WWE Crown Jewel 2022 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights

0 of 8

WWE

Welcome to Bleacher Report's coverage and recap of WWE Crown Jewel 2022.

This show had a big card, but the most high-profile match in the lineup was Logan Paul taking on Roman Reigns for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship.

Here is the full lineup from Saturday's show:

• Reigns vs. Paul (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
• The O.C. vs. The Judgment Day
• Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar
• Karrion Kross vs. Drew McIntyre
• Braun Strowman vs. Omos
• Bianca Belair vs. Bayley (Raw Women's Championship)
• The Usos vs. The Brawling Brutes (Undisputed Tag Team Championships)
• Asuka and Alexa Bliss vs. Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky (WWE Women's Tag Team Championships) 

Let's take a look at what went down in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, this weekend.

1 of 8

Seconds after Crown Jewel officially went on the air, Lashley made his entrance for the opening match against Lesnar, but then WWE played a video package for a couple of minutes, so it still took more than 10 minutes after the show began for The Beast Incarnate to come out.

The All Mighty attacked Lesnar before he actually got into the ring by shoving him into the steel steps. Once the ref called for the bell, Lashley unloaded with a Spear that sent The Beast out of the ring. Lashley put him through the barricade a moment later.

Once the former UFC champion recovered, he took Lashley on a trip to Suplex City. The 46-year-old kicked out of the F-5 and managed to regain the upper hand. He applied The Hurt Lock and kept it locked in for a long time, but The Beast was able to kick off the turnbuckle and counter the hold into the pin for the win.

The match was fun and had some great physical spots, but you could tell the way it ended that it did not go completely as planned. Lesnar did not roll back onto Lashley the way he was supposed to, so the way he got the pin did not look convincing. In fact, it didn't even look like The All Mighty's shoulders were down all the way.

Having Lesnar win that way instead of decisively was a decent way to do this to protect The All Mighty, but the way they messed it up sort of killed all of the momentum the match had built up. Lashley put Lesnar back in the hold for a bit before leaving the ring.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

Grade: B-

Notable Moments and Observations

• The stage and ring setup was huge, so Lashley's entrance felt even more epic than usual. 
• Lashley putting someone through a barricade has become one of the most common spots he performs. It always looks good, but he should limit its use so it means more every time he does it. 
• The way Lashley rammed Lesnar into the ring post looked great. The Beast almost did a spin as he fell to the ground. 
• It's honestly kind of impressive that Lashley was even able to lock his fingers for The Hurt Lock. Lesnar has huge shoulders. 

2 of 8

After losing the women's tag titles on Monday, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai were given a chance to regain them when they faced Alexa Bliss and Asuka in a rematch.

Bliss and Kai started for their teams with a quick sequence of takedowns and counters. Neither woman could gain a clear advantage until Kai hit a headbutt out of nowhere.

The crowd came alive when Sky and Asuka tagged in and locked up. The Empress of Tomorrow took control before she and Bliss worked together to take down both opponents at ringside.

After Asuka spent some time on defense, Bliss got the hot tag and took it to both challengers with everything she had, but all four Superstars eventually performed a Tower of Doom superplex with The Goddess taking the brunt of the damage.

This was a highly competitive match with several standout moments. All four women put in the maximum effort to make this their best encounter yet.

While the referee was distracted, Nikki Cross attacked Bliss out of nowhere, paving the way for Kai to get the pin and regain the women's tag titles for Damage CTRL.

Winners: Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky

Grade: B+

Notable Moments and Observations

• The bodysuits the women have to wear in Saudi Arabia have gotten better with each event. The gear-makers in WWE did a good job. 
• Bliss looked especially good in the opening minutes of this match. She is one of those people who has continued to improve with each passing year. 
• Sky's counter to a double suplex was perfect. 
• The way Sky hit a springboard dropkick to hang Asuka up on the top rope was awesome. 
• When The Empress gets going, there are few who can match her energy. The way she hits strikes and suplexes always looks so good. 

3 of 8

The third match of the night featured Karrion Kross and Drew McIntyre locking horns inside of a steel cage. As usual, Scarlett was there with The Herald of Doomsday.

These two powerhouses did not try to attack each other before the bell or cause any shenanigans. They just stared at each other from across the ring before they started throwing hands.

The Scottish Warrior hit the first big takedown with a side suplex, but it didn't keep Kross down for long. They traded punches on the top rope until Kross kicked out McIntyre's leg to crotch him on the top rope. This gave the world's biggest fan of hourglasses an opportunity to take control and punish his opponent.

As expected, these two put on a hell of a fight. This is exactly the kind of match Kross has needed since he returned to WWE because it allowed him to show off most of the skills that make him valuable.

