WWE Crown Jewel 2019 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights

WWE returned to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for another star-studded Crown Jewel event, headlined by WWE champion Brock Lesnar renewing his rivalry with Cain Velasquez as well as Braun Strowman squaring off with WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.

Those two crossover bouts topped a card that also featured universal champion Seth Rollins defending his title against "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in a Falls Count Anywhere match, Team Hogan battling Team Flair, and the first women's match in the country's history as Natalya was set to battle familiar foe Lacey Evans.

Find out who emerged from the night's top bouts, which championships changed hands and what it means for WWE going forward with this recap of the Halloween extravaganza.

20-Man Battle Royal: Winner to Face AJ Styles for the United States Championship

Credit: WWE.com

A 20-Man Battle Royal kicked off the show's festivities, with the winner receiving the opportunity to challenge AJ Styles for the United States Championship on the Crown Jewel main card.

Competitors included Sunil Singh, Mojo Rawley, Erick Rowan, R-Truth, Sin Cara, Brian Kendrick, Titus O'Neil, Tony Nese, Akira Tozawa, Shelton Benjamin, Apollo Crews, Buddy Murphy, Andrade, Drake Maverick, Eric Young, Luke Harper, Cedric Alexander, Heath Slater, Humberto Carrillo and No Way Jose.

The typical mass of Superstars dominated the early moments of the match as the favorites wasted little time ridding the squared circle of dead weight. Andrade eliminated Sin Cara in one of the match's first notable departures.

Harper and Rowan came face-to-face, but No Way Jose interrupted. He paid for it dearly on the receiving end of a discus clothesline by Harper. The former tag team champions dumped Jose and then Tozawa. Benjamin and Crews were sent to the floor just before Rowan dumped Murphy.

Carrillo eliminated Andrade and immediately ate a chokeslam from Rowan.

The final four competitors were Harper, Rowan, Carrillo and Alexander. The former cruiserweight champion was the first to be eliminated, leaving the outmatched Carrillo by his lonesome against the big men. On the floor, Truth rolled up Singh and won the 24/7 Championship.

Back inside, the former Bludgeon Brothers continued to punish Carrillo. Rowan eliminated Harper, though, and Carrillo tossed him to win the match and the title opportunity.

Result

Carrillo won

Grade

C

Analysis

This was a garden-variety Battle Royal with a really fun finish.

Throughout the match, Harper and Rowan teased fighting, betraying each other. They did, and they ultimately were denied the victory. Carrillo, the resilient underdog, isn't a fresh or unique character, but he is a talented performer who can tear the house down with Styles if given the opportunity.

Thursday figures to be the most important moment of his young career if he can rise to the occasion and turn in the level of performance he delivered consistently on 205 Live.

WWE Championship Match: Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar

Credit: WWE.com

A rivalry that began in the Octagon of the UFC bled over into the squared circle of World Wrestling Entertainment as Brock Lesnar defended his WWE Championship against the man who ended his heavyweight title reign in MMA, Cain Velasquez.

Lesnar tried for a takedown early, but Velasquez maintained his stand as The Beast backed him into the corner. The challenger threw some rights, but Lesnar again backed him into the corner. Velasquez downed Lesnar with a knee to the midsection and pummeled with a series of rights.

Lesnar targeted the knee of his opponent and quickly trapped him in a Kimura for the tapout victory.

After the match, the champion refused to relinquish the hold, and Rey Mysterio attacked him with a steel chair. Lesnar deposited him at ringside and used the chair to punish his former UFC rival.

Mysterio eventually regained control of the chair and beat Lesnar out of the ring. The Beast stared The Master of the 619 down, still reeling from the chair-assisted assault.

Result

Lesnar defeated Velasquez via submission

Grade

C+

Analysis

This felt a lot less like a grudge match years in the making and more like the setup for a Lesnar-Mysterio match.

Yes, the match felt like, and was designed, to resemble an MMA fight. Yes, Lesnar won by submission to hammer home the legitimacy of the contest. Yet, by the end, it still felt underwhelming.

Velasquez was introduced in grand fashion, presented as Lesnar's equal in badassery...then lost in a matter of minutes. And on top of that, he was saved by the much smaller Mysterio who was, until recently, sporting an arm sling.

