WWE Crown Jewel 2024 Retro Review: Every Match Rated and Revisited

WWE Crown Jewel 2024 took place on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of Riyadh Season. It was the sixth Crown Jewel and the 12th WWE event in Saudi Arabia, and around 20,000 fans attended. The show started early for US viewers, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Michael Cole and Corey Graves called the action in English.

The show mattered because of one new idea. WWE created the Crown Jewel Championship, a champion vs. champion match where the top men's and women's champions from Raw and SmackDown faced each other. Their usual titles were not on the line. The winners would become the first Crown Jewel Champions. Around those two matches, the card had the next big chapter of the Bloodline civil war, a heated Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens feud and two other title matches.

The build

• Champion vs. champion: Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes was set to face World Heavyweight Champion Gunther after Gunther kept his title on Raw. Women's World Champion Liv Morgan was set to face WWE Women's Champion Nia Jax after both kept their titles at Bad Blood.
• The Bloodline: Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso had reunited, and they teamed with Roman Reigns against Solo Sikoa's new Bloodline: Solo, Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga, with Tonga Loa in their corner. Jey and Reigns had a long and difficult history, so trust was a question.
• Rollins vs. Reed: Bronson Reed had attacked Seth Rollins again and again on Raw, and Rollins wanted payback.
• Orton vs. Owens: Kevin Owens turned on his friend Cody Rhodes, and Randy Orton, Cody's ally, stepped in.
• United States title: Andrade and Carmelo Hayes had been in a best-of-seven series. SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis made a triple threat with champion LA Knight after Knight interfered in the planned final match of that series.
• Women's Tag Team titles: Champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill were set to defend against three teams at once: Damage CTRL (Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane), Meta-Four (Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson), and Chelsea Green and Piper Niven.

Match by match

There were no matches on the Kickoff show this year. The pre-show was interviews and video packages, which we cover in "Beyond the matches" below.

Roman Reigns & The Usos vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga)

The show opened with its longest build-up. Bleacher Report noted that the intro and entrances took about 20 minutes in total. The new Bloodline came out first. Reigns and Jimmy Uso walked out together to "OTC" chants. Jey Uso then came out on his own, and the crowd sang along to his music. CBS Sports noted that Reigns did not look thrilled by Jey getting his own moment. For us, that small detail set the tone for the whole match.

Early on, Reigns called for a tag, but Jey tagged Jimmy instead, and the two sides of the team argued. The Bloodline then isolated Jey until he made the hot tag. CBS Sports noted that Reigns was kept out of the match for long stretches. Once Reigns was in, he hit a Superman Punch on Solo and set up the Spear, but Tama Tonga got on the apron and Tonga Loa had to be knocked away. Jacob Fatu stopped another Superman Punch and hit a moonsault off the top rope, then a dive onto Jey on the floor. Solo hit Reigns with two Samoan Spikes and pinned him.

The story did not end at the bell. The Bloodline kept attacking. Jey stopped a powerbomb onto the announce table with a superkick, but he was then beaten down with a chair around his neck. Sami Zayn's music hit. Solo offered him a hug, and Zayn answered with an exploder suplex. Then came the key moment: Reigns went for a Superman Punch and Zayn for a Helluva Kick at the same time, Solo moved, and Zayn's kick hit Reigns. Jimmy argued with Zayn, Jey sided with Zayn, and Jey and Zayn left together.

We think this is a good story match rather than a great wrestling match. The action was fine, but it never really hit a higher gear, and the finish was more about setting up the next show than paying anything off. Still, the post-match angle was well done, and Fatu looked like a real threat. Our rating: ★★★

Women's Tag Team Championship: Belair & Cargill vs. Damage CTRL vs. Meta-Four vs. Green & Niven

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill put their titles on the line against three teams. Bleacher Report praised the team gear, and Cole and Graves joked about Matt Cardona during Chelsea Green's entrance. Viewers on Sportsnet in Canada missed part of the start, because the feed went down after the opener and only came back when the match was well underway.

This match was built on big spots outside the ring. Chelsea Green set up a moonsault to the floor, changed her mind, and jumped off the apron instead, where she was caught. Iyo Sky hit a moonsault from the top rope onto three opponents on the floor. Lash Legend launched Jakara Jackson onto the pile outside. Back in the ring, Kairi Sane hit a spinning back fist and her flying elbow on Belair, and Legend threw Sane into a powerbomb from Jackson. Green and Niven had their moment too, but it ended badly for them: Niven missed her target and splashed her own partner. Belair and Cargill then hit their Doomsday Device on Niven, and Belair pinned her to retain.

Not every move landed. At least one early aerial spot came up short, and CBS Sports felt the ambition was bigger than what the eight women fully delivered. We agree. For us, it was busy and fun, with stiff strikes from Cargill and Legend, but it felt like a list of spots rather than a match with a story. With four teams and only 12 minutes, nobody really had time to build anything.

The champions looked strong in the end, and the crowd stayed involved. That is the job of a four-way like this, and it did that job. Our rating: ★★★

Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed

This one started before the bell. Rollins attacked Reed during Reed's entrance, and the fight spilled over the barricade at ringside before the bell. Bleacher Report noted that Reed's gear was a tribute to the rapper MF Doom. In a pre-show interview, Rollins had admitted he was not 100%, which added a little extra worry to the fight.

