Logan Paul Is Creating a WWE Legacy, Win or Lose vs. Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel

Can social media personality Logan Paul roll into Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and do what no professional wrestler has been able to for the last two years: defeat Roman Reigns and become the Undisputed WWE Universal champion?

It is the question on the minds of wrestling fans ahead of Saturday's Crown Jewel premium live event, in which Paul will compete in just his third match against the top star in the industry.

On the surface, he does not belong there. Even with the massive promotional machine behind him, he's a celebrity with two matches to his name who is now challenging and, potentially knocking off, Reigns. It's a tough sell.

But we have seen Paul exceed expectations at just about every stop in his partnership with WWE, particularly between the ropes. What happens if he lands that one lucky punch and does the unthinkable?

Ahead of his shot at making history and turning the wrestling business upside down with a stunning victory over The Head of the Table, Paul sat down with Bleacher Report to talk about the match, his journey in WWE, a growing love for the art of pro wrestling and the man behind the over-the-top online personality.

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Video contains NSFW language.

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Paul Previews Crown Jewel

"I think this match is going to be the best, excuse me, one of the best WWE matches we have seen in a very long time. You have to make that conscious decision: Do you want to watch it live as it's happening in front of your face, or do you want to see it afterward, you wanna see the highlight reel? I don't know, but you ain't gonna want to miss this match."

Paul knows there is a palpable interest in his return to the squared circle for his first match since August's SummerSlam, where he battled self-proclaimed A-Lister, The Miz, and was praised across social media for his performance.

"Hell yeah, man!" he said when asked if he was surprised by the fans' response to the Nashville performance. "This might surprise you, but the reception to me online hasn't always been positive. I don't know if I’ve ever done anything in my life where pretty much everyone was like, 'Ahh…I might not like the kid, but that was good. That was good. You gotta respect it.'"

That match gave him the confidence to challenge the biggest star in the industry for the top prize in professional wrestling. "That's why I challenged Roman Reigns. I saw back what I can do, I liked it a lot and I said, 'why not just shoot for the best,' and I baited Roman Reigns into a fight."

The contest not only presents Paul with an opportunity to win the championship in just his third match in a WWE ring, but also highlight his blossoming love for the art of professional wrestling.

"As an outsider and someone who considers himself an artist, to now see the artistry of the sport, it's beautiful. I’m glued." He's not the only one. "Like, my family and friends by default will come to the matches and watch, and they love it. They love it because they can see the beauty in what we're creating. It's Broadway physicality and I love it."

Brother Jake, fresh off a victory over Anderson Silva to extend his unbeaten boxing record to 6-0, will accompany Logan to the squared circle in Saudi Arabia, per Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio. He will look to keep Reigns' Bloodline teammates at bay and ensure his brother has the fairest shot at shocking the world and pulling off one of the greatest upset wins in pro wrestling history.

A win would put him in a position to be the face of the wrestling industry's top promotion and a spokesman for the business, a role he has embraced.

"I started doing it and I'm like, which part of this is fake because all of this stuff hurts? These chairs are metal. Like, where are the plastic chairs? Like, there's no plastic chair factory. The chairs are metal, the table is a hard, rigid table. The ladders are ladders. Where's the fakeness in this sport?"

Paul admits that beyond the loudness, glitz and glamour of the Hollywood lifestyle that he portrays for millions across his social media platforms, he is an introvert who relishes the opportunity to decompress and step out of the spotlight, something fans of WWE may not realize about the celebrity who has stepped off the red carpet and into the squared circle. "I'm a simple guy who lives a relatively simple life. I just work my f--king ass off."

The charismatic young star, who rose to fame first through social media platform Vine, then YouTube, credits his development as an in-ring performer over the course of his first two matches to former WWE Superstar and current official Shane Helms.

"He's constantly sending me stuff to watch. I told him, 'Dude, I'm a sponge, I'm a student. I have no ego, send me whatever you want,' and we exchange texts about what he thinks I can do, what I think I can do and how we can incorporate it into a match, so I do have to give credit to Shane Helms because he's been instrumental in helping me understand the nuances of the sport."

That hard work has him prepared to not only stand across the ring from the most dominant Superstar in WWE over the last two years in Roman Reigns, earn a major payday and see himself on the promotional materials for the 2022 edition of the company’s Crown Jewel extravaganza, but also beat The Tribal Chief and become, arguably, the most improbable world champion of all time.

"He's underestimating me and it's going to be the biggest mistake of his life."

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Paul-Reigns Analysis

There is a certain spectacle about Paul challenging Reigns that WWE is very aware of. The social media maven is controversial, and to borrow a phrase from Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff, controversy creates cash.

Paul is a major celebrity, recognizable around the world. The princes in Saudi Arabia know him, like him and wanted him to be part of the event, per Meltzer. His involvement in WWE from day one was designed to attract new viewers to the product and create awareness among potential new fans.

The WWE fans know this. They also know he was brought in and given high-profile spots on the show, and in their minds, he has stolen the spotlight away from full-time wrestlers. To them, he is the latest part-timer to find exposure at the expense of their favorites.

The boos have been loud, and the keyboard warriors, eager to target WWE for relying on a celebrity to sell a big-time main event, have been critical of his involvement.

Personal preferences aside, to suggest Paul has not put in the work to be in this position would be irresponsible.

He was recently spotted training with Shawn Michaels, and one simply does not make the leap that he did from his WrestleMania 38 tag team match to the SummerSlam encounter with The Miz without being serious about the business and the quality of his performance.

The match with Reigns will be the greatest test of Paul's evolution as a performer and a telltale sign of how serious he is about his in-ring role. There is a certain level of expectation when it comes to The Tribal Chief, who, barring the Brock Lesnar series, has crafted a historic title run by delivering a series of bangers against opponents of all sizes and backgrounds.

If Paul shows up like he did in his previous in-ring outings, his words may prove prophetic and the match with The Tribal Chief may be one of the best Undisputed WWE Universal Championship matches in recent memory.

A stumble, on this stage and against that guy, could undo all the goodwill he has acquired based on his previous efforts.

Based on his body of work and the energy and focus he has exhibited in the lead-up to this match, there is reason to believe he is about to etch his name alongside the likes of Lawrence Taylor, Bad Bunny, Andy Kaufman and Stephen Amell as the best celebrity competitors in WWE history.

Reigns retains, obviously, but do not be surprised if the talk of the wrestling world Saturday afternoon is another expectations-exceeding performance from Paul.