It was not a particularly impressive debut for Velasquez, but the match did set up the first real, high-profile showdown between Mysterio and Lesnar if WWE opts to head in that direction. Given the creative behind it to this point, it would seem that is exactly where things are going.

Tag Team Turmoil to Determine the Best Tag Team in the World

Credit: WWE.com

The Tag Team Turmoil match to determine the best tag team in the world kicked off with former Raw tag champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode battling Lucha House Party's Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik.

Dorado sent Ziggler flying across the ring with a hurricanrana, to which The Showoff answered with a back elbow and dropkick. Dorado recovered and dropped Roode with a handspring stunner. A big splash by Metalik continued their babyfaces' early momentum.

After several minutes of domination by the heels, Metalik exploded into the match and took the fight to Roode and Ziggler. The Showoff dropped Dorado with a superkick on the floor, and Roode eliminated the opposition with a Glorious DDT to Metalik.

Lucha House Party eliminated.

Former Raw tag champs Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins entered next. A brief, energetic burst by the babyfaces was negated by a Zig-Zag from Ziggler that sent them right back to the locker room.

Ryder and Hawkins eliminated.

Heavy Machinery was out next, with Tucker and Otis looking to knock off the heels. Roode and Ziggler cut the ring off, using their experience to wear down Tucker while Otis looked to rally his partner. Frequent tags allowed the heels to continue their control of the fall.

Otis finally received the tag, and the big man fired up, unloading on the opposition and absorbing every blow from Roode. He tossed the former NXT champion across the ring and sandwiched both heels in the corner. Before he could execute the caterpillar, Ziggler pulled Roode to the floor. The Showoff's reward? Tucker bowling him over at ringside.

Back inside, Heavy Machinery delivered The Compactor to score the win.

Ziggler and Roode eliminated.

The New Day entered next to a thunderous ovation, complete with pyro. Former WWE champion Kofi Kingston withstood the power-based offense of Heavy Machinery to make the hot tag to Big E, who immediately fell prey to that same punishing offense.

Kingston and Big E recovered and put Heavy Machinery away with the Midnight Hour for the win.

Heavy Machinery eliminated.

The B Team's Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas were the next to enter the fray and enjoyed some early success. New Day recovered, though, as Kingston wiped Dallas out on the floor. Big E finished Axel with the Big Ending for the win.

The B Team eliminated.

SmackDown tag team champions The Revival hit the ring and suddenly, the gauntlet-style battle became a preview of the title bout on Friday's Fox broadcast. Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder isolated Kingston, working him over in an attempt to rid the match of one of the biggest threats to win it. 

Kingston finally escaped the grasp of Wilder, delivered an SOS and tried for a tag to his partner. Dawson ran interference, cut off the ring again and kept Kingston away from Big E.

An assisted vertical suplex by the heels proved their downfall as Big E cut off Wilder, allowing Kingston to shift his momentum and score the win off a small package roll-up.

After the match, The Revival beat their rivals down and dropped Kingston with Shatter Machine.

The Revival eliminated.

The O.C.'s Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson arrived next and set Kingston up for the Magic Killer. The former WWE champion escaped. A big kick to Big E took him off the apron, and the heels put Kingston down for the count.

New Day eliminated.

The final team to enter the match was the Raw tag team champions The Viking Raiders, who stalked toward the squared circle for yet another showdown with Gallows and Anderson. A brawl broke out, with the duos renewing their rivalry that, ironically enough, began in a tag team turmoil match not all that long ago.

A cheap shot by Anderson to the left knee of Erik allowed the heels to take control while Ivar watched from his corner. Erik finally created some separation and tagged Ivar into the ring. The massive competitor erupted with a flurry of high-impact offense that rocked the heels. 

With Anderson down, Erik bodyslammed Ivar onto him. A distraction by Gallows allowed Anderson to send Erik into the corner. An assisted neckbreaker earned the heels a count of two. Moments later, The O.C. went back to the injured knee of Erik and finished him off with the Magic Killer for the pinfall victory.

