WWE Crown Jewel aired live Saudi Arabia from this afternoon. Here are 11 takeaways from the PPV:
Randy Orton Attacked Rey Mysterio After Their Match
Hulk Hogan was announced as the host of WWE Crown Jewel and he kicked off the show. Hogan said that it was great to be with all his Hulkamaniacs again and said that the show starts right now before posing in the ring.
Randy Orton faced Rey Mysterio in the first round of the World Cup tournament. The two Superstars locked up to start off the match. Orton got the advantage and slammed Rey to the canvas.
Mysterio connected with an Enziguri and went for a springboard Splash but Orton countered with a Dropkick for a near fall. Randy went after Rey Mysterio’s mask and tried to rip it off but Rey blocked him.
Rey hit a Splash off the top rope and followed it up with a Bulldog for a two count. Orton blocked the 619 and planted Mysterio with a DDT. Orton went for the RKO but Rey dodged it and rolled Orton up for the victory.
After the match, Randy Orton attacked Mysterio and hit him with an RKO. Orton then slammed Mysterio face-first onto the announce table before heading backstage.
The QUICK roll-up means @reymysterio is one step closer to the #WWEWorldCup…but he just got an #RKO for it!#WWECrownJewel @RandyOrton pic.twitter.com/KAszStSoPP
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2018
The Miz Defeated Jeff Hardy To Advance In The World Cup Tournament
Jeff Hardy battled The Miz in the first round of the World Cup tournament. Hardy started off the bout in control and hit Miz with a flurry of kicks. Jeff avoided Miz’s attempt a Skull Crushing Finale and beat Miz down in the corner of the ring.
The Miz hit Hardy with a boot to the face and then a Neckbreaker for a near fall. Jeff leveled Miz with a Clothesline and then an Atomic Drop. Hardy connected with Whisper in the Wind off the top rope for another two count.
The Miz sent Hardy out of the ring and hit him with a Dropkick through the ropes. Hardy showed off his athleticism by balancing on top of the barricade and hitting Miz with a flying Clothesline.
Back in the ring, The Miz rolled up Hardy and used the ropes for leverage but the referee caught it at the last moment. Hardy went for the Twist of Fate but Miz countered into the Skull Crushing Finale for the pinfall victory. The Miz will face Rey Mysterio in the second round of the tournament.
In the battle to advance in the #WWEWorldCup Tournament, not even a #WhisperInTheWind can take down @mikethemiz! #WWECrownJewel @JEFFHARDYBRAND pic.twitter.com/QssMCZlw9d
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2018
Seth Rollins Defeated Bobby Lashley To Advance In The World Cup Tournament
It was announced on this week’s episode of WWE RAW that Bobby Lashley would replace John Cena in the World Cup tournament. Lashley battled Seth Rollins in the first round of the tournament.
Rollins started off with a series of punches but Lashley quickly turned the momentum with a Spinebuster. Bobby applied a Headlock on Rollins but Seth was able to fight his way out of the hold.
Lashley beat down Rollins in the corner of the ring and then went for a Suplex but Rollins escaped. Seth launched Lashley out of the ring and hit him with two Suicide Dives in a row.
Back in the ring, Rollins and Lashley battled on the top turnbuckle. Seth went for a Powerbomb off the top but Lashley blocked it and leveled Rollins with a Spear. Lashley charged at Rollins in the corner of the ring but Rollins escaped and connected with the Curb Stomp for the victory.
Dominance vs. Determination.@WWERollins refuses to be out-powered by @fightbobby in the #WWEWorldCup Tournament! #WWECrownJewel pic.twitter.com/oVKb65icGk
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2018
Ziggler Pinned Angle To Advance To The Second Round
Angle and Ziggler were the final match in the first round of the World Cup tournament. Drew McIntyre was ringside for the match.
Ziggler and Angle went back and forth to start off the match. Angle connected with a Belly to Belly Suplex and then two German Suplexes in a row. Kurt went for a third German Suplex but Ziggler was able to hold onto the ropes to prevent.
The action spilled out of the ring and Ziggler launched Angle into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Dolph connected with a Neckbreaker for a near fall. Angle battled back and this time did hit three German Suplexes in a row.
Angle went for the Olympic Slam but Ziggler fought his way out of it. Dolph planted Angle with a DDT for a two count. Ziggler tried for the Fameasser but Angle countered into the Olympic Slam for a near fall.
