Rhea Ripley Grows Stronger and Biggest Takeaways from WWE Crown Jewel 2023 Results

WWE returned to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Saturday for its Crown Jewel premium live event, a show headlined by Roman Reigns defending the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against LA Knight.

It also featured title defenses by top champions such as Rey Mysterio, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky.

What were the biggest takeaways from the extravaganza and what do they mean for the future of the WWE product?

Find out with this recap from the show.

Raw Women's Division Shines, But Rhea Ripley's Star Burns Brightest

Zoey Stark, Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler and Raquel Rodriguez challenged for the Women's World Championship in a Fatal 5-Way match that was infinitely better than expected.

Like the best anthology films, the contest was made up of individual segments that highlighted each competitor's in-ring style while still being part of a larger, overarching story.

Stark, in particular, came out of the bout looking very strong, thanks to an energetic and athletic style that captivated the fans late on.

The challengers may have shined, but no star burned brighter than champion Rhea Ripley, who walked through two lines of Saudi princes and held her title overhead in a statement of dominance.

She carries herself like a star and is accompanied by an aura that you cannot manufacture. She believes in herself and her character, and as a result, the fans do too.

Her in-ring work backs it up as she was clearly the best worker of the bunch Saturday, and the crowd's reaction to her successful title defense reflected the level she is at as a performer and her place as a star in the WWE Universe.

It is not necessarily a surprise to anyone, she has been heading in that direction for a long time now. But this was the latest example of a woman continuing to realize the potential so many saw in her the moment she first walked into the WWE Performance Center.

Seth Rollins' Long-Term Injury Story Effectively Replicating Recent, Similar Tales

Seth Rollins overcame a chronic back injury to defeat Drew McIntyre, retaining his World Heavyweight Championship and prompting Wade Barrett to ask on commentary: "How many times can you come within millimeters of losing your title?"

If that seems familiar, it's because fans of wrestling beyond the WWE Universe have seen it unfold both recently and in the not-so-distant past.

Over in All Elite Wrestling, Orange Cassidy spent a year defending the international title despite a body wracked with pain before he finally succumbed to the pain during the All Out main event against Jon Moxley in September.

Before that, Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks spent months nursing a back injury in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

It is a long-term storytelling tool that builds sympathy and drama when executed effectively.

Thus far, it has worked for Rollins, but the overwhelmingly positive reaction for McIntyre on Saturday begs the question: How long can WWE tell that story without paying it off?

The Visionary has repeatedly overcome the injury, but it will be little more than a storytelling crutch if it continues. It's the equivalent to the "insurmountable odds" John Cena regularly faced as the top babyface in WWE during the late 2000s.

Fans rejected that particular trope then, turning on Cena and rooting for any opponent who could end his run as champion and save them from the monotony of the booking.

Rollins is not there yet, thanks to a more layered character and a performer the fans respect, but the injury story has to pay off at some point. It will likely be in the form of Damian Priest cashing in Money in the Bank and winning the title as the back issue serves as the "out" for The Visionary.

If that is the case, then the story will likely go the way of the Cassidy and Jackson tales, which ultimately saw the mounting physical damage cost them their gold.

As is often the case, timing will be everything.

Solo Sikoa a 'Made Man' After Demolition of John Cena

Much was made of John Cena's promo on SmackDown, a one-sided verbal beatdown that WWE's social media accounts brushed off as The Greatest of All Time merely "cooking," and fans immediately considered to be him "burying" his Crown Jewel opponent, Solo Sikoa.

As it turns out, that promo worked brilliantly after Sikoa obliterated the former 16-time world champion in front of a worldwide audience on a major WWE pay-per-view.

The Enforcer of The Bloodline shrugged off everything Cena threw at him and demolished him with multiple Samoan Spikes before pinning him for a definitive victory.

There was no question as to whether Sikoa was the better man, and all of the insults hurled his way and the comparison to a poor man's Taz rang hollow as he stood over Cena.