Result

Anderson and Gallows defeated The Viking Raiders to become the best tag team in the world

Grade

B

Analysis

The teams that needed to shine did, the teams that were fodder were treated as such, and the result was a fun match with a surprise finish.

It felt like New Day or The Viking Raiders were sure things to win this and hoist the World Cup trophy. Instead, WWE Creative went with The O.C.'s Anderson and Gallows in what ranks as one of their most significant wins in WWE.

Long underutilized and mismanaged, the heels can build momentum and become one of the premier teams on the Raw brand coming off this win. That is if management allows them to and doesn't just set them up to be tackling dummies for The Viking Raiders.

Kudos to Heavy Machinery, a team that continues to impress and get over with audiences.

Mansoor vs. Cesaro

Credit: WWE.com

Riyadh's own Mansoor, winner of the Largest Battle Royal in WWE History at Super Showdown in June, battled Cesaro in the biggest match of his young career.

Mansoor sent a message early, armdragging Cesaro to the mat and flashing a grin as if to say he was not intimidated by the accomplished opposition. Another armdrag into an armbar left The Swiss Cyborg reeling and realizing he may have entered the bout far too confident for his own good.

A big dropkick sent Cesaro to the floor with a dropkick and tried for a tope suicida. The heel caught the hometown hero with a nasty uppercut that stunned him and then sent Mansoor into the guardrail. A double ax handle from the top put the babyface down for a count of two.

Cesaro continued to control the match, slowing the pace and keeping his overmatched opponent on the defensive. An ill-advised trip to the top rope ended in disaster, though, as Mansoor caught him in midflight with a dropkick. A series of chops stunned Cesaro, and an enzuigiri put him down. 

A big crossbody by Mansoor earned him a near-fall. Desperate, Cesaro caught Mansoor with a throat punch and rolled him up for a count of two. A big neckbreaker earned Mansoor another near-fall as he again felled his opponent. 

Mansoor scaled the ropes but Cesaro brought him to the mat with a gut-wrench suplex. Mansoor scored a near-fall off a jackknife roll-up, but Cesaro repaid him with a nasty popup uppercut. A crossface followed as it appeared Mansoor may have been running out of steam.

A superkick from out of nowhere earned the rookie yet another near-fall as the fans came alive for the competitors. With Mansoor back up top, Cesaro again set him up for a gut-wrench, but the babyface countered into a powerbomb. Mansoor delivered a big moonsault and scored the win.

Result

Mansoor defeated Cesaro

Grade

B+

Analysis

Cesaro is a freaking miracle worker. Get him a world title now and let him steal every show he is ever in because he took a rookie with very little significant ring time to his name, helped him achieve a brilliantly structured match here and put him over as the underdog hometown hero he was.

It cannot be understated how significant his experience, his ring work and his selflessness was to the overall quality of this match.

To his credit, Mansoor did not shrink under the pressure of the moment. This was the most important match of his young career, and he rose to the occasion, hitting his marks and never looking overwhelmed by sharing the ring with a Superstar who was so much more advanced than him.

The babyface had the fans behind him, showed the emotion and expressions necessary to put over the story of the match, and the result was a moment he is unlikely to forget.

This likely had no long-reaching consequences on the WWE product, but at least management now knows one thing: Mansoor might prove worthy of the time and effort put into him to this point. And not just because of his connection to the host country of WWE's semiannual events.

Braun Strowman vs. Tyson Fury

Credit: WWE.com

Braun Strowman returned to the country that had been very good to him in the past, home to his victory in the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2017, for a showdown with undefeated, WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.

The theatrical Fury entered to glitz, glamour and spectacle as the unamused Monster Among Men watched from the squared circle. The massive athletes met in the center of the ring, coming face-to-face ahead of the prematch introductions.

A tie-up started the match as Corey Graves questioned the logic of Fury starting with a wrestling move against Strowman. He followed with some lightning-quick rights and lefts to the body of the monstrous opposition.

Fury dropped Strowman to the floor and followed with a well-placed kick to the face. Following him to the ringside area proved damning as Fury found himself on the receiving end of a hard right hand to the face by Strowman.

The Superstar rushed around the squared circle for his trademark shoulder tackle but Fury caught him with a dropkick.