Dolph then went for the Zig Zag but Angle countered into the Ankle Lock in the middle of the ring. Dolph went for the ropes but Angle brought him back to the middle of the ring. Ziggler was able to escape the hold and then dodged Angle was he charged at him in the corner of the ring.
Angle smashed into the turnbuckle and then turned around into a Zig Zag. Dolph pinned Angle for the win and will face Seth Rollins in the second round of the World Cup tournament.
Ah, there are those @RealKurtAngle Suplexes we know and love!#WWEWorldCup #WWECrownJewel pic.twitter.com/5s2t3wBZ5N
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2018
The Bar Retained The Titles
The Bar defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against New Day at WWE Crown Jewel. Big Show and Xavier Woods were ringside for the match.
Big E and Sheamus started off the match. Big E leveled Sheamus with a shoulder block and followed it up with a massive Clothesline. Kofi tagged in and connected with a springboard Crossbody for a near fall.
Cesaro tagged in and planted Kofi with a Gutwrench Suplex for a two count. Big E distracted Cesaro on the apron and Kingston capitalized with a Back Body Drop. Sheamus tagged in and quickly booted Big E off the ring apron.
Cesaro got back in and charged at Kingston in the corner of the ring. Kofi escaped and tagged Big E into the match. Big E connected with a couple of Suplexes and then went for a Splash but Cesaro got his knees up.
Sheamus got back in and Big E greeted him with a Suplex. Big E went for a Spear but Sheamus was ready and connected with a knee to the face. Kofi tagged in and teamed up with Big E to hit Sheamus with a Powerbomb.
Kingston then hit a Suicide Dive onto Cesaro outside the ring. Big E set up for the Big Ending on Sheamus but Big Show distracted him. Sheamus shoved Big E towards Big Show while the referee wasn’t looking. Big Show hit Big E with the KO Punch and then Sheamus followed it up with the Brogue Kick for the pinfall victory.
No matter how many times you face @TrueKofi, you just NEVER know what he'll do next! #WWECrownJewel pic.twitter.com/6xmAC3XheE
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2018
The Miz Advanced To The Finals Of The World Cup Tournament
The Miz faced Rey Mysterio in the semi-finals of the World Cup tournament. Mysterio and Miz went back and forth. Rey sent Miz out of the ring and connected with his awesome sliding dive on the floor outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Miz battled back and hit Rey with a Facebuster. The Miz targeted Mysterio’s ribs with several kicks and then applied an Abdominal Stretch. Mysterio escaped and hit Miz with a springboard Crossbody for a near fall.
Mysterio followed it up with a Hurricanrana and then went for the 619 but Miz blocked it. The Miz connected with a Skull Crushing Finale but Mysterio kicked out at two. The Miz hit a few It Kicks before Rey ducked under one and rolled Miz up for another near fall.
Rey sent Miz to the ropes and hit him with a 619. Mysterio slowly made his way up to the top rope and went for a Frog Splash but The Miz got his knees up at the last second. The Miz then pinned Mysterio to advance to the finals of the World Cup tournament.
The innovation of @reymysterio is front and center in the #WWEWorldCup Semifinals! @mikethemiz #WWECrownJewel pic.twitter.com/YSYptZAjwF
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2018
Dolph Ziggler Advanced To The Finals
Ziggler faced Rollins in the semi-finals of the World Cup tournament. Drew McIntyre was once again ringside for the match. Seth went after Ziggler’s ankle to start off the match. Ziggler was selling the Ankle Lock he suffered during his match with Kurt Angle earlier on the show.
Seth launched Rollins out of the ring and followed him out there. Rollins bat the hell out of Dolph and launched him into the barricade before bringing him back inside the ring. Rollins got distracted by McIntyre and Ziggler capitalized with a massive DDT.
Dolph connected with an elbow to the face for a near fall. Rollins sent Ziggler out of the ring once again and hit him with a Suicide Dive. Back in the ring, Dolph connected with a Fameasser for a near fall.
Ziggler made his way to the top rope but Seth joined him up there and planted him with a Superplex. Seth immediately tried to hit a Falcon Arrow but Dolph countered into an awesome Zig Zag for a tow count.
Seth hit Dolph with a Superkick and then took out McIntyre with a Suicide Dive. Seth made his way to the top rope as Ziggler distracted the referee by faking an ankle injury. McIntyre hit Rolllins with a cheap shot and then Ziggler connected with a Superkick for the pinfall victory. Dolph Ziggler will face The Miz in the finals of the World Cup tournament.
