Predicting WWE Crown Jewel 2025 Winners, Surprise Returns and Bold Booking Calls

WWE returns to Australia on Saturday with its next premium live event, Crown Jewel.

The event is headlined by the coronation of the 2025 men's and women's Crown Jewel champions while home nation hero Rhea Ripley partners Iyo Sky to battle The Kabuki Warriors.

Find out the full predictions for the PLE, including any surprise returns or bold booking calls WWE may have in store for its fans.

Women's Crown Jewel Championship: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Tiffany Stratton

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Stephanie Vaquer and Tiffany Stratton have been two of the biggest breakout stars in WWE over the last 12 months, so it is not surprising that they are in a position where they are vying for the opportunity to add the Crown Jewel Championship to their resume.

Stratton has had a monumental last year-plus, stealing the show in the Elimination Chamber match the last time she was in Australia, winning the Money in the Bank briefcase, cashing in and becoming champion on the first SmackDown of 2025.

She has beaten Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, Jade Cargill, and Hall of Famer Trish Stratton this year alone and would be a credible choice to follow in Liv Morgan's footsteps as the women's Crown Jewel champion.

That will not happen, though.

Vaquer is red-hot and has momentum on her side. She beat Iyo Sky in a Match of the Year candidate at Wrestlepalooza, won her first Women's World Championship and is in the midst of a run that saw her make the successful transition from NXT to the main roster in near record time.

She is over with fans and has the full attention of the creative team, something Stratton does not and has not in a month or two.

It would mean more Vaquer, early in her reign, to win this match and continue building said momentum than it would Stratton, who feels very much like she is in the twilight of her run with the title.

Prediction: Vaquer becomes the second women's Crown Jewel champion

John Cena vs. AJ Styles

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John Cena will make his final appearance in a WWE ring in Australia as part of Saturday's event, where he will battle one of his greatest opponents, AJ Styles.

The two were the architects of a trilogy of matches in 2016 and 2017 that were among the best of either man's career, and the anticipation for one last showdown between them has been high since Cena's retirement tour was announced.

Unfortunately, WWE has done the bare minimum to hype this one, leaving Cena to hint at it on social media and Styles to fan the flames before dropping the official announcement on their own account.

The excitement for the latest chapter in the rivalry is such that it does not need a ton of build, but the fact that it received nothing is beyond disappointing.

Still, a collection of greatest hits should be expected. Do not be surprised to see Cena and Styles breakout sequences that call back to their previous encounters, lots of near-falls and a victory for the soon-retiring megastar.

Prediction: Cena beats Styles by pinfall

Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky vs. The Kabuki Warriors

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The deteriorating relationship between former Damage CTRL teammates Asuka and Iyo Sky has roped in others, leading to one of the highest-profile women's tag team matches in recent memory.

Asuka and her Kabuki Warriors teammate, Kairi Sane, will battle Sky and her former rival, Rhea Ripley. The Eradicator, a native Aussie, will be the most popular Superstar on the show, this side of Cena, and will likely be a focal point of the contest.

The question is whether she and Sky, former combatants over the Women's World Championship, will be able to get along and vanquish The Empress of Tomorrow and The Pirate Princess, former tag team champions who have dominated the division in the past.

Despite the heels' previous success, it is unlikely WWE would book Ripley to lose in a rare appearance in her own country.

The babyfaces win here, with one of the biggest stars in the industry receiving a triumphant celebration in front of her family and friends. The Kabuki Warriors get their revenge shortly thereafter, as WWE looks to rebuild them and escalate the intensely personal rivalry between them and Sky.

Prediction: Ripley and Sky win (Mami pins Sane)

Men's Crown Jewel Championship: Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins

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Last year, undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes defeated Gunther to win the first men's Crown Jewel Championship and will have an opportunity to successfully defend it when he battles world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins.

They have a rich history, both as opponents and allies.

Rhodes returned to WWE in 2022 and defeated The Visionary in three consecutive PLE matches, including the Match of the Year-winning Hell in a Cell, in which The American Nightmare competed with a torn pectoral muscle.

Recognizing the threat Roman Reigns and The Bloodline were to WWE in 2024, Rollins was Rhodes' "shield" at WrestleMania 40, assisting him in winning the top prize in the industry and ending The Tribal Chief's near-four-year run.

Now, Rollins is driven by determination and desperation to defeat Rhodes, the one accomplishment he has yet to achieve. Will he do it on his own or benefit from interference from The Vision's Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed?

Randy Orton has repeatedly been caught eyeing Rhodes' championship, and he is ready to pounce on his former protege and take the title that has eluded the future Hall of Famer since returning from a nearly career-ending back injury.

On a show where there is unlikely to be that blockbuster return that drives social media views, it will instead be a shocking betrayal on the part of The Legend Killer that has the audience buzzing and Rollins crossing off one more goal on his list.

Prediction: Rollins defeats Rhodes following Orton's stunning RKO