WWE Crown Jewel 2026 Card: Tag Title Match Was Changed, Gunther vs. Finn Balor Teased
The World Tag Team Championship match at Crown Jewel 2026 was not the original plan. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, WWE first planned a six-man tag match with The Vision and later changed it to a straight title defense.
Gunther vs. Finn Balor is also still not on the official card, even though the two men were set on a collision course on the SmackDown taped for Friday. Crown Jewel takes place Saturday, November 7, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and starts at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT.
What changed with the tag title match
The Observer reported that the first plan for Riyadh was Bron Breakker, Austin Theory and Bronson Reed against Penta, Je'Von Evans and Oba Femi. The match was reportedly changed because running a six-man tag before the ongoing tag title feud did not make sense.
What WWE made official instead is Breakker and Theory defending the World Tag Team Championship against Penta and Evans. Adam Pearce set the match backstage on the October 26 Raw after Penta asked for a title shot. It will be the first defense for Breakker and Theory since they won the titles on July 6.
Then on the November 2 Raw in Brooklyn, a six-man match did happen, only with Dragon Lee in the third spot. Breakker, Reed and Theory beat Penta, Evans and Lee when Breakker speared Evans. Penta also stopped Logan Paul from getting involved. Our view: the six-man idea was moved to TV, and the champions now head to Riyadh with the win.
Gunther vs. Finn Balor
The Observer also reported that a poster with Gunther and Balor was seen at the original venue in Riyadh, which suggests a singles match was in the plans. WWE has not announced it yet.
The SmackDown that airs Friday, November 6, was taped on November 2 at Barclays Center. F4W reported that the show opens with Balor confronting Gunther, and that Balor attacks and lays out Gunther. Balor appears as himself, not as The Demon. If WWE wants the match on Saturday, that segment gives it a clear reason.
The confirmed Crown Jewel 2026 card
Four matches are official right now:
- Crown Jewel Championship: World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns vs. Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn
- Women's Crown Jewel Championship: WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green vs. Women's World Champion Liv Morgan
- Last Man Standing: Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
- World Tag Team Championship: Bron Breakker and Austin Theory (c) vs. Penta and Je'Von Evans
The show streams on the ESPN App in the US and on Netflix internationally. The show is no longer at the outdoor stadium first announced. We covered that in our Crown Jewel venue update.
How Raw and SmackDown set up each match
Reigns vs. Zayn: On Raw, Royce Keys vs. Solo Sikoa ended in a no-contest when The 946 attacked The Bloodline. Cruz Montana took out Reigns and sided with The 946, and Zayn then hit Reigns with a Helluva Kick. On SmackDown, Jimmy Uso confronts Zayn over that kick and warns him about Saturday. The 946 attack Jimmy, and Zayn walks away. For the history between the two, see our Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn history.
Green vs. Morgan: Morgan pinned Green in a six-woman tag on Raw, with The Judgment Day beating Green, IYO SKY and Tiffany Stratton. On SmackDown, Green gives a promo about self-doubt and Morgan interrupts to call her a "paper champion."
Rhodes vs. Orton: The two did not wrestle on Raw. Orton cut a promo that brought up Dusty Rhodes, which adds a personal edge before a Last Man Standing match. Neither man appears in the SmackDown spoilers.
The Vision vs. Penta and Evans: The Raw six-man win gives the champions momentum. Penta also still has his briefcase, so watch for that on Saturday.
What to watch next
WWE could still add matches before Saturday, and Gunther vs. Balor is the clearest option. If it is announced, the card would be five matches. Once the show is over, the next big stop is Survivor Series on November 28 in Houston. For past shows in Saudi Arabia, our Crown Jewel 2025 retro review is a good place to start. Check our Raw results for November 2 for the full show.
