5 stars from WWE Crown Jewel 2023 who won't be on this year's card
WWE Crown Jewel takes place at the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Riyadh this weekend. With a stacked card hyped with solid storytelling, excitement is reasonably high heading into the Saudi Premium Live Event.
Top names like Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, LA Knight, Nia Jax, and Solo Sikoa are scheduled to compete in Saudi Arabia. They participated in last year's event too, suggesting a great degree of continuity in WWE programming.
Unfortunately, a significant number of stars from WWE Crown Jewel 2023 are not on this year's card, hinting at some changes that have occurred in the last 12 months.
#5. Drew McIntyre challenged World Heavyweight Champ Seth "Freakin" Rollins at WWE Crown Jewel 2023
Seth "Freakin" Rollins will have his hands full in Riyadh, where he battles the monstrous "Big" Bronson Reed in a grudge match. The challenge will likely be as demanding as the one he faced 12 months ago in the same arena.
At Crown Jewel 2023, Rollins successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Drew McIntyre. Both rivals fought fiercely in one of the most competitive and well-received title matches of The Visionary's reign.
While Rollins has found a spot on the card, McIntyre will sit out of the PLE. The Scottish Warrior has not been seen on TV since losing to CM Punk in a brutal Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood. He is recovering from his wounds, and selling the defeat.
Fortunately, much has changed for McIntyre in the last year. The Scottish Warrior's character was a little stale when he challenged Rollins for the first time in November 2023, but his program with Punk has energized his persona.
The former World Heavyweight Champion has shown tremendous character development in recent months, and WWE has improved his booking.
#4. Damian Priest faced Cody Rhodes last year
Damian Priest has come a long way in the last 12 months. He finally cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania XL to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
The Archer of Infamy had a decent run with the title, dropping it to Gunther at SummerSlam after Finn Balor betrayed him. The Judgment Day's implosion led to Priest becoming a singles star. The former World Heavyweight Champion is still finding his footing as a solo character.
WWE has not found a significant singles opponent for Priest yet, which could explain his absence from the card this Saturday. In contrast, he was used to put over Cody Rhodes at WWE Crown Jewel 2023.
The match with Rhodes was filler as it was used to build The American Nightmare and continue his program with The Judgment Day. However, Priest has been a protected asset in the last few months, receiving strong booking from Triple H.
Considering his character development and the strong backstage creative support he has received, the exclusion from WWE Crown Jewel 2024 shouldn't be seen as a demotion.
#3/2. Logan Paul stole the United States Championship from Rey Mysterio
Logan Paul won his first wrestling championship at WWE Crown Jewel 2023 when he used brass knuckles to steal the US Championship away from Rey Mysterio. The match was marred by interference and controversy, but it was an enjoyable bout.
Fast forward to this year, and both men have not been booked for the upcoming PLE. Mysterio is involved in a faction feud with Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers. Since the rivalry is in its infancy and Triple H has sparingly used Mysterio, it didn't warrant the Hall of Famer a spot on the card.
As for The Maverick, Paul has not been seen since losing the US Title to LA Knight at SummerSlam. Knight will defend the belt against Carmelo Hayes and Andrade, so the prestigious mid-card championship will be featured at WWE Crown Jewel.
Both, Mysterio and Paul, have fallen down the pecking order. The Master of the 619 is at the tail-end of his career, hence, Hunter doesn't view him as a top priority. The YouTube sensation had an underwhelming US Title run, which cost him some momentum.
The Maverick will likely return in time for WrestleMania season to re-enter the feud and begin his Mania program.
#1. John Cena was embarrassed at WWE Crown Jewel 2023
WWE Crown Jewel 2023 wasn't a memorable evening for John Cena. Heading into the PLE, Cena publicly acknowledged that he hadn't won a singles match since April 2018. The Champ aimed to end that streak by defeating Solo Sikoa.
However, Sikoa demolished and embarrassed Cena at the PLE, viciously delivering a series of Samoan Spikes to cleanly defeat the 16-time World Champion. This was Cena's last one-on-one singles match to date.
Eventually, The Champ got the last laugh as he neutralized Solo Sikoa during the iconic ending of the WrestleMania XL main event. In hindsight, the win didn't do much for Sikoa as he embarked on a losing streak.
As for The Champ, as one of the best to ever step in the ring, a loss would never hurt his momentum or damage his legacy. Cena announced his retirement plans, and his farewell tour could bring him to WWE Crown Jewel again.