I don't usually review these shows because they are despicable cash grabs put on for one of the worst governments on Earth, but...it ain't like the US's shit don't stink and, I'll just go ahead and admit, this card was stacked and, for the first time in the history of the event, hooked me as "must see."
Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar was our opening contest, most likely because Lesnar wanted to get in and out of Saudi Arabia as quickly as possible. Before Lesnar could hit the ring, Lashley went right after him, driving him into the steps and then spearing him on the floor. Lashley hit him with a second one in the middle of the ring, but couldn't capitalize as the Beast went to the floor, selling a damaged knee. Lashley speared him through the barricade and rolled him back into the ring for a fourth spear. Lashley looked to apply the Hurt Lock, but Lesnar countered with a big german suplex and then a second. Lesnar connected on a third suplex and played to the crowd a bit, all the while still selling the knee damage. Lesnar hit the F5, but only got a 2 count. He attempted another one, but Lashley escaped and clotheslined Brock to the floor. Lashley then hoisted Lesnar up in a fireman's carry and drove him into the post, garnering a sizable amount of boos from the crowd. Lashley went for another spear, Lesnar countered, but Bobby was able to counter-the-counter with a huge sidewalk slam. Lashley got the Hurt Lock on, but Lesnar wouldn't quit. Lashley got him down to one knee, but Lesnar kept fighting, evenually kicking himself off the top turnbuckle and getting the pinfall when Lashley wouldn't release the hold and had his shoulders to the ground. This was another "sprint" out of Lesnar and could've really been something special if they had actually set the table a bit more and given us a full 1st and 2nd act. Instead, we got an interesting opening minute with Lashley playing the heel and going after Lesnar's knee, but then never doing anything to continue to target the leg. After the match, Lashley re-applied the Hurt Locker and, for the first time in recent memory, Lesnar really did look like he'd been overpowered as Lashley essentially left the ring looking like the victor. If these two wanted to, I have no doubt they could have an incredible match...but this wasn't it. (2.5/5)
Next up - Alexa Bliss and Asuka defended the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against Dakota Kai and Iyo Sh - whoops, Skye of Damage Control. During Alexa's pre-match promo, a nearby screened flickered with a Bray Wyatt clip, a nod to Bliss's past with the Fiend. I'm a big fan of Bliss, an even bigger fan of Asuka, and though I haven't seen a ton of their work, have appreciated what I've seen out of Kai and Skye. This was a really solid match with some good double-team work out of the babyfaces and cut-offs by the heels. There was some noticeable telegraphing at times (at one point, Bliss seemed overly distracted by Shirai before she attempted a Twisted Bliss), but also some seriously devastating moves (a Code Red that looked like it could've resulted in a concussion). I liked the finish, which saw Nikki Cross attack Bliss, seemingly as revenge for her abandoning their partnership? I'm not really sure, but I'm intrigued just because looking at RAW's women's division, there is just so, so much talent to work with. A very solid match here and, who knows, maybe the start to the Women's Tag Team Championships being featured more prominently? (3/5)
Karrion Kross vs. Drew McIntyre in a Steel Cage match followed. I'm not sure what wrestler I loathe more in 2022, Jay Lethal or Karrion Kross. Lethal is someone I used to enjoy, so I guess he's got the slight edge, but I just don't see why he should be featured on AEW so prominently. Karrion Kross, meanwhile, is a guy who I can't even say I used to enjoy. This was better than I expected to be, but I'd give most of the credit to the audience as the Saudi Arabian fans were inexplicably very into this. I didn't like the overdramatic dialogue in this match and I didn't like the pacing, which was slow at times, but there were enough big spots (including Scarlet attempting to use pepper spray) to keep things moving and the crowd engaged. I still wouldn't ever want to re-watch this, but this was noticeably better than their Strap Match last month. So far, this show has absolutely deliver what it has needed to. (2.5/5)
The O.C (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows) vs. Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Dominick Mysterio, and Damien Priest). Despite not being in the match, plenty of attention was heaped onto Rhea Ripley at ringside. As one would expect, this was a fine match, but nothing super special. The stretches involving AJ and Finn were the highlights (no shock there), but maybe the most noteworthy aspect of the entire match was how freely Michael Cole and Wade Barrett spoke about the history of each team member, outright referencing the original Bullet Club and NJPW at times. It may seem like a small thing, but in 2022, there's simply no reason not to speak openly about the histories of competitors like Balor and AJ, two guys who did so much internationally that it only makes the WWE look better to have them on their roster. I'm not saying every wrestler should come in as a "top prospect" from Impact or Ring of Honor and be touted as such, but in no other sport would someone who won a major championship in the minors or in another league be inexplicably presented as a "rookie" or "unproven" once they made it to the bigger stage. Anyway...this crowd really loved Tower of Doom spots and, frankly, most everything that happened in this match. It wasn't the smoothest contest of all time and I would've liked to see some storyline development with someone, anyone - Doudroup? Carmella? Tamina for chrissakes? - coming out to help even the odds. Another inoffensive match that benefited considerably from a hot crowd and the dependability of Styles and Balor to maximize their minutes. (2.5/5)
Braun Strowman vs. Omos followed in a match that many expected to be a total trainwreck. Strowman did most of the selling throughout the match, which made sense considering that Omos does tower over him and is a much less versatile performer. That being said, Strowman isn't good enough to carry anyone so this match was uninteresting, one-note, and drew the first real wave of indifference from the otherwise lively Saudi crowd. Strowman eventually won with an impressive powerslam, but it didn't feel like much of an accomplishment because so much of the match felt overly-scripted and "designed" to make the victory seem organic. I'm not sure why they were so quick to separate Omos from AJ Styles as Omos does have undeniable presence and the potential to be a decent big man in time...but this was the type of pair-up that exposed both guys instead of amplifying their strengths. (1/5)