Back inside, Strowman recovered and set Fury up for a powerslam. Fury fought out and dropped Strowman across the ropes with a drop toehold. A near-fall followed as Fury tried for his first pin of the match. Fury caught his opponent charging in but was unable to followup as Strowman powered him to the mat.

The Monster Among Men took off around the ring again, this time successfully grounding the boxer with a pair of shoulder tackles. As Strowman attempted to climb back in the ring, Fury blasted him with a right hand that knocked him out on the floor.

The referee counted to 10 and awarded the match to Fury.

After the match, Strowman delivered a powerslam that left the victor lying.

Result

Fury defeated Strowman via countout

Grade

C+

Analysis

Another high-profile match, another loss for Strowman.

That seems to be the pattern the big man finds himself in whenever he matches up with a heavyweight champion. In that way, he is closer to a modern-day Big Show than any other Superstar in recent history.

Here, he worked a very basic match with Fury in which the effort was there, the layout was perfectly suited to their strengths and the crowd was into it. Strowman deserves a great deal of credit for the match being as sound as it was, but typically has his growth and development as a worker overshadowed by the horrific booking choices that have plagued his career.

It was obvious Fury wasn't coming to WWE to lose, and the countout finish at least allows Strowman to save some face, yet one has to wonder if Strowman is ever going to be allowed to win one of these matches and really, firmly establish himself as a marquee star in WWE.

AJ Styles Defended His United States Championship Against Humberto Carrillo

Credit: WWE.com

For the second time this week, Humberto Carrillo shared the ring with AJ Styles. This time, though, he squared off with The Phenomenal One for the United States Championship in what amounted to the most significant match in his young WWE career.

Styles attacked from the bell, giving the youngster no time to collect himself or feel the champion out. Carrillo, though, pushed the pace and sent Styles to the floor with a springboard armdrag.

Back inside the squared circle, Styles lured Carrillo into a fireman's carry neckbreaker. Styles proceeded to work over the back and core of his opponent, systematically wearing him down in an attempt to put him away and get out of Saudi Arabia with his title reign intact.

Carrillo finally fought back into the match and delivered a standing moonsault for a count of two. A springboard crossbody from the top rope earned him another near-fall. Carrillo escaped a fireman's carry and delivered an enzuigiri. Styles answered right back with his Pele Kick as both men hit the mat.

Carrillo caught Styles with an open-hand thrust to the face, dropkicked him off the apron and soared through the air, wiping The Phenomenal One out at ringside. Back inside, the challenger scored a two.

The Superstars teased a Styles Clash from the ropes, but Carrillo fought out. A sunset flip gave way to Styles uncorking a series of strikes and a big lariat clothesline for another near-fall. Carrillo recovered and delivered an enzuigiri. He missed a moonsault but landed on his feet, which tweaked the knee that had proved problematic throughout the match.

A shot to the face and a Phenomenal Forearm by Styles earned him the win.

Result

Styles defeated Carrillo

Grade

B

Analysis

Saudi Arabia loves itself some AJ Styles, which unintentionally hurt the heat of the match. 

The crowd never really bought into Carrillo as a wrestler capable of beating Styles, and as a result, it was largely quiet for the challenger's comebacks and lightning-quick offense.

The quality was there and the chemistry certainly was, as was the potential for an even better match. A bit more heat, and the result would have been a better overall product. Maybe Carrillo can be built into an even more significant threat to the elite stars in WWE.

As it was, it was a solid match that continued to build momentum for Carrillo as he makes a run on Raw that few expected to include all that it has to this point.

Natalya vs. Lacey Evans

Credit: WWE.com

For the first time ever, two women squared off in Saudi Arabia as Natalya and Lacey Evans rekindled their rivalry. Accompanied to the squared circle by tremendous fanfare, an enormous display of pyro and genuine emotion, they exchanged a handshake and proceeded to make history.

Natalya armdragged her opponent across the ring and scored a quick roll-up to mocking applause by her opponent.

Lacey countered a takeover into an armdrag and escaped an attempted Sharpshooter, only to be thrown to the floor by The Queen of Harts. The Sassy Southern Belle recovered, attacking the knee of her opponent and dropping her on the ring apron.