He may be feeling the effects of this match, but @WWERollins shows true resilience in the #WWEWorldCup Semi-Finals! #WWECrownJewel @HEELZiggler pic.twitter.com/GuOGhVNz1K
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2018
AJ Styles Retained The WWE Championship
AJ Styles defended his WWE Championship against Samoa Joe at Crown Jewel. Styles targeted Joe’s knee to start off the match and brought him down to the canvas. AJ knocked Joe out of the ring and hit him with a Moonsault off the apron.
Styles followed it up by slamming Joe into the ring post. Joe battled back and slammed AJ into the barricade. Joe then followed it up with a Suicide Dive and then brought AJ back inside the ring.
Joe and Styles trade strikes and chops in the middle of the ring. AJ went for the Styles Clash but Joe blocked it and sent Styles to the corner of the ring. Styles connected with a forearm for a two count.
AJ connected with a springboard forearm outside the ring. Back in the ring, Joe hit Styles with a Powerslam for a near fall. Joe followed it up with a massive Clothesline that sent AJ flying across the ring.
Styles battled back and went for the Calf Crusher but Joe quickly reached the ropes to break it up. Joe applied the Coquina Clutch but AJ countered into a Heel Hook. Joe grabbed the ropes to break the hold but turned around into a Pele Kick. Styles followed it up with the Phenomenal Forearm for the pinfall victory.
The #PhenomenalForearm spells the end for @SamoaJoe as @AJStylesOrg RETAINS his #WWEChampionship at #WWECrownJewel! pic.twitter.com/Rv01eNKUIW
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) November 2, 2018
Brock Lesnar Won The Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman faced off the for the Universal Championship at WWE Crown Jewel. Before the match, RAW GM Baron Corbin hit Strowman with the Universal Championship.
Lesnar then hit three F5s in a row but Braun Strowman kicked out of every one of them. Brock then hit a fourth F5 but this time he sent Strowman out of the ring and to the floor. Strowman got back into the ring at the count of 9 and the match continued.
Heyman shouted at Lesnar to end the match as Brock took his gloves off. Lesnar lifted Braun up for a fourth F5 but Braun escaped. Strowman hit Lesnar with a big boot and then charged at him but Lesnar caught him.
Brock hit the fifth F5 of the match for the pinfall victory. Brock Lesnar is once again the Universal Champion. It was then announced that Brock Lesnar will face AJ Styles at Survivor Series.
This is @BrockLesnar's THIRD #F5, and @BraunStrowman has kicked out of ALL THREE! #WWECrownJewel pic.twitter.com/NuF4rWmhOV
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2018
#TheBeast @BrockLesnar is angry, and he just F5'd @BraunStrowman OUT OF THE RING! #WWECrownJewel pic.twitter.com/DWZAXlCHpO
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2018
Shane McMahon Won The World Cup Tournament
The Miz faced Dolph Ziggler in the finals of the World Cup tournament. Baron Corbin and Shane McMahon were ringside for the match. Drew McIntyre accompanied Ziggler to the ring for the match. Shane McMahon announced on Tuesday night that if a SmackDown Superstar lost in the finals, they would be removed from SmackDown’s roster.
Before the match, the referee removed Drew McIntyre from ringside and sent him to the back. The Miz attacked Ziggler from behind before the match started and beat him down in the corner of the ring. The Miz then launched Dolph out of the ring and Miz appeared to injure himself getting out of the ring. The Miz screamed in pain but told Shane that he can continue. The Miz then collapsed outside the ring once again.
Shane McMahon told the ring announcer that he was going to take The Miz’s place in the tournament. Baron Corbin flipped out as Shane McMahon got inside the ring. Shane attacked Ziggler and hit a flurry of jabs in the corner of the ring. Shane followed it up with an elbow to the face and then Corbin tripped him up.
The referee kicked out Corbin from ringside as Ziggler hit Shane with a Zig Zag. Dolph went for the cover but Shane kicked out at two. Shane battled back with a DDT and then catapulted Ziggler into the top turnbuckle. Shane climbed up to the top rope and hit the Coast to Coast Dropkick for the pinfall victory.
The #WWEWorldCup ? belongs to #SDLive Commissioner @shanemcmahon! #WWECrownJewel pic.twitter.com/SXPg8NYu8L
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) November 2, 2018
The #WWEWorldCup Finals are on, and…@mikethemiz = injured.@HEELZiggler = ready to battle.@shanemcmahon = $$$$.#WWECrownJewel pic.twitter.com/0afLiRgFJi
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2018
DX Defeated The Brothers Of Destruction
DX (Triple H & Shawn Michaels) squared off against The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker & Kane) in the main event of WWE Crown Jewel.