Once the match started, Reed hit an early Tsunami, his big splash off the top. He then used powerbombs and a superplex, and he looked like the bigger, stronger man. Rollins fought back with a DDT out of a powerbomb and a frog splash. The finish was smart. Reed went to use the steel steps, but Rollins stomped him onto them. Rollins hit another Stomp in the ring, and then a Super Stomp from the top rope for the pin. After the match, Reed got back up with blood on his face. He told Rollins he wanted more. Rollins backed up the ramp, still talking.

We think this is the surprise of the night. Many fans saw it as a filler match, but it was a hard-hitting fight with a clear story: Rollins needed several Stomps to keep the bigger man down. Bleacher Report said Reed looked like a possible main-event star, and we agree. At times the crowd even seemed to lean towards Reed.

If there is a complaint, it is that Reed got up so quickly after the loss that it took a little away from Rollins' win. But that was the point: the story was not over. Our rating: ★★★½

Women's Crown Jewel Championship: Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax

The new women's belt sat on a pedestal during the introductions. Morgan started fast with a dropkick and later a tornado DDT for a two count. Jax used her size, with a headbutt and two Samoan Drops, one from the middle rope. Morgan also hit a sunset flip powerbomb from the ropes, but Bleacher Report noted that a camera cut ruined the view of it.

Then the match turned into a crowded angle. Tiffany Stratton came out with her Money in the Bank briefcase. Jax told her to leave, and Stratton walked up the ramp, but she came back, pushed on by the crowd. She climbed the apron to tell the referee she was cashing in, and Raquel Rodriguez pulled her down. Dominik Mysterio arrived. Jax took out Morgan and Rodriguez, and Stratton was squashed against the barricade between them. Back in the ring, Jax went up for the Annihilator. Dominik slid the briefcase into the ring to distract the referee, Rodriguez knocked Jax off the ropes, and Morgan hit Oblivion for the pin. Triple H handed the belt to a tearful Morgan.

For us, this is the low point of the show. At just over eight minutes, there was too little wrestling and too much interference. Bleacher Report called it "overbooked to death", and CBS Sports said the outside help was a cheap way to have one champion lose. We agree with both. A champion vs. champion match should prove who is best, but this finish proved very little.

Even the commentary felt off. Cole called it a huge upset, and Graves had to point out that a champion beating a champion is not really an upset. The crowd started quiet and only warmed up to Morgan late. Many fans clearly wanted a Stratton cash-in instead. Our rating: ★

Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens

On the pre-show, Owens wore a Cowboy Bob Orton shirt, a dig at Randy's father, and told a story about a dune buggy crash in the desert, which he blamed on Orton or Rhodes. Then the match never started. As Orton posed on the turnbuckle during his entrance, Owens attacked him from behind with a steel chair to the knee. The crowd had been singing along to Orton's music.

What followed was a long brawl. Orton dropped Owens through the announce table with a back suplex and went after Owens' knee. Owens hit referee Eddie Orengo with a Stunner, and Michael Cole said the match had been waved off. Orton kept going. He hit producer Shawn Daivari with an RKO and Owens with his Draping DDT. Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce came out to calm things down, and Orton gave Pearce an RKO. Owens raked Orton's eyes and sent him into the ring post. The fight went into the crowd, where Owens hit Orton with a small road case, laid him on a table, climbed a staircase and hit a flying elbow drop through it. Officials checked on both men.

We are split on this one. As a brawl, it was fun and violent, and Owens looked like a real villain. The crowd also did not seem upset that there was no match. But this was a premium live event, and fans paid for a match that had been built for weeks. Taking it away made sense for the feud, but it felt like a TV segment. We do not give a star rating to something that never started. Our rating: no rating

United States Championship: LA Knight vs. Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes

On the pre-show, Knight said he spent his birthday in the gym and promised to leave Riyadh as champion despite the odds. This match was a sprint from the start. Andrade and Hayes traded forearms while Knight waited, then both of them superkicked Knight out of the ring. Andrade hit a Spanish Fly from the second rope, a moonsault from the top rope to the floor, and a moonsault bodyslam on Hayes. Hayes hit his Nothing But Net. Knight dropped a diving elbow on both men.

It was not all clean. Knight slipped on a top-rope spot and crotched himself, but he adjusted and the sequence carried on. The finish came when Hayes set up a facebuster on Andrade, and Knight cut him off with the BFT and pinned Hayes to retain.

For us, this was the most fun match on the card until the main event. It was fast and full of creative spots. Andrade's moonsault to the floor looked excellent, and the crowd chanted for all three men at different times. Bleacher Report called it a show-stealer, and CBS Sports called it a fun, high-energy sprint. We agree.