A chant of "women's wrestling" could be heard permeating through the applause as Evans downed Natalya with a cobra clutch, looking to wrest the energy out of her. She continued to work over the left arm of her opponent, looking to force a submission out of the third-generation competitor.

Natalya created some separation, downed Evans and delivered a basement dropkick. She tried for the Sharpshooter, but Evans countered into a roll-up. A fisherman's suplex downed Natalya and allowed Evans to scale the ropes. She executed a picture-perfect suplex for a near-fall.

After another high-risk maneuver failed, Natalya blasted her with a discus clothesline and trapped Evans in the Sharpshooter. The Queen of Harts tapped her out for the big win.

The competitors raised each other's arms and embraced in the center of the ring after the bell as pyro erupted from the top of the stadium.

Result

Natalya defeated Evans

Grade

A

Analysis

There will be those who, perhaps rightly, will suggest this was a political statement masked as a historic moment. Call it what you will, but this was handled as classily by WWE as it could have been, and the emotion on the faces of both Natalya and Evans, before and after the match, is indicative of how much it meant to them individually.

The reaction from the fans, particularly the younger ones in attendance, suggested it was something they were genuinely excited for and ready to embrace.

We can talk propaganda and whatnot until we are blue in the face, as well as whether or not WWE should be conducting these shows in Saudi Arabia semiannually, but there is no mistaking just how significant it was for Natalya and Evans to be allowed to set foot in the ring and have the match they did Thursday.

In that regard, this was a rousing success.

Team Hogan vs. Team Flair

Credit: WWE.com

Team Flair (King Corbin, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura and Drew McIntyre) battled Team Hogan (Roman Reigns, Rusev, Ricochet, Shorty G and Ali) for bragging rights in a monumental tag team match.

Shorty G and Nakamura started for their respective teams, with the Olympian grounding the intercontinental champion and outwrestling him en route to a series of suplexes and a quick one-count.  Shorty G and Corbin paired off next before Rusev and McIntyre entered the bout. The Bulgarian Brute and The Scottish Psychopath engaged in a slugfest before Rusev caught his opponent with a spin kick for a near-fall. 

The action continued back and forth, with neither team gaining a sustained advantage until Corbin shoved Ali off the ropes and into the barricade, where his head and neck snapped backward. Ali's teammates rallied him from the floor, but he quickly found himself on the receiving end of a relentless assault by the heels.

Ricochet received the tag from Ali and exploded into the match, utilizing his high-flying arsenal and Flash-like speed to keep the opposition off guard. That stopped with a cheap shot at the hands of Corbin. Orton, Lashley and Co. took turns teeing off on the former United States champion, punishing the superhero-esque Superstar and cutting the ring off from his partners.

Flair got a cheap shot in on Ricochet and strutted ringside, with his team in firm control of the bout. Lashley delivered a cheap shot to Rusev, which allowed Ricochet to catch a charging All Mighty with a back elbow. He quickly created separation, but Orton cut off a tag attempt.

Reigns tagged in for the first time and took the fight to the heels. He set up for the Superman Punch on Corbin but was distracted by others, who he unloaded on with uppercuts. Orton, now the legal man, tried for an RKO, but Reigns escaped and finally delivered the Superman Punch.

The heels, though, cut off the momentum, delivering a series of signature moves. Standing tall, the heels had little time to celebrate as Rusev entered the ring and dropped both Corbin and Nakamura before coming face-to-face with Lashley.

The heavyweights unloaded on each other with rights and lefts before Lashley dumped Rusev. A Superman Punch by Reigns to Lashley sent the heel to the floor. The Big Dog took flight, soaring over the top rope and wiping everyone out at ringside.

Orton caught Reigns with a kick to the head and executed an RKO off the rebound. Reigns, though, kicked out to the shock of the crowd. 

The babyfaces exploded, unleashing high-flying moves to the heels en route to Reigns dropping Reigns with the spear for the win.

Result

Team Hogan defeated Team Flair

Grade

B+

Analysis

If there is one thing WWE does consistently great these days, it is the multiman tag team match. This was no different.

