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, Callum Wiggins and Robert DeFelice review WWE Crown Jewel 2021.
Crown Jewel 2021 was a surprisingly strong show - but just how well did the show come across?
Question 1: No Championship changed hands at the event - was this the correct decision?
ALLSOPP: I don’t think any Championship needed to change hands, but part of that was because of how obvious it would be for the champions to retain. The only match I was unsure about was Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar, as their feud has had some quality build, and a title change for Lesnar is always a very real threat. Overall, the lack of a Championship change didn’t detract from the overall quality of the show.
WIGGINS: Realistically one championship should have changed hands at Crown Jewel, as Sasha Banks - being the only SmackDown superstar challenging for the SmackDown Women's Championship at the event - should have won the belt and saved us from a controversial title switch. But on the whole, these events are still glorified house shows where the crowd will be happy regardless, so it's not really worth making a title change here.
DeFELICE: I think, feeling the fallout from the event, they should have done more to at least make sure the Women's Championship changed hands. I can't say that any other belt on needed to change hands but overall, they typically don't on these shows.
Question 2: Did Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar live up to the hype?
WIGGINS: While this match has been done to death already, there's no denying the chemistry that Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar have together, and this was one of their most compelling matches of their series. Lesnar, even after 18 months on the sidelines, still delivers perfect matches based on his strengths, and outside of the overbooked finish, this was a very fun main event.
DeFELICE: It felt like so much more fun than so many of the main events that we get on regular pay-per-view. Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns are stars and whether we like it or not, that definitely plays a factor into whether or not a match is good. Combine that with the fact that it had been over a year-and-a-half since we've seen Lesnar work, and I believe that this was the best possible match they could have done in Saudi Arabia.
ALLSOPP: It did, as it was an extremely intriguing contest. As aforementioned, I was under the impression that The Tribal Chief was likely to lose his WWE Universal Championship, so I was gripped by every single near fall. These two seem to have very real chemistry, and nearly all of their matches are successful. The only thing that could have been improved is a more decisive direction from Paul Heyman regarding his allegiances, but that really is a nitpick.
Question 3: Overall, where does this event rank in terms of the best WWE pay-per-views of 2021? Was this the strongest Crown Jewel show yet?
DeFELICE: This was definitely the strongest Saudi Arabia show in existence. The Hell in a Cell match alone was one of the best I have seen in years. Honestly, it's definitely in the conversation for best pay-per-view of the year, at least in my top five. While I don't agree with hosting shows in Saudi Arabia, it's very clear that the audience there enjoys the entertainment and in that sense, I'm glad that they got to experience a good show.
ALLSOPP: This was a truly fun show, which is not what I expected. The Saudi shows are nearly always trash, so it was a pleasant surprise to see some interesting matches take place. Even Goldberg managed to avoid making a complete fool of himself. It was easily the best Crown Jewel yet, but in terms of 2021 WWE shows, I do have a preference for the Royal Rumble, which was a fun show from top to bottom.
WIGGINS: It was undoubtedly the strongest Saudi show in WWE's history of traveling to the country, and most of the matches delivered something worth watching. Oddly enough, it does rank as one of the best WWE PPVs of 2021 as well, mainly because it was focused on the matches, and less on stupid booking decisions and storytelling. Maybe they'll take a lesson from that on shows moving forward… but I doubt it.
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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