This was his best booking to date and a match we will look back on as the moment Sikoa was firmly established as one of the guys in WWE's bright future.

Cena's selfless performance was a testament to his understanding of how the business moves forward but also almost apropos given how important his match with Umaga at the 2007 Royal Rumble was to establish him as the undisputed face of the company.

This may have been the most valuable match on the card based on the long-reaching effect it has on WWE.

Logan Paul Caps Momentous Year With Deserved US Title Win

There is a new United States Champion in WWE and his name is Logan Paul.

There will be those fans who criticize it as a promotional tactic, and there will be credence to that based on the attention and social media buzz that comes with it. But make no mistake: The Maverick absolutely earned the title win.

A year ago at Crown Jewel, he put the wrestling world on notice with a legitimate Match of the Year candidate against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Since then, he has delivered another show-stealing performance against Seth Rollins at WrestleMania and had the pressure on his shoulders during a SummerSlam showdown with Ricochet.

Like it or not, he capped off a year of growth and evolution in the pro wrestling industry Saturday with a win over Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio in a match that only served to solidify his status as the greatest celebrity performer in WWE history.

It was an earned win because of the mainstream attention, sure, but also because he has repeatedly improved between the ropes to the point that he is better at this gig than some guys who have been doing it for a decade.

That may be a controversial take, but the proof is in the high-profile contests in which he has competed, their overall quality and importance to the shows on which they appear.

Paul is a legit professional wrestler and if his work to this point is any indication, he is only going to get better. Look for a big-time WrestleMania 40 title defense as he holds onto the gold for the foreseeable future.

Kairi Sane's Return Brings Multi-Layered Storytelling Women's Division Deserves

Kairi Sane made her much-anticipated return to WWE television Saturday, costing Bianca Belair the WWE Women's Championship and standing triumphantly with a victorious Iyo Sky.

The return of the internationally celebrated competitor is huge news in its own right, but it also opens a creative door for the sort of multi-layered storytelling that has become a trademark of Triple H's time in charge.

There was the look on Bayley's face as she watched Sky and Sane celebrate that told the story of a Damage CTRL leader realizing the group was crumbling before her eyes, especially following the miscommunication that nearly cost The Genius of the Sky her title earlier in the match.

Add to that the previous issues between Bayley and Sane in WWE, and you have plenty to pull from for weeks of television.

When you add in the fact that Sane eliminated Belair from the Mae Young Classic in 2017 and cost her the title here, and is a former best friend and tag team partner of Asuka, you have two other story elements Triple H can exploit while reenergizing the SmackDown women's division.

And it's all due to the return of a single Superstar.

The key will be keeping Sane relevant and reminding fans of why she is so important.

Roman Reigns Saved by The Bloodline Yet Again

Stop me if you have heard this one before: Roman Reigns retained the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event of a PPV thanks to interference from The Bloodline.

That may seem like a negative sentiment, but far from it.

The entire Reigns character is based on the idea that he believes he is the best but always relies on his family to get him out of sticky situations. Sami Zayn called him out on it, Jey Uso realized it for himself, and the WWE Universe has been hip to it for over three years now.

Is it lather, rinse and repeat? Sure, but it's an effective booking method that has evolved as he has lost support. One would imagine the point of strengthening Solo Sikoa earlier in the show is for him to eventually stand on his own against Reigns sometime before WrestleMania 40 in April.

Jimmy Uso has been treated like a lackey for weeks, but we know he is capable of standing up for himself and likely will before The Enforcer departs, ultimately leaving The Tribal Chief without a tribe, just as Cody Rhodes foreshadowed the night after last year's Show of Shows.

Not only is it effective booking as evidenced by how hot the WWE product is, but it also allows babyface LA Knight to retain his heat and have the out of "he needed all that help to beat me."

Repetitive? Sure. But it helps Knight more than it enhances Reigns and that had to be the goal coming into this. Thus, it's a success.