WWE Crown Jewel 2025 Retro Review: Every Match Rated and Revisited, From Perth

WWE Crown Jewel 2025 took place on October 11, 2025, at Perth Arena (also known as RAC Arena) in Perth, Western Australia, in front of 13,683 fans. It was billed as Crown Jewel: Perth, and it was the seventh Crown Jewel. It was also the first one held outside Saudi Arabia, although it was still sponsored by Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority through Riyadh Season. The show was the centrepiece of a WWE takeover weekend, with SmackDown on October 10 and Raw on October 13 in the same building.

The card had only five matches, which is short for a WWE Premium Live Event. Two of them were champion vs. champion matches for the Crown Jewel Championships, with the Raw and SmackDown world champions meeting in both the men's and women's divisions. On top of that, it was John Cena's last in-ring Premium Live Event in Australia and outside the United States before his retirement at the end of 2025. For a lot of fans in Perth, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Cena live.

The build

• Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes: Rhodes kept the Undisputed WWE Championship at Wrestlepalooza, and World Heavyweight Champion Rollins confronted him afterwards. That set up the men's Crown Jewel Championship match. A watch that Rhodes had once given Rollins was part of the story.
• Stephanie Vaquer vs. Tiffany Stratton: Vaquer won Raw's women's world title at Wrestlepalooza, and Stratton kept SmackDown's women's title on the same night. That set up the women's Crown Jewel Championship match.
• John Cena vs. AJ Styles: Cena had named Styles as one of the people he wanted to face before he retired. After Wrestlepalooza he posted on X that he wanted the match, Styles said he wanted it too, and Triple H made it official. Fightful Select reported that it was built online because Cena had no TV dates before the show.
• Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed: Reigns had been at war with The Vision (Rollins, Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker and Reed) since Heyman betrayed him at WrestleMania 41. After Reigns beat Reed at Clash in Paris, Breakker and Reed put him on a stretcher. Heyman then challenged Reigns to an Australian Street Fight against Reed in Reed's home country.
• IYO SKY & Rhea Ripley vs. The Kabuki Warriors: Asuka and Kairi Sane had been attacking SKY and Ripley on Raw, which set up a tag match in front of an Australian crowd that was firmly behind Ripley.

Match by match

Bronson Reed vs. Roman Reigns, Australian Street Fight

Reed, with Paul Heyman, came out first, and the crowd was chanting for Reigns before his music even hit. Reigns started fast. He used the Australian setting for all it was worth: rugby balls (some thrown at Heyman), a cricket bat, a trash can, a kendo stick and a stop sign. He also brought a table into play early. Reed turned it around with the steel steps and chairs, and the two traded near-falls. Reigns hit a Samoan drop onto a chair, and later a Superman punch after Reed charged into a chair in the corner. Reed missed several of his high-risk moves.

Then the interference started. Bron Breakker ran in and speared Reigns on the floor, and he and Reed powerbombed Reigns through the announce table, Shield-style. Jimmy and Jey Uso ran out to help, but Breakker overpowered them, spearing an Uso through the barricade. In the chaos, Jey went for a spear on Breakker and hit Reigns instead, sending him through a table. Reed went up top and hit the Tsunami for the win. Afterwards, Reigns told the Usos he had wanted to win this on his own, and that he did not want to see them until Christmas. Jimmy and Jey were left arguing in the ring.

For us, this was a decent opener that never quite caught fire. The local touches were fun, and Reed winning a street fight in Australia was the right call; Sports Illustrated noted it was Reigns' first singles loss since WrestleMania XL. But at 21 minutes, the first half felt like a list of weapon spots rather than a story, and the finish needed three run-ins. The Usos angle after the bell was more interesting than most of the match. We think this would have been better at 15 minutes. Our rating: ★★★

Women's Crown Jewel Championship: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Tiffany Stratton

Vaquer came out first, then Stratton, and the crowd was split straight away, with "La Primera" chants against "Tiffy Time" chants. The early part was chain wrestling and reversals, with Vaquer taking control by being the more aggressive of the two. Stratton fought back with a handspring elbow and a cartwheel into an Alabama slam. Vaquer hit a dragon screw on the knee and a meteora in the corner. Stratton's top-rope senton landed on Vaquer's knees, and Vaquer locked in the Devil's Kiss. After a run of near-falls, Stratton went for the Prettiest Moonsault Ever and missed. Vaquer went up and hit a corkscrew splash from the top rope for the win, about ten minutes in.

