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WWE Special to Win Daily By President Powers
With a kickoff show that started at noon ET on Thursday, WWEfans will be treated to another Saudi Arabian spectacle, as the reigningchampion of sports entertainment presents the second annual “CrownJewel” event. As usual, WWE doesn’t skimp on headline-worthymaterial, so names like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Tyson Fury, and Cain Velasquezhave done their part to draw eyes to the event already. However, the moreinteresting, and in all honesty, historic news leading up to the show is thegroundbreaking Women’s Match- a first ever in Saudi Arabia, as strong culturaltraditions had prevented female competitors from wrestling at previous WWEevents.
As for the aforementioned big names, the show certainly appearsto have a ton of sizzle, but as you will see when looking at the current LasVegas Betting Odds, I wouldn’t expect a lot of surprises from this show. That’s not to say it won’t be entertaining, as they have used these SaudiArabian shows to entertain a less familiar audience with something akin to a”best of” type event. Expect more “feel good moments”here than shocking developments and storyline advancement, for sure. So,without any further ado, let’s take a look at the card for WWE Crown Jewel.
-WWE World Champion Brock Lesnar (-220) vs. Cain Velasquez(+160)
There are a lot of reasons to be interested in this fight, chiefamong those being the fact that this is quite literally Cain Velasquez’s firstmatch ever in the WWE, but it isn’t the first time these two titans havesquared off. Many fans recall the beating Velasquez put on Lesnar tenyears ago in the UFC, which ended Lesnar’s reign as their Champion. However, 2019 Velasquez has looked like a significantly less menacing threat toLesnar, now the WWE’s flag bearer, than he did in 2009. Word backstagewas when he debuted shirtless on Monday Night Raw a few weeks ago, VinceMcMahon himself was unhappy with the way Cain looked. I have to believethat his subsequent appearances, where he appeared wearing street clothes,including a shirt, had to have come directly from the head honcho.
Disregarding that rumor, it’s still hard to believe that theywould put their top title on someone wrestling their first match, especiallywith all the work they’ve put in to protect Lesnar. That said, WWE would bepretty short sighted to just have Lesnar beat Velasquez clean here, as theyjust signed him to a multi-year contract. To bring such a high profileathlete into the fold, one who carries a strong aura of legitimacy, and then quicklyjob him out in his first match would seem self defeating. So what do Ithink they’ll do? Well, the answer is rather simple, although I am not sure howit translates for those placing bets. I expect Lesnar to getdisqualified, or some other type of “non-finish” where Velasquez winsthe match, but as per WWE’s rules (lol), titles can’t change hands via DQ, onlyby pinfall or submission. So, Cain wins, but Lesnar retains.
-WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins (-140) vs. “TheFiend” Bray Wyatt (Even)
This match carries intrigue as well, although not for thereasons WWE executives would like. At last month’s PPV, Hell In A Cell,Rollins defeated Wyatt via referee stoppage, as the whole crowd in attendancebooed loudly through the final five minutes of the match. Of course,booing is usually a good sign, but not when the person being booed is the”babyface” the crowd is supposed to love. The fact is, Wyatt’scharacter refresh that began earlier this year has gotten over tremendouslywith fans, and they were anticipating this match to be his coronation aschampion. Instead, they got a ridiculous series of false finishes, and amotionless Wyatt being buried (literally, and perhaps figuratively) beneath astack of ladders while Rollins smashed them with a sledgehammer. Thiscaused the referee to stop the match, awarding the victory to Rollins.
Further agitating to fans was the fact that the whole point of a”Hell in a Cell” match is that you must have a winner. So,heading into this rematch, it was announced that this match “can not bestopped for any reason”, ensuring a winner at Crown Jewel. So,here’s how this one breaks down- Bray Wyatt needs to win this match, or elsethe WWE creative team will be throwing away the first big success story they’veallowed in years. Is another shmozz finish possible? Sure, if they are alrightwith pissing off more fans. Besides, Rollins works better as an underdogbabyface chasing the title, and Wyatt is absolutely deserving of a run with thegold.
-Tyson Fury (-600) vs. Braun Strowman (+350)
The only thing that is a mystery about this match is how it willlook. Although Fury is a natural fit in WWE, the reality is he has alegit championship boxing match in February, so for now, this is a one-timedeal. Reports from inside WWE training facilities suggest Fury has beenall in regarding his training for this Strowman match, so hopefully, he’slearning how to throw a working punch. If not, Strowman could be in for along night, as Fury remarkably matches up in size to the massive 6’8″”Monster Among Men”. Also keep in mind, WWE doesn’t bring inbig name athletes for one time performances and have them lose- Lawrence Taylordefeating Bam Bam Bigelow in 1993, and the Wrestlemania debacle that saw FloydMayweather defeat the 7’4″, 500 pound Paul Wight both immediately come tomind. I expect this match to be short, although I’m sure they’ll fluff itup with some stalling or trash talking in the beginning. Bottom line,Fury is going to put Strowman down for the count in this one.
-Team Hogan (-350) vs. Team Flair (+225)
This has been an oddly put together angle from jump, and I amsure it was only done to find a way to get Hogan and Flair on the cardand over to Saudi Arabia. Thankfully, neither of the twolegendary geriatrics will be in the actual match, although the 70 year oldFlair did just do an interview where he made a point of saying the WWE doctorsdid medically clear him to work. Although I am a huge Ric Flair fan, itcan’t possibly be considered safe to have him involved in any physicality,despite Flair’s repeated proclamation that he when he dies, he’ll either be”in this ring, or on top of a wild woman.”