Triple H and Kane finally started off the match after 10 minutes of entrances and an addition 10 minutes of stalling. Triple H hit a punch but Kane shrugged it off and connected with a Clothesline.
Michaels tagged in and hit Kane with a chop in the corner of the ring. Michaels followed it up with a Neckbreaker but Kane sat up in the middle of the ring. Kane grabbed Shawn by the throat but Michaels broke free. Michaels went for a Superkick but Kane backed away and tagged in The Undertaker.
The Undertaker stared down Michaels and Shawn told him to “suck it!”. The Undertaker responded with a Clothesline and then controlled the next minute of the match. A brawl broke out and Kane launched Triple H into Shawn Michaels in the corner of the ring.
Triple H went flying to the outside as Kane and The Undertaker beat down Michaels. They then launched Michaels to the outside and stood tall in the middle of the ring. Undertaker and Kane went after DX outside the ring and beat them down against the barricade.
Back in the ring, Undertaker walked across the ropes and leveled Michaels. Undertaker went for a boot in the corner but Michaels dove out of the way and tagged in Triple H. Triple H hit Undertaker with a few chops and then a knee to the face. Undertaker shrugged it off and knocked Triple H to the canvas with a Clothesline.
Kane tagged in and planted Triple H with a Clothesline. Kane went for an Elbow Drop but Triple H got out of the way. Both Superstars then traded punches in the middle of the ring. Triple H got the better of the exchange and hit Kane with a DDT.
Shawn Michaels tagged in and hit Kane with a few chops and then a Clothesline. Michaels and Triple H teamed up to hit Kane with a Suplex. Michaels climbed to the top rope and hit Kane with an Elbow Drop and then geared up in the corner of the ring.
Kane blocked Sweet Chin Music and hit Michaels with a Chokeslam. The Undertaker tagged in and beat Michaels down in the corner. Undertaker followed it up with a big boot and then a Leg Drop for a two count.
Undertaker punched Triple H in the face and then turned around into a Sweet Chin Music from Michaels. Undertaker sat up and threw Michaels out of the ring. Undertaker cleared off the announce table as Triple H threw Kane into the steel steps.
Kane grabbed Triple H and Chokeslammed him through the announce table as Undertaker brought Michaels back inside the ring. Undertaker hit Michaels with a Leg Drop on the ring apron and everyone was back outside the ring.
Back inside the ring, Kane tagged in and isolated Michaels in the corner of the ring. Michaels tried to battle back but Kane halted his momentum with a Side Slam for a near fall. Kane made his way to the top rope but Michaels tripped him up and both Superstars fell back to the canvas.
The Undertaker dragged Michaels out of the ring but Shawn countered and shoved Undertaker into the ring post. Back in the ring, Kane drove Michaels into the turnbuckle a few times. Shawn knocked him to the mat and climbed up to the top rope. Michaels hit a Moonsault and then slammed to the floor hard as he went right through the arms of Undertaker and Kane.
Triple H finally made it back up to the ring apron and reached out for a tag. Triple H and Kane traded punches in the middle of the ring. Triple H hit a Splash in the corner and followed it up with a running knee. Undertaker got in the ring and Triple H greeted him with a Spinebuster.
Triple H went for a Pedigree on Undertaker but Undertaker countered into a Back Body Drop. Triple H then escaped the Tombstone and planted Undertaker with the Pedigree. Triple H launched Kane out of the ring and tried to grab Undertaker but Undertaker countered into a Triangle submission.
Michaels stood up to break the hold but Kane grabbed him by the throat. Michaels escaped and Superkicked Kane onto Undertaker and Triple H to break up the submission hold. Kane and Undertaker stood up and waited for Triple H and Michaels.
They lifted them up for a Tombstone but Michaels poked Kane in the eye. Triple H booted Undertaker and he dropped Michaels. Shawn then hit Kane with the Sweet Chin Music and Triple H followed it up with a Pedigree for the pinfall victory.
SO MUCH HISTORY in one ring…#DX @TripleH & @ShawnMichaels battle The #BrothersOfDestruction @KaneWWE & The #Undertaker at #WWECrownJewel! pic.twitter.com/fv3tby1qRj
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2018
An UNBELIEVABLE performance in the main event of #WWECrownJewel…and #DX reigns supreme! @TripleH @ShawnMichaels pic.twitter.com/pO4nHkzDZj
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2018
