2x WWE Champion to return for revenge, arch-rivals to recreate controversial finish from 1999 - 4 finishes for the US Title match at Crown JewelÂ
LA Knight will defend the US Championship in a Triple-Threat match at Crown Jewel 2024. The WWE Universe has been anticipating this match for months.
Andrade and Carmelo Hayes started their electrifying feud in the summer, and soon, the United States Championship came into the picture following their fifth battle. LA Knight won the title at SummerSlam and has defended the belt with both stars in singles matches.
The Megastar will now have to put his title on the line against both of them at the same time after he attacked Andrade and Hayes during their seventh battle on the latest episode of SmackDown. Knight was the Special Guest Referee for the bout.
Here are four possible finishes for the highly-anticipated triple-threat bout at Crown Jewel.
#4. AJ Styles to return and cost Carmelo Hayes the US Title match at Crown Jewel
After nearly four months of absence from WWE TV, AJ Styles finally returned on the October 4, 2024, episode of SmackDown and entered a feud with Carmelo Hayes.
On his first night back, The Phenomenal One challenged the former NXT Champion and suffered an injury during the match, putting him on the shelf once again. If Hayes believes that he has left Styles in the rearview mirror, he might be in for a rude awakening at Crown Jewel.
At Elimination Chamber: Perth, the two-time WWE Champion proved that he would travel across the world to stop his rival from winning an important match. He could do the same next Saturday by flying to Saudi Arabia just to ensure that Hayes doesn't walk out as the new US Champion.
#3. LA Knight to capitalize on his opponents' grudge feud to steal the win
The secret behind the WWE's resident Megastar being immensely popular with crowds is the fact that he is unlike most babyfaces on the roster.
There's no denying that his determination is off the charts. In addition to that, he isn't shy about letting his cleverness take care of the job at hand sometimes. Therefore, fans can fully expect Knight to rely more on his brains than punches and kicks to retain the US Championship at Crown Jewel.
All he has to do is create a situation in which Andrade and Hayes get so focused on beating each other up that they temporarily forget about what's at stake. This potential mistake could allow the defending champion to steal the win and walk out of Crown Jewel with the title.
#2. Andrade to embark on his second reign as the US Champion
There's a solid chance that the Triple-Threat match at Crown Jewel will take place without any smoke and mirrors, with El Idolo getting a well-earned win.
If that happens, it wouldn't be the first time Andrade gets to hold the US Championship. He got his first run with the prestigious title following his win against then-Champion Rey Mysterio at a house show on December 26, 2019, at Madison Square Garden.
Barely a month into his title reign, Andrade got suspended. Shortly after his return in late February 2020, WWE's pandemic era started, and the former AEW star missed WrestleMania 36 due to an injury. In short, after a promising start, the rest of his first US Title run was quite forgettable.
So, given his tremendous in-ring work this year, WWE might reward Andrade by giving him a second chance with the sought-after Championship.
#1. The US Championship to enter disputed territory following a double pin at Crown Jewel
After six high-octane matches with definitive finishes, LA Knight spoiled 'Game 7' between Andrade and Carmelo Hayes by leading the match to a no-contest. This led to the announcement of the Triple-Threat match at WWE Crown Jewel.
Now, fans are too invested in the Andrade/Hayes saga, and there's no doubt that they would have loved a clean finish to their seventh, and possibly final, match against each other in the ongoing series. The fact that neither star emerged as the victor in said bout could mean that WWE plans to extend this rivalry.
One effective way of continuing the feud between the SmackDown workhorses without making it seem repetitive is by having them fight for the US Title without having LA Knight in the mix. Thus, at Crown Jewel, Andrade and Hayes could pay tribute to Chyna and Chris Jericho's creative 'double pin' finish from 1999 and become co-Champions. That would lead to another match between them to decide the undisputed US Champion.