The Usos defended their Smackdown and RAW Tag Team Championships against The Brawling Brutes (Butch and Ridge Holland) in the next contest. At times this felt more like a long advertisement for the Usos/New Day match on SmackDown, but that's not to say they were half-assing it. The Usos have made a strong case for being on the shortlist of the best WWE tag teams of all time, while the Brutes are still developing as a team and simply couldn't match their double-team firepower. I don't think anyone in the arena thought the Brutes stood a chance, so the nearfalls didn't quite "hit" as big as they could've. A solid outing. (2.5/5)
The next match was a Last Women's Standing bout between Biance Belair and Bayley with Belair's RAW Women's Championship on the line. I've become a not-so-big fan of Last Man Standing matches, mostly because of how anti-climactic they tend to be compared to matches that end with a pinfall or submission. The 10-count is just too long to work and ends up leading to ridiculous scenarios where a wrestler will be out for a 7 count but miraculously pop up at 9. Anyway...there were some good spots in this, but most of my favorite were really just normal maneuvers with the added bonus of being performed atop steel (a suplex on the ramp, a spinebuster on the steps, etc.). The women used every weapon they could've - the aforementioned steps, a kendo stick, a chair, a table - and we even got a set piece moment when Belair came down the ramp with a golf cart. It was a "kitchen sink," almost cartoonish match, not too far removed from the Last Man Standing match that Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns had at SummerSlam. This wasn't an all-time great match or anything, but this was certainly above-average. The finish was innovative, though I'd have preferred to see someone get knocked unconscious after a big spot rather than just being "tied down" or "pinned" by a ladder. (3.5/5)
Before the main event, Bray Wyatt came out and delivered a promo. I found the White Rabbit promos to be clever, but this felt like a promo lifted straight from 3-4 years ago, lacking any real meaning and overly flowery for no reason, yet another example of Wyatt just weaving phrases together without saying anything of substance. Sure, we got to see the face of what seems to be the next Bray Wyatt character, but that does nothing for me, just like I didn't really care who the newest freak in the Dungeon of Doom was after awhile.
Main event time - Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul. While I wouldn't say this one "spoiled" for me, the buzz after the match was so big that it was impossible not to hear how good this was. Typically, so much hype would have me going in with lots of cynicism, but from the early going, this has "big fight feel" even if the chances of Reigns dropping the title were very slim. Though I wouldn't say I "bit" on any of Logan's nearfalls towards the end of the match, I did think they were really, really well-executed. After a match like this, there is always some debate on whether or not this was a "carry job" or if the only reason it was so successful was because Paul had weeks and weeks to train and prep for wrestling just one match, but these same sort of criticisms have been lobbed against Randy Savage and Chris Jericho in the past, both guys with reputations for laying out every sequence of their biggest matches. So, while this match was certainly not "called in the ring," it doesn't really matter when the result is something this great. What might've been most impressive out of Logan Paul were the little things - from making sure his head was down and turned away from the camera to obscure the spot-calling to making sure his strikes looked convincing and stiff to knowing when and for how long to sell. Considering this was only his third match, Paul looked incredible and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here as there's little doubt he's capable of putting on great performances. The real question going forward, though, is who is the right star to pair him with on his next go? Should he get a rematch against Roman? How about Brock? Or is he potentially interested in becoming something resembling a "full timer" who can actually help build or maintain the star power of other workers - like, say, Seth Rollins or Kevin Owens? Of course, with so much emphasis on how natural Paul looked, few of the reviewers I read said much about Reigns' performance, which was also top notch. Reigns dominated for most of the match, but when it was time to let Paul strike, he did a wonderful job of making it appear like an upset could happen. Again, Reigns proved that he may be one of the best "less is more" workers in WWE history, a guy that really knows how to space out the big hits of a match and whose use of trash talk comes across far more natural and organic and entertaining than any time we've seen Rollins or, on this same show, Karrion Kross attempt it. A sure-fire contender for the WWE's Match of the Year. (4/5)
As others have written, Crown Jewel 2022 was undeniably the best Saudi Arabian Blood Money show in the company's history. Morally, it pains me to say how watchable and, more importantly, relevant this show was as, in the past, these international super-shows have generally existed outside of "canon" in some ways. Crown Jewel 2022 felt vital, like the events that occurred here really mattered (even when, ultimately, no titles changed hands). The Bayley/Belair match felt like a decisive ending to that rivalry for now. Ditto for Kross/McIntyre. Lesnar/Lashley seemed to hint to a third clash between the two on the horizon and maybe even signaled what Lesnar's motivation will be going into the Rumble in January. Reigns/Paul exceeded expectations and, again, raised some intrigue about what Paul will be doing next. This show didn't feel designed to be forgotten the way previous Crown Jewel shows have been. With a Kwang Rating of 2.69-out-of-5, its impossible to enjoy every minute of this show as Strowman/Omos was ugly and there was quite a bit of average-level "filler," but there were enough bright spots to make this worth catching most of.
FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand
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