Vaquer became the second Women's Crown Jewel Champion,. Triple H came out to give her the championship and the ring, and she thanked the Perth crowd in an interview with Jackie Redmond.

This was good while it lasted, and that is the problem. At 10:05, it was the shortest match on a five-match card, and it was the only women's world-champion vs. world-champion match of the night. ESPN's Andreas Hale called it "far too brief", and we agree. The two built some good exchanges and the crowd was with both of them, but just as the near-falls were starting to mean something, it was over. The finish came out of nowhere. In our view, WWE gave the men's Crown Jewel match nearly three times as long, and this match deserved more. Our rating: ★★★

John Cena vs. AJ Styles

The extras started before the bell. Styles wore blue and white trunks styled on what he wore on the first episode of TNA Impact! on Spike TV in 2005. Cena, whose entrance got a huge reaction, handed ring announcer Alicia Taylor a note to read as Styles' introduction, and it referenced TNA and Bullet Club. The crowd chanted "This is awesome" before they had even locked up.

They started with clean lock-ups and sportsmanship. Cena hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle and an early Attitude Adjustment, and Styles answered with the Ushigoroshi and a torture rack bomb. Then the match turned into a tribute show. Cena used The Miz's Skull Crushing Finale, Rusev's Accolade, Chris Jericho's Walls of Jericho, Kane's chokeslam and Randy Orton's hanging DDT and RKO. The biggest moment was Cena's Sister Abigail for Bray Wyatt. The arena lit up with phone lights and chanted "Thank you Wyatt". Styles used Christopher Daniels' Angel's Wings, Frankie Kazarian's Fade to Black, Samoa Joe's Coquina Clutch, Sting's Scorpion Death Drop and Shawn Michaels' Sweet Chin Music. Cena kicked out of the Sweet Chin Music and a Phenomenal Forearm. The crowd chanted "TNA" and later "Fight forever". At the end, Cena caught a Styles crossbody, turned it into The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver, and finished with an Attitude Adjustment. It was his 100th, and last, pay-per-view or Premium Live Event win. Afterwards they hugged and raised each other's hands, and Styles left Cena alone in the ring with the crowd.

We think this is one of the best matches of Cena's farewell year. Some reviewers felt the tributes made it less of a real contest, and that is fair. It was more a celebration than a fight. But it was a celebration done with real skill, and two veterans made 27 minutes fly by. The Wyatt moment is the one people will remember. Our rating: ★★★★½

IYO SKY & Rhea Ripley vs. The Kabuki Warriors

Ripley got one of the loudest entrances of the night. Asuka and Kairi Sane came out in masks, and they did not wait for the bell. They jumped SKY and Ripley before the two had even decided who would start, and Asuka ran SKY into the ring post.

The Kabuki Warriors then did classic heel tag work. They cut SKY off from her corner, used a distraction of referee Jessika Carr to get in an illegal double team, and stomped SKY while she was hung in the corner. SKY finally made the hot tag, and Ripley ran through Sane with power moves before Asuka slowed her with a shining wizard. The closing stretch was busy: SKY hit a moonsault to the floor, Asuka broke up an Over the Moonsault, SKY broke up Sane's InSane Elbow, and Sane got a near-fall on Ripley. In the end, Ripley hit the Riptide on Sane and tagged in SKY, who hit the Over the Moonsault for the pin.

For us, this is the quiet surprise of the show. It had a simple structure that worked: heels in control, a long wait for the hot tag, a hot crowd ready to explode when Ripley came in. All four women are very good, and there was not a weak link. Bleacher Report said much the same. If anything, at nearly 20 minutes it ran a little long, and the crowd was tired after Cena vs. Styles. But it never felt like filler, which is more than we can say for the opener. Our rating: ★★★½

Main event: Men's Crown Jewel Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes

Rollins came out wearing the watch Rhodes had given him and took it off before the bell. He also pushed over a cart of Prime bottles at ringside, which got a big reaction. Heyman was not with him, and earlier, in a backstage segment, Heyman had ordered Reed and Breakker not to help him. The Perth crowd turned on Rollins quickly with loud "Seth is a wanker" chants. Rollins took it out on the commentary team, yelling at Michael Cole and Wade Barrett and shoving Cole.