Scarlett prevented McIntyre from escaping the cage by spraying him in the face with mace again. She also sprayed the official and locked the door, so The Scottish Warrior climbed out instead to claim victory.

The ending might not be something everyone likes, but the match as a whole was tons of fun.

Winner: Drew McIntyre

Grade: B+

Notable Moments and Observations

• Scarlett had spikes on her face. There is no way that feels comfortable. 
• Some of the punches Kross and McIntyre were throwing were connecting more than the average pro wrestling strike. It brought a little brutality to the fight. 
• The spot McIntyre does when he is hanging from the top rope upside down and sits up to throw his opponent across the ring always looks fantastic. 
• The superplex from the top of the cage produced a surprising "Holy s--t" chant from the crowd. 

4 of 8

Dominik Mysterio, Finn Bálor and Damian Priest were out first with Rhea Ripley to take on AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.

Anderson and Bálor began for their teams, but it didn't take them long to tag in the bigger members of their groups. Gallows and Priest tried to prove who was stronger with the usual shoulder-tackle spot, but The Archer of Infamy hit a cheap shot to put a stop to it.

Styles and Mysterio came in for their exchange before The O.C. began to dominate the least experienced member of The Judgment Day with double-team moves in the corner. Eventually, Anderson was the one being overpowered by the opposing team.

A steady pace was kept for most of the match so the occasional double- or triple-team spot stood out more. The crowd was into the match, but the loudest reaction came when Styles and Bálor finally got in the ring together.

Ripley interfered and attacked Styles to give The Prince a chance to hit the Coup de Grace to score the win.

Most of this match was good, but there was something missing. It's hard to explain what it was, but there was a feeling of being incomplete in the end.

Winners: The Judgment Day

Grade: B

Notable Moments and Observations

• Ripley went all out for her look even though she was not competing. Michael Cole said her haircut was supposed to be a reference to Beth Phoenix. 
• Cole actually said the words "Bullet Club" when hyping up this match, but he just said "Club" for every future reference. It might have been a mistake on his part, but it was still cool to hear it said on WWE Television. 
• Cole referring to Dominik as a punk was hilarious for some reason. 
• Priest was already good in NXT, but he has gotten even better since coming to the main roster. Some of the moves he does on a regular basis look much better than they used to. 

5 of 8

It was monster vs. giant in the next matchup when Omos took on one of the Superstars who recently made a return to WWE, Braun Strowman.

They made a big show of comparing their heights and the size of their hands before they engaged in a test of strength to start the action. Omos got his opponent down to his knees before delivering a big knee to the gut.

The Nigerian Giant had complete control for the first few minutes. Strowman failed to lift him for a bodyslam, but it was no problem for Omos to lift him.

While this match did not need to be as long as it was, they did a much better job than anybody could have predicted. This wasn't a five-star classic, but it had a decent pace and allowed both men to show off what makes them unique.

Strowman was the underdog for the first time ever, but he pulled off the win with a powerslam that probably would have broken a cheaper ring.

Winner: Braun Strowman

Grade: C+

Notable Moments and Observations

• MVP was not there to accompany Omos to the ring. 
• The Nigerian Giant had a new piece of attire for his entrance. It was kind of like a combination of a poncho and a hoodie but cut differently. 
• Omos trying to pin Strowman with his boot instead of a cover was a good way to show that he was overly confident in his abilities. 

6 of 8

The Undisputed Tag Team Championships were on the line when Jimmy and Jey Uso defended the belts against Butch and Ridge Holland.

Sami Zayn, Solo Sikoa and Sheamus were not at ringside, so it was just a two-on-two situation.

Butch spent a long time in the ring with both Usos before he tagged Holland to take over, and the powerhouse went on a bit of a rampage

Neither team was able to control the other for too long. It felt like an even fight most of the time, but The Usos having so many double-team moves they can rely on gave them a few more opportunities to overpower their opponents.

Holland almost scored the win at one point with White Noise, but The Usos were able to rally and hit a super version of The One D for the win.

This was a solid performance from all four men. It lasted just long enough and gave both teams a chance to shine at different times.

Winners: The Usos

Grade: B

Notable Moments and Observations

• The Usos had a big entrance. It was nice to see them get the star treatment. 
• Holland hitting the Beats of the Bodhran was a nice homage to Sheamus, but Jimmy prevented him from hitting Jey with the 10th strike.
• The way Butch attacked Jimmy's arm against the steel steps looked brutal. 
• Butch avoiding a superkick by simply waiting an extra second to jump off the middle rope was inadvertently hilarious. 

7 of 8

The Last Woman Standing match for the Raw Women's Championship was up next. Bayley was out first to take on Bianca Belair for the gold.

