Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Robert DeFelice and Tony Mango preview WWE Crown Jewel 2021.
WWE finally makes the controversial return to Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel. Despite being a strong show on paper, will the event actually be worth watching?
Question 1: Who will triumph between Seth Rollins and Edge? Will they be able to showcase the brutality that the Hell in a Cell stipulation deserves?
ALLSOPP: It should be Edge as the face, however, Seth Rollins would benefit more by becoming a certain challenger to Big E and the WWE Championship by winning decisively against The Rated R Superstar. I have genuinely enjoyed the build to this match, but it will only fulfill it’s promise by being a bloody affair. Will Crown Jewel allow the feud to culminate in a bloody mess? My heart says yes, but my head says no, as I’m sure WWE are aware that too much blood may be an issue for the Saudi Arabia faithful.
DeFELICE: Edge. Baby faces should always win big matches like this, and it serves no purpose to have Seth Rollins go over. Fun for the crowd in Saudi Arabia that they get a match like this. I wish that the pairing was not drafted to the same brand as it would be a lot more fun for them to have an official blow off in a match of this caliber.
As for whether or not this will hold up to Hell in a Cell standards, I think they will be more than capable of doing so. The only time a judge has ever been in this match was the night that they decided they were going PG. Seth Rollins' history inside the structure is a mixed bag, but he has the ability to have a good one. Either way, it will be a glorified extreme rules match inside of a red cage.
MANGO: Edge takes it. Babyface pop in Saudi Arabia, mixed with getting vengeance on Rollins for nearly putting him on the shelf and for going into his home. There's no way this ends up being a brutal match, though. It'll be the same as every other Hell in a Cell match from the past decade, sadly.
Question 2: Can Mansoor use his match against Mustafa Ali as a springboard to finally become a standout member of the main roster? Is he only in this position due to his nationality and draw as a local wrestler?
DeFELICE: LOL. He pinned Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler. I don't think this victory over Mustafa Ali is going to push him into the stratosphere. Good for them for having the match together and making history in their own way, and good for Ali on donating his earnings.
MANGO: Mansoor's good, but he's not getting this spot for any reason other than the location. We know that because he hasn't been wrestling at the other pay-per-views. If WWE were really concerned with pushing him like some major priority, he'd be utilized more often. With that being said, another win here will only help his credibility factor. Maybe down the line, WWE will want to use him more for something legitimate and not just publicity's sake, as he's getting better and better.
ALLSOPP: As noted, Mansoor has already defeated Cesaro, in addition to being represented well on Raw over the past few months. In all honesty, Mansoor needs a clean and decisive win here to ensure he can be considered a credible challenger to the WWE United States Championship. He is arguably way more important a wrestler to be fighting over the deadwood that is the 24/7 Championship.
Initially, I assumed Mansoor was a marketing ploy for the Saudi Arabian audience, but he can actually wrestle an exhilarating and enthralling match. His nationality may have got his foot through the door, but he took his opportunity and ran with it.
Question 3: Who will walk out of Crown Jewel as WWE Universal Champion? Do you expect a change of allegiance for Paul Heyman in favour of Brock Lesnar?
MANGO: Roman Reigns. They've done about a dozen scenarios where Reigns came up short against Lesnar in the past. Now, The Tribal Chief is the head honcho for a fact. Plus, Survivor Series is coming up and there's no way they ditch the Big E vs. Reigns thing that has been stewing in favor of Lesnar vs. Big E, especially since Lesnar likely won't work that many dates. I think Heyman is going to do something where he doesn't really even pick so they can drag this out, sadly, until WrestleMania, and just keep up the same exact story for months.
ALLSOPP: I categorically do not want Roman Reigns to lose his WWE Universal Championship yet. Not least at Crown Jewel of all events! As much as the build to Reigns vs Brock Lesnar has been solid, it does not need to end here. Paul Heyman’s true intentions also need not be revealed at Crown Jewel, as we can almost certainly see him screw Reigns at the Royal Rumble to set up a redemption arc for The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 38. So I am adamant that not only will Reigns retain, but he will do so in a manner which doesn’t confirm where Heyman’s loyalties lie.
DeFELICE: This has been the best build to a Brock Lesnar match since the match with CM Punk years ago. I wish America was getting this match, not because of some rare nationalism on my behalf, but I think this could easily sell out a major pay-per-view, and that is something that I no longer feel most WWE matches can do.
I think Roman Reigns is going to win and at some point, Lesnar's next match will be against Bobby Lashley. There is a potential for a rematch here, and if it does happen, I assume it will be at WWE Day 1 or Royal Rumble in January. Ultimately, I do see Paul Heyman making it very clear at this event that he is on the side of Roman Reigns but honestly, if I'm wrong, that just intrigues me more because I don't know where this is going.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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