The only problem is that it felt like it ended just as it was getting going. At around nine minutes, there was no time for real near-falls or drama. We also think Andrade and Hayes deserved a proper end to their series. But as a fast, high-energy match, it worked well. Our rating: ★★★½

Men's Crown Jewel Championship: Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther

Before the match, WWE aired a video package on Cody vs. Gunther. On the pre-show, Gunther said he expected to choke Cody out, and Cody, interviewed on his bus, called this the happiest he had been in his career. The crowd sang Cody's song and started "Olé" chants during the entrances. Bleacher Report noted the crowd was so loud that the announcers were hard to hear at times.

The match started slow, with chain wrestling and wristlocks. Gunther then took control with chops, uppercuts and suplexes, and he mocked Cody's pose to the crowd. Cody fought back with a Disaster Kick, a suicide dive and the Bionic Elbow. Gunther worked on Cody's back, put him in a Boston crab and went to the sleeper again and again. Cody hit a Cody Cutter for a near-fall and Cross Rhodes for another, and Gunther got a powerbomb that Cody kicked out of. At the end, Cody went up for a Super Cody Cutter, but Gunther caught him in the sleeper. Cody rolled back with Gunther still on his back, and pinned Gunther's shoulders for the three count. Corey Graves compared the finish to Bret Hart.

After the match, Gunther shook Cody's hand, said something to him and left. Triple H came out with Saudi representatives to present the belt. Liv Morgan then joined them in the ring for a closing photo.

This is the best match of the night by a distance. It was a throwback, simple wrestling match with a clear story: Gunther's power and his sleeper against Cody's will. The finish was the highlight. It was believable, it was a real wrestling counter, and it kept Gunther strong in defeat. Bleacher Report pointed out that Gunther's first chop at ringside was the loudest moment of the match, and the crowd stayed hot all the way through.

If anything holds it back, it is that Cody had no regular title on the line, so a few moments in the middle felt a little long for a match with lower stakes. But for us, this is worth watching in full today. Our rating: ★★★★

Beyond the matches

• The Kickoff show: The first hour of Countdown was hosted outside the arena among fans, with Michael Cole, Corey Graves and Big E. Jackie Redmond and Sheamus took over for the second hour, and a video showed Big E trying local food. Peter Rosenberg was the pre-show correspondent.
• Pre-show interviews: Gunther, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Cody Rhodes, Nia Jax and LA Knight all did interviews, mostly with Cathy Kelley. Triple H also spoke on the pre-show, praising the deal with Saudi Arabia and saying WWE was staying.
• Injured stars: The pre-show aired video packages on Braun Strowman and AJ Styles, both injured and not on the show. F4W's recap called the Strowman package overly long, and we think both took time away from the matches on the card.
• Sami Zayn's surprise: Zayn's appearance after the opener was the biggest surprise of the night, and his accidental Helluva Kick on Reigns was the moment that pushed the Bloodline story forward.
• Triple H and the belts: Triple H presented both new Crown Jewel Championships in the ring. Cole explained on commentary that the belts would stay in Saudi Arabia and that Rhodes and Morgan would get rings instead.
• Raw preview: During the show, WWE announced a number one contender's match for the World Heavyweight Championship on Raw, which was taped in Riyadh the next day, featuring Rollins, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and Sheamus.
• Production: The show's theme song was "ARABI" by Future, Mohamed Ramadan and Massari. Bleacher Report criticised some camera angles that missed key moments, including a pin break-up in the opener and Morgan's sunset flip powerbomb.
• The crowd: The Riyadh fans were loudest for Reigns, The Usos and the main event, with "OTC" chants for Reigns, sing-alongs for Jey Uso and Randy Orton, and "Olé" chants and a wave during Cody vs. Gunther.

The verdict: does it hold up today?

Partly. We think the main event is worth seeing in full, and Rollins vs. Reed and the US title triple threat are both good. The opener is a solid story chapter, and the tag four-way is fine. But the new women's title deserved a better first match than an eight-minute match full of interference, and the Orton vs. Owens brawl, while fun, took away a match fans had been promised. For a show built around crowning the first champions, only one of the two title matches really delivered.

• Best match: Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther
• Worst match: Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax
• Overall: 2.5 out of 5

Full results and our ratings

What happened next

• At the post-event press conference, Rhodes and Morgan each received a Crown Jewel ring, and the belts were put on display at the WWE Experience in Riyadh.
• Zayn's kick led to the Bloodline story's next stage. At Survivor Series: WarGames 2024, Reigns, The Usos, Zayn and CM Punk beat Solo's Bloodline and Bronson Reed in WarGames, with Reigns spearing Solo for the win.
• On Raw, Iyo Sky won a battle royal to earn a title match against Liv Morgan, which Morgan won at Saturday Night's Main Event in December.
• Owens and Orton brawled again on SmackDown, where Orton was taken to hospital in the storyline, and Owens moved on to a match with Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night's Main Event.
• This was the last Crown Jewel on Peacock in the US and on several international services before WWE moved to Netflix. WWE also made the champion vs. champion Crown Jewel Championship match a yearly event. See our Crown Jewel 2026 preview for what comes next.

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 2022: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), Reigns vs. Logan Paul and a Last Woman Standing match
• Crown Jewel 2023: ★★½ (2.5 out of 5), Rollins vs. McIntyre and Reigns vs. LA Knight
• 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.