The EST of WWE started off hot with a trio of bodyslams before she tossed Bayley out of the ring. This allowed The Role Model to grab a kendo stick from under the ring.

Belair avoided every shot, so Bayley tried a chair instead. The EST maintained the upper hand by kicking the chair into her. The heel brought out a ladder right before the champion hit a slingshot crossbody to take her down.

Once the fight stayed outside the ring, Bayley was able to use more weapons to her advantage. She tried to trap Belair under the stairs and a ladder to keep her down for the 10-count, but The EST was able to fight out of it.

Bayley even tried to trap the champion in an equipment case, but Belair didn't let that stop her. The Role Model found a golf cart near the stage, but she failed to use it in an effective way.

The EST drove them back toward the ring and ended up flinging Bayley onto the table that was set up at ringside, but it did not break, so Belair picked her up and put her through it with a powerbomb.

Belair was able to get the win by trapping Bayley in a ladder that was held shut by the ring ropes. It was a unique way to finish the bout, but it would have been better if one of them had gotten a more definitive victory by doing enough damage to earn a real 10-count.

The rivals played their roles perfectly and delivered a performance that stood out among the rest of the card. The match had a couple of moments that did not quite work out as planned, but they were overshadowed by everything that did work well.

Winner: Bianca Belair

Grade: A-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Bayley's gear had the same aesthetic as Sky and Kai's attire from earlier in the show. 
• When The Role Model lost hold of a kendo stick, it flew out of the ring and landed perfectly on the barricade. It was just balancing there for a long time. A kid tried to touch it, but you could tell someone told him not to because he sat down right away. 
• Bayley set up Belair on a chair and ran across the barricade to hit a flying clothesline in one of the best spots of the match. 
• The EST should have crawled under the ring while she was tapped behind the steps so she could surprise Bayley out of nowhere. It feels like a missed opportunity. 
• If Bayley was trying to hit Belair with the golf cart, she failed miserably. She slowed down before the champion even moved out of the way. 

8 of 8

Bray Wyatt gave another passionate promo before a creepy video package played featuring some of the characters that have been introduced in recent weeks.

After that was over, the main event was all that remained. Jake Paul was supposed to accompany Logan to the ring, but he did not appear. Reigns had Paul Heyman by his side as he usually does.

Reigns was confident, but it did not look like he was underestimating his opponent. They locked up and The Tribal Chief powered him to the corner. They shoved each other a bit, which visibly angered the champ. Logan scored a waistlock takedown to surprise Reigns, but it didn't slow him down.

The Tribal Chief began to big-time Paul to show who was in control. The social media star did not give up and actually took the champ down a few times before clotheslining him out of the ring.

As Paul began to get more confident, Heyman started to look worried. But Reigns seemed to have the match in hand for the most part. The YouTuber was able to hit a few big moves like a blockbuster from the middle rope, but he couldn't keep the champ down for the count.

Paul hit a few big right hands later in the match, including his own version of the Superman Punch, but The Tribal Chief kicked out every time.

The Usos came out and beat up Paul's entourage after he put Reigns through the announce table with a massive splash from the top rope. This led to Jake Paul making his entrance to take out both Usos with a pair of right hands.

Solo Sikoa made an appearance, but several officials prevented him from engaging with Jake. Logan took out both Usos with a dive over the top rope. When he got back into the ring, Reigns nailed him with a Superman Punch followed by a Spear for the pin.

Whether you like him or not, you have to admit the celebrity boxer-turned-wrestler put on a great show. He might not be as technically proficient as somebody who has been doing this for years, but he has a clear grasp of how to play into the big moments and how to use his athleticism to hit dangerous moves and sell for his opponent.

As impressive as Paul was here, it makes no sense for Reigns to be selling this much for a rookie. Having a celebrity compete is fine, but the social media star put up more of a fight than some of the other guys the dual champ has defeated during his run. It might be fun to watch, but it doesn't make much sense.

However, that does not take away from how much fun it was to watch this whole thing go down.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Grade: A

Notable Moments and Observations

• It's a little surprising that Paul did not have new gear for this match, or at least a new color scheme. 
• The big tree AR graphic WWE uses for Reigns is awesome. The graphic of Reigns himself is not. It just doesn't look right for some reason. 
• The drones they were using to light up the sky with different designs was a cool detail. WWE should do more unique stuff like that for PPVs. 
• The look on Reigns' face after Paul took him down for the first time was the perfect mix of shock and anger. 
• Paul's leapfrog was impressive, but his flip into the ring to hit a clothesline was legitimately one of the most impressive spots of the night. 
• Paul might have a better frog splash than Dominik Mysterio.