew could show mercy, instead he loses it and attacks and Rollin tries to hold on but eventually fails.

Richard:  Just like with Clash at the Castle, we got an amazing Drew McIntyre video to set up his challenge for the title, but will we see a different result?   Seth is broken down and has fought valiantly against Nakamura, but give him time to rest and get ready for the Wrestlemania season.  Drew's character has been great because he seems human instead of stereotypical wrestling character because he holds grudges and doesn't forget when he turns face or heel.  If Drew wins, I hope he doesn't have to deal with a Priest cash in.  If Priest cashes in, I hope it will be against Rollins.  If this does happen, I can see THE Judgment Day get involved (because they get involved in everything on Raw) and cost Drew the match, but when Seth things he has an ally, they attack him as well to let Priest get the title.  I guess either way, we have a new champion.

Rhea Ripley defends the WWE Women's World Championship vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Nia Jax vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Zoey Stark.                   

Dave: As I always say, I hate to see the champ lose in these multi-person matches and I feel even more strongly here.  Rhea is one of the top acts in the company and I want her to keep the Title and stay strong.

Mike: No chance Rhea loses here.  My gut is someone takes out Stark and Rhea picks the bones and scores the pin.  There's a case to be made that Rhea is the top character in the entire company right now.  To have her lose right now would be a huge diservice to her and the company alike.

Richard:  Did you know the winner of the match, other than Zoey Stark, will prove that she is the most dominant female on Raw?  If I had my wish for this match, it would have been a singles match between Rhea and Shayna, but WWE does not book to make me happy.  My biggest fear is if we hear 'AND NEW', it is followed by Nia Jax.  Raquel feels like she has used up her title match chances for a few months if she doesn't win.  The biggest shock to me is Zoey.  While she has tried to remain relevant in the division, her role has been diminished since Trish left.  Rhea should retain, but if she loses, how will the other members of THE Judgment Day react?

Iyo Skye vs. Bianca Belair for the WWE Women’s Championship.

Dave: Here is where I give the Saudi fans a Title change.  I have really liked Bianca’s growth as a character upon her return.  With her new TV show coming up, having her belt back would be a great touch.

Mike: I would really like to see IYO retain, but I see the lure in putting Bianca over.   This has always been a shot about making "history" as part of the narrative of its existence, so I would go with Bianca.

Richard:  If we get a title change in this match, does it mean a double turn?  I enjoy Iyo's work but as long as she is part of The Bayley Bunch, she will never be THE STAR.  Bianca was beaten by cash in so she wants revenge.   This should be a very good match, but I wouldn't mind seeing it again, maybe in Chicago.

Rey Mysterio vs. Logan Paul for the WWE United States Championship.

Dave: This is where I give the Saudis their second Title change.  I know Paul is not full time but even part time, he’s awesome.  Rey doesn’t need the belt and everyone just assumes Paul will lose because he’s a part timer.  I would throw them a left turn at Albuquerque here.

Mike: I am with Dave here.  At this point, there isn't a fan watching that doesn't appreciate Logan's work and insanity.  Rey is a made man and it wouldn't hurt him to lose.  Logan running around with the title is free promotion for WWE.  They can always book a rematch for Survivor Series or Royal Rumble, too.

Richard:  Does Logan get his title win after falling short last year against Roman?  Rey has done a good job as the US Champion, but I can see outside forces get involved in the match to cost Rey the title, but it might not even be the deadbeat dad's ex con son Dominik who is the culprit.  If Logan wins and isn't full time, that means both men's champions will rarely appear on the show, but he is also a free agent so he can appear (or not) on Raw too.  I would like to see Rey retain, but if Logan appears at events with the title belt . . . Corporate synergy.

Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest.

Dave: This one could go either way, for sure.  Cody has established that he can overcome anything so I see him winning here.  If down the road he beats Reigns, Priest could then pick the bones and take the Title from him if they choose to go that way.

Mike:  Damian Priest has gotten so much respect for being a warrior and gutting through physical injuries and continuing to ascend upwards in the company.  To me, the smarter move is Priest winning to keep him a threat and have him seen as someone who can beat Cody as Cody gets closer to chasing the title too.  That said, I can see WWE wanting a big happy moment on the show.  I would book Priest going over, but I suspect Cody wins.

Richard:  Will this be the biggest match of the night for Priest or does he cash in his briefcase since the exchange rates are better in Saudi Arabia.  Cody has his path to Wrestlemania and completing the story, but is it possible that the story has to be edited and he has to also get revenge on Priest for what happens on Saturday.  Priest has been on a good run and since Cody is dealing with his ankle 'injury', could that be the intangible to get him the win?  A Cody loss doesn't hurt him one bit, but a Priest loss with the health of THE Judgment Day changing by the minute could be devastating for that group.  Priest wins the match, but does he have some extra baggage for his flight home?

John Cena vs. Solo Sikoa

Dave: John has been great upon his return, giving back to the talents.  I would say 100 percent that he will do that here except the show is in Saudi Arabia and they may want to give the fans a huge pop moment.  If John does win, I expect it will be because Jey Uso causes a distraction.

Mike: With the SAG-AFTRA strike hopefully on the verge of ending in the next few weeks, WWE should play it safe and have Solo go over clean with the Samoan Spike.  There are some in the company who envision tht perhaps Solo is the one to upend and unseat Roman Reigns, so a clean win over Cena could go a long way towards building in that direction.

Richard:  Getting John Cena involved in the Bloodline feud while Roman was not on TV was a good thing for the brand.  If this is the end of John's WWE commitment (pending SAG deal), he should be putting Solo over in the same way he did with Austin Theory at Wrestlemania.  Let's pray that Solo does not fall into the same chasm that Theory fell Into.

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