Seth Rollins Beats Cody Rhodes to Win WWE Crown Jewel Championship

World heavyweight champion Seth Rollins beat undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes to win the Crown Jewel Championship at the same-titled premium live event in Perth, Australia, on Saturday.

In a back-and-forth classic, Rollins turned the tide by punching Rhodes with the watch he gifted The Visionary for WrestleMania 40, and he finished the job by hitting Cody with a stomp off the ropes.

Last year, WWE introduced the men's and women's Crown Jewel titles, and they were put up for grabs in a pair of champion vs. champion matches.

Rhodes became the first-ever men's Crown Jewel champion when he defeated then-world heavyweight champion Gunther in a highly physical bout at Crown Jewel 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This time around, two longtime rivals vied for the Crown Jewel Championship, but there was seemingly even more than a gaudy belt on the line.

When The American Nightmare returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38, Rollins was his first opponent, and he went on to beat The Visionary in three consecutive PLE matches.

They went their separate ways after that, but they became reluctant allies during the build toward WrestleMania 40 due to their desire to take down Roman Reigns and The Bloodline.

As a result, Rhodes and Rollins faced Reigns and The Rock in the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 40. The latter pair won the match, making the Night 2 main event between Reigns and Rhodes a Bloodline Rules match.

Cody and Seth got the last laugh, though, as Rollins was one of several Superstars to interfere in the Night 2 contest, helping Rhodes finish his story and end Reigns' 1,316-day run as champion.

A few weeks before Crown Jewel, Rollins wore the watch Rhodes gifted him for WrestleMania 40, and discussed their history. But he also expressed his belief that he is the one best suited to lead WWE into the future rather than Rhodes.

In some respects, Saturday's match may have been a battle to determine who is poised to be positioned as the face of WWE moving forward, and Rollins' wins over Rhodes undoubtedly speaks to how highly The Visionary is viewed within the company.