After a bit of a hiatus, I am back and ready to get back into discussing what we all love: wrestling!
The latest WWE PLE, “Crown Jewel,” will take place this Saturday, November 2nd, 2024, at the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It will be streamed live on Peacock at 1 pm EST in the United States.
While most WWE PLEs have been limited to five matches, this star-studded card will showcase seven. Let’s break down the matches and look at my predictions on who will leave Riyadh victorious.
Randy Orton Vs. Kevin Owens
This is a match that Kevin Owens should win, especially if the WWE plans to have him feud with Cody Rhodes, which appears to be the direction it is taking.
Also, a loss here wouldn’t hurt Randy Orton. He has been established and around for so long that the outcome of his matches doesn’t typically affect his status.
I will go with Kevin Owens picking up the victory against an always-gamed Randy Orton.
Pick: Kevin Owens defeats Randy Orton.
Unsanctioned Match: Bronson Reed vs. Seth Rollins
WWE has done a great job trying to keep both men apart while still showing what we can expect in this first match against these two.
In my opinion, this match will be the toughest one to call! While a loss wouldn’t necessarily hurt Rollins here, I can’t see his first match back as a losing one.
Bronson Reed has been showcased very strongly on Raw. He is someone who cannot be kept down. His being in a match of this caliber with a top guy like Rollins is already a win for him.
I think WWE will go with Rollins winning while continuing to have Reed look dominant, even in defeat. I wouldn’t be surprised if Reed attacked Rollins again after the match to continue this feud.
Pick: Seth Rollins defeats Bronson Reed.
WWE Triple-Threat United States Championship Match: LA Knight (c) vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade
LA Knight’s reign as the US title holder has been lackluster. I wouldn’t be opposed to WWE taking the title off of him here; however, I don’t think that will be the case.
You knew something would happen when it was announced that LA Knight would be a special guest referree in the 7th and final match between Andrade and Carmelo Hayes.
The match’s ending, with no clear winner and no conclusion to the series thanks to LA Knight, was a disappointment, given how good the best-of-seven series between Hayes and Andrade was.
An LA Knight heel turn might help rejuvenize his character. Did we see the first step on Smackdown when he interfered at the end of the match?
I see Knight retaining his title here, regardless of whether he does it cleanly or not. I would still love to see Andrade and Carmelo Hayes eventually have that final match against each other to close out that great series the way it should be, with a clear-cut winner.
Pick: LA Knight retains his WWE US Title over Andrade & Carmelo Hayes.
WWE Women’s Fatal Four-Way Tag Team Championship Match: Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair (c) vs. Piper Niven & Chelsea Green vs. Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson vs. Iyo Sky & Kairi Sane
This is an exciting matchup that should be fast-paced and full of action. WWE did a great job intertwining all four of these established teams into this storyline.
There’s always a possibility of a title change, given that this is a match in which the champions don’t have to be pinned to lose the titles.
However Cargill and Belair are the biggest names in this match, and it just feels like they will and should have a nice run with these championships—something they did not have in their first title reign. For that reason, I’m picking them to win here.
Pick: Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair retain their Tag Team Championships.
Women’s Crown Jewel Championship Match: Nia Jax (WWE Women’s Champion) vs. Liv Morgan (WWE Women’s World Champion)
It looks like the Crown Jewel Championships for the men and women are a way to have superstars crowned as new champions for the event, so no current titles have to change.
As for this actual match, it’s always cool to see a Champion vs Champion match. This is another match that can go either way.
There will almost certainly be some interference by The Judgement Day, especially with Rachel Rodriguez being part of the faction. Jax is too strong for it to be a straight one-on-one match.
The question is, does the interference help Morgan win? I can see that happening if this was part of a bigger storyline, but since this is most likely a one-off, I’m still going to go with Nia Jax coming out on top.
As always, look for the possibility of an MITB briefcase cash-in or at least a tease of it; however, I do not think a cash-in will actually happen.
Pick: Nia Jax defeats Liv Morgan to become the new WWE Crown Jewel Women’s Champion.
Men’s Crown Jewel Championship Match: Gunther (WWE World Heavyweight Champion) vs. Cody Rhodes (WWE Undisputed Champion)
I am looking forward to this match, which should be a hard-hitting, excellent wrestling match. Both superstars are true professionals and great storytellers in the ring.
While this could be the match of the night candidate, the only way I see it ending is with Gunther victorious. Since neither champion’s actual championship is on the line, it would make sense for Gunther to win here while giving Rhodes an out.
That out will most likely be in the form of interference by Kevin Owens. There is also a possibility that The Bloodline 2.0 cost Rhodes the match, but Owens’s interference makes more sense if they are going into a program together.
It remains to be seen if these Crown Jewel Championships will be defended at each Saudi PLE event or just yearly at this annual event. Either way, I see Gunther leaving the new Crown Jewel Champion.
Pick: Gunther defeats Cody Rhodes to become the Inaugural Men’s WWE Crown Jewel Champion.
Roman Reigns & The Usos vs. The Bloodline
This is another match I’m looking forward to. The Usos are finally reunited with Roman Reigns, and while it would be great to see them beat The Bloodline here, that can’t happen if this storyline is going to continue as it will into War Games.
Undoubtedly, this will be another hard-hitting match with great storytelling. In the end, the numbers game will be too much for Roman and the Usos to overcome, resulting in a Bloodline victory.
This is a perfect way to introduce the Honorary Uce Sami Zayn back into the picture, giving Roman and the Usos the fourth member they need to go into War Games with against The Bloodline.
Pick: The Bloodline defeats Roman Reigns & The Usos
