5 Things WWE subtly told us at Crown Jewel 2022: 2-Time World Champion gets unexpected character change, Top star's "injury" being used for upcoming storyline? (November 5th, 2022)
Crown Jewel 2022 is officially in the books. Survivor Series: WarGames is the next big stop, but before we get there, let's take a look at what happened at the premium live event in Riyadh.
For one, the first half of the show was poorly-executed, but the second half was brilliant with a string of great matches, leaving fans with a positive way to think about the event, even if it was filled with botches and inconsistencies.
So what did WWE subtly hint to fans at Crown Jewel 2022? Keep reading to find out:
#5. The character change for Bobby Lashley and the rematch being set-up
Things are far from over between Brock Lesnar & Bobby Lashley!
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Bobby Lashley vs Brock Lesnar opened the show at Crown Jewel, which was a good decision. WWE chose an interesting way to handle the match, as Lashley would assault Lesnar before the bell rang to gain an upper hand.
For a while it was all Lashley, a heel-ish move at the start got the crowd fully behind Lesnar. The Beast Incarnate would have a comeback, but the victory itself was controversial as he had his body over Lashley's while the latter applied the Hurt Lock, leading to a sudden three-count.
It was confusing, and perhaps not the best way to handle it. From one perspective, the handling of the match and the post-match assault from Lashley on Lesnar helped protect both men. The execution, however, felt sloppy.
With that said, the post-match attack at Crown Jewel seemed to signal a character change for Lashley. Not a heel turn, but more of a transition into a tweener, which would be an interesting direction for The All Mighty.
The post-match attack also set up a trilogy bout in the future, with the two titans now going 1-1. Whether it will be at the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania 39 is yet to be seen, but a third match is happening. Lashley certainly has a good claim for it.
#4. The Usos' attempt to break the record is now in great jeopardy after Crown Jewel
475 days & counting! ☝️
#WWECrownJewel #WWE @WWEUsos https://t.co/SAdap1URKn
In one of the few good matches of the night at Crown Jewel, The Usos retained the Undisputed Tag Team Titles against The Brawling Brutes. The result itself wasn't surprising, but it was mentioned that Jey Uso had an injury heading into the match.
The injury took its toll, and The Usos now have one more obstacle to break The New Day's 483-day record reign as Tag Team Champions. It's only fitting that their last obstacle after Crown Jewel will be against The New Day themselves. But it's clear that this injury is going to play a huge role in the story this Friday. Whether The Usos will make it to the other side or not is hard to tell, but it doesn't seem like the right time for their run to end.
#3. The WarGames implication for Damage CTRL and the women of RAW
.@WWENikkiASH costs Alexa Bliss & Asuka the tag titles!
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Damage CTRL's Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai regained the Women's Tag Team titles at Crown Jewel just five days after losing it. The match, which had a decent pace, ended somewhat controversially as Nikki Cross took out her old partner Alexa Bliss to cost her the titles.
This seems to be a clear indication that Nikki Cross will align with Damage CTRL, while their opponents on the other side will be Bianca Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, and Candice LeRae. It seemed to set the stage for WarGames later this month. But given that WWE confirmed it would be a 10-person match, there is a name on each side that needs to come forth.
Bianca Belair beat Bayley in an instant classic Last Woman Standing match. It seems that for now, Bayley's title contention is over. Admittedly, it makes little sense given the direction of the bigger story.
We won't forget about the big tease where Bray Wyatt seemingly made his presence known to former ally Alexa Bliss. Will a storyline come of it? We will have to wait and see.
#2. The O.C to finally recruit a female member following Crown Jewel?
Who will be The O.C's solution to the "Rhea Problem"⁉️
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IT shouldn't come as a surprise that The Judgment Day got the better of The O.C at Crown Jewel thanks to Rhea Ripley. It was Ripley who slammed AJ Styles against the apron right at the end, allowing The Judgment Day to pick up the win at Crown Jewel.
So far, the story has been clear - Rhea Ripley is the biggest difference-maker. Even when she doesn't compete, she has an impact. The build-up seems to be leading to the recruitment of a female member for The O.C to combat Rhea Ripley.
#1. The reason why Roman Reigns was hardly the focus of his own main event
#AndStill HIS GOLD.
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Roman Reigns retained the Universal title at Crown Jewel against a very game Logan Paul. While he didn't take him seriously at first, that soon changed and suddenly, he was fighting his hardest battle since Clash at the Castle 2022.
It was a brilliantly-told story and Logan Paul exceeded expectations once more - showcasing incredible levels of improvement. Overall, the main event was outstanding, but what caught us by surprise was just how little Roman Reigns was in the spotlight despite this being his main event.
It seems as if WWE wanted to capitalize on the popularity of the Paul brothers as much as possible. WWE was also very subtle in emphasizing Solo Sikoa's importance while protecting him. It was a big hint that when The Bloodline eventually dissolves, the aim is for him to come out as the biggest beneficiary.
We certainly can't blame WWE for utilizing Logan Paul as much as they can for such a high-profile event.