WWE Crown Jewel 2022 Retro Review: Every Match Rated and Revisited

WWE Crown Jewel 2022 took place on Saturday, November 5, 2022, at Mrsool Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of Riyadh Season. It started at 7:00 p.m. local time, and it aired on Peacock in the US and the WWE Network in most other countries. It was the fourth Crown Jewel, the second held at Mrsool Park, and the first one WWE called a "premium live event".

This show mattered for two reasons. It was the first Crown Jewel since Triple H took over WWE creative in the summer of 2022, so fans wanted to see if the Saudi shows would feel different. And it had one of the strangest main events WWE had booked in years: a YouTuber with only a few matches behind him challenging the most protected champion in the company. There were also security worries in the days before the show, after reports of a possible Iranian attack on Saudi targets. WWE went ahead, and Iran denied any such plan.

The build

• Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The feud started when Paul criticised Reigns on his podcast, then grew through a SmackDown appearance and a press conference. Paul kept talking about landing "one lucky punch". Reigns had The Bloodline behind him, but Sami Zayn was left off the trip because of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Syria. Logan's brother Jake Paul was in his corner.
• Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley. Lesnar returned on Raw and attacked Lashley, which cost Lashley the United States Championship. The two then brawled, and a singles match was set.
• Bianca Belair vs. Bayley for the Raw Women's Championship. After their ladder match at Extreme Rules, Bayley beat Belair in a non-title match on Raw and earned a rematch under Last Woman Standing rules.
• Alexa Bliss and Asuka vs. Damage CTRL. Bliss and Asuka won the Women's Tag Team Championship from Dakota Kai and IYO SKY on Raw just days before, and a rematch was set for Riyadh.
• Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross. Kross's wife Scarlett used pepper spray to help him win a strap match at Extreme Rules. The feud moved into a steel cage.
• The Judgment Day vs. The O.C. The Judgment Day tried to recruit AJ Styles. He said no and brought back Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, re-forming The O.C. for a six-man tag.
• The Usos vs. The Brawling Brutes for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, part of the long fight between Sheamus's group and The Bloodline.
• Braun Strowman vs. Omos. MVP and Omos challenged Strowman's claim to be the "Monster of all Monsters".
• Bray Wyatt had just returned to WWE, and he was advertised to appear in Riyadh.

Match by match

Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley

The show opened with a video package narrated by Titus O'Neill, and then Michael Cole and Wade Barrett sent it straight to the opener. Lashley's entrance felt big on the huge Riyadh stage, but there was a long gap before the bell: Bleacher Report noted that Lesnar did not reach the ring until more than ten minutes into the broadcast.

When Lesnar did come out, Lashley did not wait. He shoved Lesnar into the steel steps during his entrance, speared him and threw him into the ring before the bell. Once the match started, Lashley speared him again, then speared him through the barricade at ringside, then hit a fourth spear for a near fall. Lesnar fought back with three German suplexes and an F-5, but Lashley kicked out. Lashley blocked a second F-5 with a spinebuster and locked in the Hurt Lock. Lesnar looked to be fading, then kicked off the turnbuckle, fell back on top of Lashley and got the pin in 6:00. After the bell, an angry Lashley put the Hurt Lock back on and left Lesnar out cold, while the crowd chanted "You suck" at him.

For us, this was a fun sprint with a weak ending. The opening attack was the right idea, because it told you Lashley wanted revenge and gave Lesnar a reason to look vulnerable. The problem is the finish. The pin out of the Hurt Lock is a fine idea on paper, since it protects Lashley's hold and sets up a rematch. But on the night it did not look clean. Bleacher Report's reviewer felt Lesnar did not roll back as planned and Lashley's shoulders did not look fully down, and we agree that it took the air out of the moment.

We also think six minutes was too short for a match that had been built as a big grudge fight. The barricade spear is a spot WWE had used many times by 2022, and the post-match attack was the strongest part of the segment. As an opener, it got the crowd going. As a Lesnar match, it was forgettable. Our rating: ★★★

Alexa Bliss and Asuka vs. Damage CTRL

Before this match, Byron Saxton interviewed Bliss and Asuka backstage, and Bray Wyatt's new logo appeared on the screen behind them. It was a small touch, but it kept the Wyatt mystery going and hinted at Bliss's history with him.