Anyway, the teams here are fairly even matched, with Roman Reigns and Randy Orton serving as the respective captains for their teams- Reigns for Hogan, Orton for Flair. Both teams are rounded out by some of the most gifted performers on the roster, including Ricochet, Drew McIntyre, Ali, Rusev, and Shinsuke Nakamura. I expect this to be a very fun match to watch, with lots of high spots, interference from Flair and Hogan, and ultimately, the good guys leaving with the victory. The Saudi Arabian shows in many ways are glorified house shows, and in a match like this with no real ramifications, this is an opportunity to make the fans happy. I fully anticipate a Reigns/Hogan shared pose down at the culmination of this one.
-Tag Team Turmoil Match to Determine “The Best Tag Team Inthe World”
The New Day vs. The Viking Raiders vs. Heavy Machinery vs. LuchaHouse Party vs. Roode & Ziggler vs. The Revival vs. The OC vs. The B-Team
(6/5) (3/2) (7/1) (25/1) (7/1) (8/1) (10/1) (40/1)
Talk about a cluster…. This match has more question marks thanany other on the card, in my opinion. Although I do believe the reigningtag team champions, the Viking Raiders will win this, I am clueless as to howthis match will actually work. This is a large collection of massivebodies, and I am under the impression all competitors will be in the ring atonce, rather than standard tag team rules- a rather odd way of determining whois the “best tag team in the world”, considering no one will betagging in and out. Also, rumors of an impending New Day heel turn have beenabound for some time, and more so lately than ever now that Kofi’s title reignis over and New Day merch isn’t moving how it used to.
Do they pull the trigger here and kick off what could be anexciting feud between them and the Viking Raiders? Or do the favoritesprevail here, adding to the impressive list of accolades that the WWE has beentalking about on TV since they debuted. It’s rare that WWE acknowledgestitles held outside of their own promotion, so I take them doing so for theRaiders as a sign they will win here, too, further establishing theircredentials as the top team in the WWE.
-Charlotte Flair vs. Natalya (Added Last Minute, No Oddscurrently available)
This match is a groundbreaking moment for Saudi Arabia, andregardless of the winner in the ring, ultimately, the women of Saudi Arabia arethe intended winners. Sure, allowing women to compete for the WWE is asmall step for Saudi women’s rights, but it is a step in the right direction,and even the longest of journeys are completed by many small steps. Kudos tothe WWE for pushing for this to happen, as it had been a publicly stated goalof the company since they first inked the 10 year deal to produce events forSaudi Arabia. As for the match itself, I expect Charlotte Flair to win,as she has been positioned as the Queen of the Women’s division, and rightlyso, due to her consistently superb performances. Natalya is an unsunghero of the women’s division, and a win here wouldn’t hurt Charlotte, either,but I still believe Charlotte will come out on top after a well fought contest.
–20 Man Battle Royal to Determine Who Will Face AJ Styles forthe U.S. Championship
(Sunil Singh, Mojo Rawley, Erick Rowan, R-Truth, Sin Cara, TheBrian Kendrick, Titus O’Neil, Tony Nese, Akira Tozawa, Shelton Benjamin, ApolloCrews, Buddy Murphy, Andrade, Drake Maverick, Eric Young, Luke Harper, CedricAlexander, Heath Slater, Humberto Carrillo, No Way Jose.)
If you haven’t been watching WWE programming lately, this onemay appear to have the murkiest waters for making a prediction. However,Humberto Carrillo has been featured prominently in recent weeks, taking bothStyles and Seth Rollins to the limit before coming up just short of avictory. Personally, I think his push has something to do with rivalcompany AEW’s young upstart, Sammy Guevera, as Carrillo bears a strikingresemblance. The only other standout of this lot in my opinion would beBuddy Murphy, another young star poised to break out, especially with PaulHeyman being a fan of his work and currently in charge of Monday NightRaw. However, this isn’t Monday Night Raw, and between the momentum he’shad, and the already-there story between him and AJ Styles for later in thenight, I expect Humberto to be the winner here.
-Mansoor (-1000) vs. Cesaro (+525)
If the ridiculous odds on this bout leave you perplexed, allowme to explain a bit. Mansoor hails from Saudi Arabia. He last appeared onWWE television, at least to my knowledge, at the last event held in SaudiArabia, where he triumphed over a field of 50 other Superstars to win the”Greatest Battle Royal” earlier this year. The win at that event waslargely believed to appeal (appease?) the hometown crowd, and his appearance onthis card at all indicates a similar result here. Luckily, the match willstill be entertaining, as Cesaro is one of the best performers on theroster. The real shame is that Cesaro is booked to lose to Mansoorspecifically for that reason- his superior ability will allow him to carry theunproven Mansoor to a quality match, and to look believable in the loss. Hopefully, his talent is rewarded one day with a title run of some sort, butthat day will not be today. I predict Mansoor with the undeserving victory overCesaro.
-U.S. Champion A.J. Styles vs. TBD (Winner of BattleRoyal)
Regardless of who he faces here, I don’t see Styles dropping theU.S. Championship at Crown Jewel. Rather, I think this will be a welldeserved showcase and triumph for A.J., who has been a fixture in thetitle picture since debuting with the company in 2016. His reign willeventually end, and it may even be to Buddy Murphy or Humberto Carrillo, butevery show needs a couple of matches where the bad guy wins, and this will beone of them.
Overall, this should be a fun show to watch, with fairlypredictable outcomes throughout. I’d probably be more interested inmaking side bets, like how many suplexes Lesnar delivers to Velasquez, or howmany times Ric Flair yells “Wooo!” from ringside. Ultimately,the spectacle and sizzle around this event may prove to be more than thesubstance delivered, but often, that approach makes for greatentertainment.