Rhodes started strong, then Rollins took over by going after his shoulder. He also mocked Rhodes' family, with a Stardust cartwheel and a Dusty Rhodes Bionic Elbow, and later a Figure Four. Rhodes came back with a Vertebreaker, a Disaster Kick, a Cody Cutter and an avalanche Cross Rhodes from the top, but Rollins kicked out. Rollins hit a Pedigree, his own Cross Rhodes, a Stomp, a top-rope Spanish Fly and a coast-to-coast headbutt. He appeared to land badly on his shoulder on that headbutt. Rollins picked up the watch once and put it down. Later, with the referee down, he wrapped it around his fist and punched Rhodes with it, then hit a Stomp and a second Stomp from the middle rope for the win.

Triple H gave Rollins the championship and ring. Rollins took the microphone and called himself the greatest of all time, then posed with Vaquer and warned her that his wife, Becky Lynch, was coming for her title.

This was a very good main event. The watch was a strong story device. Using it on the second try, after he had put it down, was smart. It was Rollins' first win over Rhodes. Our complaint is the length. At 29:40, the false finishes started to blur together, and the cheap finish took some heat off a great second half. Still, we think it delivered. Our rating: ★★★★

Beyond the matches

• The opening: Rhea Ripley narrated the cold open video and asked the Perth crowd to be louder than any crowd before it. The official theme song was "One Eyed Bastard" by Green Day.
• The crowd: The Perth crowd was hot all night. ESPN's Arda Ocal praised it for the dueling chants, phone lights and support for local stars. For us, the crowd is a big part of why the show works on replay.
• AJ Styles' retirement: At a Crown Jewel kickoff event in Perth before the show, Styles confirmed, "And in 2026, I will retire," as reported by F4W. Michael Cole mentioned it on commentary during the Cena match.
• Heyman backstage: Between the matches, Paul Heyman congratulated Reed, said he and Breakker were the future of WWE, and told them not to help Rollins in the main event. That one line set up what happened next.
• Triple H's presentations: Triple H came out after both Crown Jewel Championship matches to hand over the championships and rings.
• Rollins' shoulder: Rollins appeared to hurt his shoulder during the main event. It turned out to be a real injury.
• Pacing and ads: Bleacher Report noted that the show ran over two hours before the women's tag match started, with only about an hour of that being wrestling, and that Michael Cole read sponsor plugs back to back. We agree the first half drags in places.
• The team: Michael Cole and Wade Barrett called the show, with Alicia Taylor as ring announcer and Cathy Kelley and Jackie Redmond doing interviews. The pre-show panel was Cole, Barrett, Redmond, Big E and Peter Rosenberg.

The verdict: does it hold up today?

Yes, and we think it is the best Crown Jewel so far. A five-match card meant every match got time, and three of the five are very good or better. Cena vs. Styles is the reason to watch, and the main event and the women's tag match are both worth your time. The weak points are the long, run-in-heavy opener and a women's title match that was cut far too short. The Perth crowd lifts everything. If you only have half an hour, watch Cena vs. Styles.

• Best match: John Cena vs. AJ Styles
• Worst match: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Tiffany Stratton, not because it was bad, but because it was given only ten minutes
• Overall: 4 out of 5

Full results and our ratings

What happened next

• On Raw after the show, The Vision (Breakker, Reed and Heyman) turned on Rollins and threw him out of the group.
• Rollins was stripped of the World Heavyweight Championship. On TV it was explained by the attack, but the real reason was the shoulder injury from the Rhodes match. CM Punk won the vacant title at Saturday Night's Main Event XLI.
• Cody Rhodes kept the Undisputed WWE Championship by disqualification against Drew McIntyre in a match on SmackDown, which set up a rematch at Saturday Night's Main Event XLI.
• John Cena wrestled his final match on December 13, 2025, at Saturday Night's Main Event, losing to Gunther. AJ Styles had said 2026 would be his last year. Read our preview of Crown Jewel 2026.

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 2024: ★★½ (2.5 out of 5), the first Crown Jewel Championships

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