Dakota Kai and IYO SKY were trying to win back the titles they had lost on Raw that Monday, and they went after Asuka's leg. SKY hit a dragon screw on it and Kai worked a kneebar. Bliss hit a tornado DDT and a Code Red on Kai, and at one point all four women were involved in a Tower of Doom spot in the corner. The crowd chanted "This is awesome" during the match, according to CBS Sports. The finish came while the referee was distracted by Asuka and SKY. Bliss was going up for Twisted Bliss when Nikki Cross ran in and hit her with a twisting neckbreaker. Kai pinned Bliss, and Damage CTRL won the Women's Tag Team Championship back after 12:50.

We think this was a good tag match, and one of the better women's tag title matches of that period. SKY was the standout. Her speed and her counters gave the match energy, and the work on Asuka's leg gave it a story. Bliss and Asuka worked well as babyfaces, and the crowd stayed with them.

The finish is the weak part for us. Nikki Cross had been seen with Damage CTRL on Raw, so the run-in made sense, but it also meant Bliss and Asuka lost their titles in a few days without a clean loss. It did, however, start a real story that led straight to WarGames. A good match that did its job. Our rating: ★★★

Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross, Steel Cage

Kross came out with Scarlett, as usual. Before this match, the broadcast showed Logan Paul arriving at the venue, telling an interviewer that he only needed one lucky punch to win his night.

The cage match was more physical than we remembered. McIntyre hit a side suplex and a Claymore. Kross crotched McIntyre on the top rope and, at one point, climbed the cage before McIntyre superplexed him off it, which drew a big chant from the crowd. Then the story kicked in. As McIntyre tried to leave through the door, Scarlett sprayed pepper spray in his face and in the referee's face too. Kross went for the door, but McIntyre grabbed him with an ankle lock to stop him. Scarlett then locked the door and took the key, so McIntyre had to climb. She opened the door again for Kross, but McIntyre dropped to the floor first and won after 13:00.

We think this was the best match of the McIntyre and Kross feud, which is not a high bar. It was a good, hard-hitting cage match, and the superplex was a strong moment. Kross looked more dangerous here than he did in most of his main roster run.

The problem is the feud itself. It never connected with fans in the way WWE wanted, and the Scarlett interference made the finish busy. Pepper spray, a locked door and a re-opened door is a lot of story for one ending. Still, the cage stipulation suited both men, and McIntyre getting the win felt right. Good, not great. Our rating: ★★★

The Judgment Day vs. The O.C.

Before this one, Byron Saxton tried to interview Roman Reigns in the parking lot. Reigns ignored him, and Paul Heyman mocked the question and said Logan Paul would not land his lucky punch.

The Judgment Day came out first, Finn Bálor, Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio with Rhea Ripley, and then AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. The O.C. used tag team experience, cutting off Mysterio in their corner, and the crowd gave its loudest reaction when Styles and Bálor finally faced each other. Styles hit a superplex on Bálor and a brainbuster on Mysterio, and Anderson hit a spinebuster on Priest. Late in the match, all six men brawled and the referee lost control. The finish came at ringside: as Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm, Ripley lifted him onto her shoulders and dropped him face first on the apron. Bálor followed with a shotgun dropkick and the Coup de Grâce for the win after 14:00.

For us, this was a solid, busy six-man tag with no wasted time. Everyone got a moment, and the Styles and Bálor exchanges were the best part. Mysterio was still learning his new character, and putting him in as the man The O.C. picked on was a smart way to hide him.

But we also think something was missing. The O.C. reunion should have felt bigger, and losing their first big match back made them look like the second team in the feud. Ripley's interference was the most memorable spot, and it showed how much she was carrying The Judgment Day at this point. Enjoyable, but not a match you need to go back to. Our rating: ★★★

Braun Strowman vs. Omos

Omos came out without MVP, in new gear that Bleacher Report described as a poncho and hoodie mix. Strowman had only just returned to WWE, and for once he was the smaller man in the match.

They started by comparing their heights and hands, then went into a test of strength, which Omos won. Omos controlled the early part. He hit a one-handed powerslam, a corner slam and a big boot, and he picked Strowman up when Strowman could not lift him. Strowman came back with a clothesline to the floor and a shoulder block at ringside, but Omos stopped his attempt at a running charge in the ring. The finish was quick: Omos charged at Strowman in the corner, Strowman moved, and he hit a running powerslam for the pin after 7:20.

We think this is the match to skip on this show. It was a big-man match with a simple plan, and there is nothing wrong with that. The early spots that sold Omos's size were well done, and both men worked at a decent pace for their size. Some reviewers liked it more than we do. CBS Sports gave it a B+, which we think is generous.

