Unfortunately for WWE, the 12th event in Saudi Arabia as part of the billion dollar partnership between the company and country looked exactly like the previous 11 … slow, bland, and awkward.
Yes, there were some storyline developments inside of The Bloodline saga — Sami Zayn has rejoined his group and Solo Sikoa pinned Roman Reigns — but, the overall event had the typical house show flavor with a side of Saudi propaganda.
Here are my Brass Ring Ratings for the event and here’s how they work … I call it like I see it and grade accordingly. Period.
Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, & Jimmy Uso vs. Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, & Tama Tonga
A fine opening match because of all the star power, but a slow one in terms of action. There just doesn’t seem to be enough heat on the heels in this story to cultivate a truly invested audience. Now, Solo Sikoa pinning Roman Reigns can help if followed up on properly. That was an expert booking decision and a necessary one — especially if War Games between both factions is the plan at Survivor Series.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 3/4
Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair vs. Damage CNTRL vs. Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend vs. Chelsea Green & Piper Niven - WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal Four-Way Match
A good match with a predictable outcome. Spot heavy, but everything was clean and executed pristinely. Cargill & Belair had to win and they did. In the second match slot on the show, this was well done.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2
Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It picked up where their brawls on Raw left off, which made for exciting action throughout. Rollins gave Reed a lot and Reed didn’t look out of position opposite a star like Rollins. The finish here is going to be a point of contention. Yes, Reed would have gained a lot out of winning, but Rollins is clearly still a top guy who is likely in line for a world title shot. If that’s the plan, this booking makes perfect sense. Time will tell.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO
Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax - WWE Women’s Crown Jewel Championship
Ehh, not much to this one. Morgan and Jax didn’t seem to have chemistry, but how could they? As two heels, it was hard to get audience momentum or interest for one side or the other. Morgan essentially worked the match as a babyface because she took the standard Jax beating, but it didn’t resonate much with fans. The cash-in teases were there, but didn’t help with drama either. Bland and kind of boring.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - O 3/4
Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens
The pre-match brawl led to the match itself being cancelled, so no rating here. However, it’s worth noting that the brawl was well done. This absolutely could’ve and should’ve been done on Smackdown.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - N/A
LA Knight vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade - WWE United States Championship
Match of the night. This thing was crisp, fast, and well-booked all the way through. The audience reacted strongly to Knight, which worked because the majority of the match was about him overcoming and outlasting the other two. Really cool finish spot topped things off.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/2
Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther - WWE Men’s Crown Jewel Championship
A solid main event with a lot of pomp and circumstance behind it. The match felt big and the action was strong. Gunther looked dominant with the chops and controlled much of the match. Cody winning really defines the pecking order of WWE. Could’ve been a moment to put Gunther over huge and they went the other way. Hard to argue — Cody is the top guy in the company. However, for Gunther to progress and get bigger as a star, a win like this one would have been beneficial. That said, losing to Cody Rhodes isn’t going to hurt his momentum at all.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/4
What did you think of WWE Crown Jewel 2024? Let us know in the comments!
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