Friday, March 29, 2024
EditorialWWE Crown Jewel 2022 Preview: Full Card, Match Predictions & More

WWE Crown Jewel 2022 Preview: Full Card, Match Predictions & More

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Match Predictions and Heat Index Anticipation Levels

Temperature Scale = Scorching > Hot > Lukewarm > Temperate > Chilly > Cold > Freezing

Heat Index is my assessment of how interesting the segment is, including how excited I am for the match and how intriguing the feud has been. The hotter, the better. Scorching translates to not being able to wait to see it, while Freezing means I couldn’t possibly care less and think it will be awful.

UNDISPUTED WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Logan Paul

Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Roman Reigns wins.

Thoughts: This is one of those matches that we all know has to go a certain way, and many will argue it shouldn’t even take place at all (with the whole “Why is Logan Paul getting a title shot instead of someone on the regular roster?” discussion), but the marquee value is exactly why its happening, and you can’t fault WWE for trying to cash in on it. Why not do it here? It pleases the Saudi crew, makes it seem like an even bigger event, and doesn’t waste something like WrestleMania. I’m sure Paul will get some licks in, but this is going to end with Reigns retaining, and I think it will be a fun segment overall.

SINGLES MATCH:
Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar

Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins.

Thoughts: Many WWE fans look at this and go “Wow! These two are behemoths and they’re going to destroy each other!” Someone in my space, who has to hyper-analyze everything for his job and watches this every week (rather than the ones who just see the pay-per-views) will think “Okay, so we’re getting this for the third time this year, but this time, neither are champions, so it doesn’t really matter much.” It was way more interesting when it hadn’t happened before. I would be more into it if there was a gimmick, like the Fight Pit. But this as it is, is just sort of standard big name marquee repeat affair material. I’ve seen it and I can’t imagine they’ll show me anything that I haven’t already watched, so it’s a rerun. Granted, both are great performers, so it’s not like it couldn’t be worse by any means, but I just can’t see myself getting super duper excited to basically revisit January and February with less consequences. And since Lesnar is the perpetual go-to guy, I think he wins to preserve him for Logan Paul at WrestleMania.

SIX-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH:
The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor) vs. The O.C. (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows)

Heat Index = Chilly
Prediction: The O.C. wins.

Thoughts: Nope. Sorry. Not feeling it. This doesn’t have a “two former leader of The Bullet Club are going to war” vibe to it. All I’m hearing is The Judgment Day cutting the same promo every week and The O.C. being the next focal points for them to fight with no real substance to it. Since there are no stakes here and this is just a regular six-man tag, it falls flat for me. Either team can win and it doesn’t matter by any means, so I’ll just go with The O.C. winning since Rhea Ripley might not be there.

LAST WOMAN STANDING MATCH FOR THE RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP:
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley

Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Bianca Belair wins.

Thoughts: These two are great. They’ll do a fine job. But I’ve been over this feud for quite some time. Making it Last Woman Standing does freshen it up a bit, but it doesn’t turn it into a Scorching or anything for me. I’m hoping and thinking Belair retains and this all gets wrapped up with WarGames and they don’t face each other again for at least 6 months, if not longer.

SINGLES MATCH:
Braun Strowman vs. Omos

Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Braun Strowman wins.

Thoughts: There’s a good chance this is a total train wreck. Often, two giants can’t work well together. It turns into a lumbering mess where nobody can do any maneuvers to each other. However, it’s still The Monster Among Men against The Nigerian Giant. We don’t regularly get to see people this big against each other, and I’m a fan of Strowman’s overall work. I’m rooting for him to win so he can stay strong and not lose momentum.

STEEL CAGE MATCH:
Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross

Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: Drew McIntyre wins.

Thoughts: The steel cage element feels a bit out of place to me. Yes, it’s supposed to keep Scarlett from interfering (and we all know how well that tends to turn out), but it still seems more like they added this after realizing there wasn’t a big gimmick on the card more than anything else. Steel cages are so often used to try to do something simple, but flashy enough to be “good enough” for a pop. I’m not feeling this feud as much as I originally was interested in it, altogether. It just feels more tacked on than fully fleshed-out. Kross could certainly win, but it doesn’t really matter. Since McIntyre will likely be a top WarGames opponent for The Bloodline, it would do him more good to win here, so I’ll go with him.

UNDISPUTED WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
The Usos (c) vs. The Brawling Brutes

Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: The Usos win.

Thoughts: No way The Usos are losing the titles. They might lose this match by disqualification or count-out or something, but they aren’t dropping the belts, which is what really matters. I’m sure this will be entertaining, but ultimately forgettable. They’ll put on a good 10-15 minute show that ends with The Usos scoring a pinfall.

WWE WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Alexa Bliss and Asuka (c) vs. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky)

Heat Index = Cold
Prediction: Damage CTRL wins.

Thoughts: We’ve seen this match how many times now, including Monday night? Just because the titles changed hands doesn’t make me any more excited. Either they go right back to Damage CTRL, rendering this pointless, or they stay where they are, rendering this whole thing pointless. I’m a fan of all four women, but WWE needs to do more.

OVERALL PPV:
How excited am I for the event as a whole?

Heat Index = Lukewarm

Thoughts: A little more than “meh” is a good way to put it. There’s some potential here, but I don’t think it will be a game-changer show. Some of what we’re getting is filler. Other matches are follow-ups to stretch out some feuds. The most noteworthy things won’t change the grand flow, so it all rests on whether or not the performers put on great individual segments and the booking isn’t outrageously weird in a bad way.

What do you think is going to happen at WWE Crown Jewel? Which matches are you most excited to see? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!

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