But for us, the match had no real story beyond "who is bigger", and it felt like filler next to the tag title matches around it. The finish came out of nowhere, with one powerslam ending a match where Omos had been in control for most of the time. Omos losing clean to a returning Strowman also did nothing for Omos, who WWE never seemed sure what to do with. It ran a little too long for what it was. Our rating: ★½

The Usos vs. The Brawling Brutes

Sheamus was injured, and Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa were not at ringside, so this was a straight two-on-two. The Usos got a big entrance. The Riyadh crowd chanted "We want Sami" for Zayn, who had been left off the trip, and Jey looked irritated by it. CBS Sports also noted fans teasing Jey with "Ucey" chants.

The Brutes worked over Jimmy's arm, with Butch driving it into the steel steps. At one point The Usos threatened to walk out and take a count-out loss. Ridge Holland showed off his strength by slamming both Usos at once, and he gave Jey the ten Beats of the Bodhrán in the corner as a tribute to Sheamus. Butch locked a triangle choke on Jimmy, and Jey broke it with a superkick. The Usos got a near fall with a double splash, and Holland nearly won it with White Noise. In the end, Jey and Jimmy hit a 1D from the top rope on Butch for the pin, and The Usos kept the titles after 10:45.

We think this is the hidden gem of the show. It is short, fast and full of near falls, and both teams got real moments to shine. Butch was outstanding. His speed and his strange, joint-attacking style made The Usos look uncomfortable, and the triangle choke spot was a smart way to show he could win at any moment. Holland's strength spots worked too.

The Usos were at the peak of their tag team run, and they knew how to pace a match like this. The super 1D was a strong finish that felt like it needed a big move to beat this team. CBS Sports gave it an A, and while we would not go that high, we understand why. The only thing holding it back for us is that few fans believed the titles would change hands, so the near falls had a ceiling. Our rating: ★★★

Bianca Belair vs. Bayley, Last Woman Standing

Bayley came out first, and both women brought weapons into play early: a ladder, a kendo stick, a steel chair and the steel steps. It was the first women's championship match with a stipulation ever held in Saudi Arabia.

Belair started hot with slams and threw Bayley outside, but Bayley faked an ankle injury to blindside her. Bayley pulled a table from under the ring and tried a suplex, and Belair countered with a suplex on the entrance ramp. Back inside, Bayley attacked with a chair and trapped Belair between the steel steps and the ring with a ladder on top, but Belair stood at seven. Bayley hit a spinebuster onto the steps, and Belair stood at nine. On the stage, Bayley hit a Bayley-to-Belly suplex onto the floor, and both women beat the count. Bayley shut Belair in an equipment case, and Belair got out in time. Then came the golf cart. Bayley drove it slowly towards Belair, who got out of the way, took the cart herself and drove it back to the ring with Bayley riding on top. Belair then powerbombed Bayley through a table, which did not break at first, and Bayley stood at nine. Belair slammed Bayley onto a pile of chairs, missed a 450 splash, and hit a Kiss of Death onto a chair. Finally, she trapped Bayley between a ladder and the turnbuckle, held shut by the ropes, and Bayley could not get free before ten. Belair retained after 20:20.

We think this is one of the best women's matches in Crown Jewel history, and it still holds up. Both women were creative, and the match kept building, with each spot a bit bigger than the last. Bayley was a great villain here, cheating and taking risks, and Belair's strength made the big spots believable.

It is not perfect. The golf cart spot was slow and a little silly, and the table that did not break hurt the moment. We also agree with Bleacher Report that a real ten count would have been better than the ladder trap, which looked clever but felt like a soft way to end such a hard match. Nikki Cross was not involved, which was odd after the tag title finish. Still, this is a match worth your 20 minutes. Our rating: ★★★★

Main event: Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul

Reigns came out with Paul Heyman, as always, and Logan Paul got a strong reaction from the Riyadh crowd. Logan's podcast co-hosts on Impaulsive, Mike Majlak and George Janko, were sitting at ringside.

Paul looked comfortable from the start. He took Reigns down with chain wrestling, hit a crossbody off the barricade and a Buckshot Lariat for a near fall, and the crowd chanted for him in the early exchanges. He added a blockbuster from the middle rope, a crossbody and a standing moonsault for another near fall. Reigns took over with ten corner clotheslines and a Uranage. The big spot came when Paul cleared the Arabic announce table, laid Reigns on it, climbed the top rope holding a phone, and hit a frog splash through the table. Then the interference started. The Usos came out and superkicked Majlak and Janko. Jake Paul came out and dropped both Usos with punches. Solo Sikoa came down to face Jake but was held back by officials, and Logan flew over the top rope onto The Usos. Back in the ring, Paul finally landed his punch, but Reigns hit a Superman Punch and a Spear to win after 24:50. The show ended with Reigns, Sikoa, Heyman and The Usos standing on the ramp.