The heels got their heat in throughout the bout, the babyfaces stormed back and everyone hit their signature stuff late. The crowd ate it up, and the right team went over given the players involved.

More importantly, it spotlighted the right stars. Reigns was the biggest here and got the win. Shorty G is in the midst of a push and was allowed to impress early. It was the intensity shown by Rusev and Lashley during their sparring that gave hope for a damn fun blowoff to their program down the road.

There are some that will call it a glorified television main event, and they would be right. The execution was such that it earned its grade here, though, as a successful showcase for two handfuls of stars who dominate the airwaves in today's WWE.

Falls Count Anywhere Match for the Universal Title: Seth Rollins vs. The Fiend

Credit: WWE.com

The Universal Championship match was up for grabs in the night's Falls Count Anywhere main event—the culmination of the rivalry between Seth Rollins and "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. Fans sat in stunned silence as the masked Wyatt made his way to the squared circle, with his haunting aura perfect for the Halloween holiday on which the match fell.

Rollins evaded the onslaught of The Fiend early, but a running crossbody turned the champion inside out and left him a crumpled heap as chants of "yowie wowie" rained down from the stands. The Fiend took the fight into those very stands, continuing his opponent's punishment among the fans Rollins once vowed to fight for.

Rollins halted the onslaught, sending Wyatt into the LED boards and taking the fight back ringside. A low superkick and stomp on the floor barely impacted the challenger, who stood right up and dropped Rollins back-first on the apron with a slam.

The Beastslayer absorbed punishment but continued to fight. He sent Wyatt into the guardrail and retrieved a table from under the ring. A series of tope suicidas followed before Rollins used a piece of the announce table to punish his foe.

He blasted Wyatt with a steel chair, looking to wear out the relentless force that is The Fiend. He pulled out the sledgehammer utilized in the Hell in a Cell match between the two. He placed Wyatt's head on a chair and teased using the weapon, but Wyatt jumped up and applied the Mandible Claw.

Rollins used the weapon on the midsection and head of the challenger, but Wyatt shook it off and sent Rollins over the announce table. Wyatt cleared the announce tables and set Rollins up on one. From the other, he took off running for a senton. Rollins rolled out of the way and the challenger crashed through it, yet the champion could only keep him down for a count of one.

Up top, Wyatt shoved Rollins off the top rope and through a pair of stacked tables. On the floor, The Fiend removed the protective covering, seeking to put Rollins away for good. Wyatt teased Sister Abigail, but Rollins escaped and delivered an enzuigiri. He used the steel steps to down his opponent and delivered the stomp on the exposed concrete floor.

Wyatt kicked out.

Back in the stands, Wyatt delivered Sister Abigail for a near-fall. The fight spilled up the ramp, where Rollins escaped Sister Abigail and executed four more stomps in search of an elusive victory against Wyatt. Fans booed as he stood tall and executed an eighth stomp of the match.

More superkicks stunned The Fiend before the last one sent him crashing into the pyrotechnics area. Rollins went down to finish his opponent off, but an errant spark caught him in the eyes. The Fiend stood up as if nothing happened, applied the Mandible Claw and executed Sister Abigail on the floor for the win.

Result

The Fiend defeated Rollins to win the universal title

Grade

A

Analysis

This is everything Hell in a Cell was not. It was a brutal, violent match that put over the depths to which Rollins would go to retain the title while portraying Wyatt as the unstoppable force he is. The title changed hands as Wyatt absorbed everything thrown at him and now ushers in an era of terror in WWE.

The red lighting remains stupid and really needs to be changed as not to distract from the viewing experience, but the presentation of the character, the feud and the creative poured into it was so much better than it was a few weeks back.

Maybe that is because WWE finally pulled the trigger on a red-hot character rather than dragging out a rivalry that did not need it. Maybe it is because the match itself was a better brawl than the overproduced nonsense from the last PPV.

Whatever the case is, this did not leave nearly the bad taste that the ridiculousness of their last encounter. What Wyatt's win means for WWE, the brand split and the championship situation remains to be seen. Does the company book a rematch and put Rollins over again? Does SmackDown benefit from having both titles or does Wyatt move freely between them?

That is the question the company must address on tomorrow night's SmackDown.