Entertainment
WWE Crown Jewel 2021 preview: UK start time, matches, live stream and more for Saudi Arabia show
The Universal Championship is on the line (Picture: WWE)
WWE returns to Saudi Arabia this evening with a blockbuster crowd for Crown Jewel 2021.
With four championship bouts, two tournament finals, Hell In A Cell and a No Holds Barred grudge match, the company has stacked the card for its latest show at Mohammed Abdu Arena on the Boulevard in Riyadh.
In terms of the action itself, the Saudi Arabia shows – which have been heavily criticised by fans, much like the recent Newcastle United takeover in the Premier League – have been a mixed bag with matches like D-Generation X vs. Brothers of Destruction and The Undertaker vs. Goldberg living in infamy among fans and the performers themselves.
WWE looks to have learned its lesson from a purely in-ring standpoint, with Goldberg serving as the only part-timer booked in a match, and the rest of the focus on the current roster of superstars.
As ever, we’ve put together our regular guide with the full match card, streaming details and more.
Here’s everything you need to know about the show…
When is WWE Crown Jewel 2021?
WWE presents Crown Jewel tonight (October 21) with all the action on the main card kicking off at the much easier start time of 5pm for fans in the UK.
How can you watch WWE Crown Jewel 2021?
Of course, there will be a Kickoff show available on the WWE Network, WWE.com, the WWE app, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Twitch at 4pm.
For fans in the UK, you can tune into the main Crown Jewel show by either streaming live or watching on demand via the WWE Network – or order the event via BT Sport Box Office.
WWE Crown Jewel full match card
Universal Title: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Brock LesnarSmackDown Women’s Title: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Sasha BanksWWE Title: Big E (c) vs. Drew McIntyreNo Holds Barred: Goldberg vs. Bobby LashleyHell In A Cell: Edge vs. Seth RollinsKing of the Ring final: Finn Balor vs. Xavier WoodsQueen’s Crown final: Zelina Vega vs. DoudropRaw Tag Team Titles: RK-Bro (c) vs. AJ Styles and OmosMansoor vs. Mustafa AliKickoff: The Usos vs. The Hurt Business
What can you expect from WWE Crown Jewel?
On paper, this looks like a WrestleMania-level card with nine matches with great potential – 10 if we include the Kickoff show – and WWE has admittedly got a very strong track record of delivering on pay-per-view as of late.
The Universal Championship match has the most intriguing story here, with Paul Heyman’s allegiances at the heart of Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar’s battle.
While the Tribal Chief seemed certain to retain, the Heyman issue can’t be ignored and could see a major swerve as he realigns himself with the Beast Incarnate to help his client regain the gold.
Paul Heyman is at the heart of Reigns and Lesnar’s latest showdown (Picture: WWE)
It’s far too soon for Big E to drop his WWE Title – especially with Drew McIntyre making the move to SmackDown when the draft comes into effect on October 22 – but the SmackDown Women’s Championship bout isn’t quite as predictable.
With Charlotte Flair still holding the Raw title, there is a potential issue of both belts being on the blue brand if Sasha Banks picks up the win here, while Bianca Belair or Becky Lynch winning doesn’t solve the issue of the respective championships being on the opposite show.
WWE has dealt with this in an unimaginative way in the past when The New Day and Street Profits simply swapped over the gold, but hopefully the company has something more inspired planned.
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Edge will likely get revenge on Seth Rollins as their heated rivalry comes to a head inside Hell In A Cell, while Goldberg and Bobby Lashley should use the No Holds Barred stipulation to surprise people while giving the All Mighty a big victory.
Anything other than Xavier Woods winning the King of the Ring will be a disappointment (sorry, Finn), and sadly WWE has massively let down Zelina Vega and Doudrop as expectations and interest are low going into the Queen’s Crown final.
Mansoor will likely get a hero’s welcome in Saudi and should beat Mustafa Ali in a great match, and the Raw Tag Team Title clash could go either way.
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