Paul later revealed that he tore his MCL and meniscus, and possibly his ACL, during the match. Knowing that makes his performance more impressive.

For us, this is the best match on the show and one of the best celebrity matches in WWE history. Paul did not wrestle like a celebrity. He wrestled like a natural athlete who had studied the business, and his timing on the big spots was good. The phone during the frog splash was a smart nod to who he is.

The criticism is fair, though. Reigns sold a lot for an opponent who was in only his third WWE match, and the interference went on too long. But the crowd bought it, and the match made Paul a believable WWE wrestler overnight. It was much better than it had any right to be. Our rating: ★★★★

Beyond the matches

Bray Wyatt's promo. The biggest non-match moment came before the main event. After a long entrance, Wyatt spoke about his family, his past, and the monster he had become, which most fans took as a reference to The Fiend. He said he wanted to change and rewrite his story. Uncle Howdy then interrupted on the big screen and said Wyatt would give in to his inner demons and that it would feel good. Wyatt ignored him, and the broadcast cut to black. We think Wyatt was the best talker of his generation, and this promo shows why. Looking back, it is a little sad to watch, because for us the story never got the payoff it deserved.

Backstage segments. Byron Saxton interviewed Bliss and Asuka with Wyatt's logo behind them, Logan Paul spoke about his "one lucky punch" on arrival, and Reigns ignored Saxton in the parking lot while Heyman did the talking. They were short and did their job.

The crowd. The Riyadh fans were loud for the big moments. They chanted "This is awesome" in the women's tag match, "You suck" at Lashley, "We want Sami" during the tag title match, and they cheered Paul in the main event.

Production. The stage was huge, and Bleacher Report praised drones lighting up the sky with designs. The kickoff show had Jackie Redmond, Matt Camp and Peter Rosenberg on the panel, with Cole and Barrett on commentary for the main card. There was no kickoff match.

Who was missing. Sami Zayn did not make the trip because of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Syria, which is why the crowd kept chanting for him.

The verdict: does it hold up today?

Yes, mostly. The two big matches at the top of the card, Belair vs. Bayley and Reigns vs. Paul, are well worth watching, and the tag matches in the middle are solid. Lesnar vs. Lashley was short and had a messy finish, and Strowman vs. Omos is the one to skip. For us, this is a good show that is better than its reputation, and the main event is the reason to go back to it. If you are looking ahead to Crown Jewel 2026, this is a good reminder that a celebrity match can work if the celebrity puts in the effort.

• Best match: Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul
• Worst match: Braun Strowman vs. Omos
• Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Full results and our ratings

What happened next

• Logan Paul announced on social media after the show that he had torn his meniscus and MCL, and possibly his ACL, during the match.
• On the November 7 Raw, Belair, Bliss and Asuka challenged Damage CTRL to a WarGames match at Survivor Series: WarGames. Damage CTRL added Nikki Cross, and later Rhea Ripley, while Mia Yim joined Belair's side.
• On the November 11 SmackDown, The Brawling Brutes brought back Sheamus and fought The Bloodline, with Drew McIntyre joining them. That led to a men's WarGames match against The Bloodline, with Kevin Owens as the fifth member of Sheamus's team.
• AJ Styles vs. Finn Bálor was made official for Survivor Series: WarGames.
• Lesnar and Lashley were not done. Lesnar cost Lashley a US title match on Raw Is XXX in January 2023, Lashley eliminated Lesnar from the Royal Rumble, and a third match was signed for Elimination Chamber.

More Crown Jewel retro reviews

We have gone back through every Crown Jewel. Here is how the others rate, out of 5:

• Crown Jewel 2018: ★½ (1.5 out of 5), the first one, and the World Cup
• Crown Jewel 2019: ★★ (2 out of 5), celebrities and the first women's match in Saudi Arabia
• Crown Jewel 2021: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Hell in a Cell and a loaded card
• Crown Jewel 2023: ★★½ (2.5 out of 5), Rollins vs. McIntyre and Reigns vs. LA Knight
• Crown Jewel 2024: ★★½ (2.5 out of 5), the first Crown Jewel Championships
• Crown Jewel 2025: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), the first Crown Jewel outside Saudi Arabia

And for what is coming next, read our Crown Jewel 2026 preview.