Despite its uneventful results failing to leave a lasting impression, Crown Jewel was largely successful in setting the stage for WWE Survivor Series 2024.
The two inaugural Crown Jewel Championship matches saw Cody Rhodes and Liv Morgan reign supreme. While both bouts were well wrestled, neither had much in the way of storyline significance and will not matter by Monday's Raw.
However, meaningful steps were taken in building toward the Bloodline civil war at Survivor Series with Solo Sikoa's squad beating Roman Reigns and The Usos before Sami Zayn attempted to make the save for the latter trio.
The miscommunication between Zayn and Reigns laid the groundwork for what should be a must-see road to WarGames on Raw and SmackDown in the weeks ahead.
Additionally, the bad blood between Seth Rollins and Bronson Reed is likely far from over, meaning a rematch could be in order for the Nov. 30 premium live event. The same can be said for Randy Orton and Kevin Owens, who brawled in lieu of their scheduled match.
As we look forward to the future following Crown Jewel, here are five match card predictions for the upcoming installment of Survivor Series.
Bloodline vs. OG Bloodline in a WarGames Match
Roman Reigns has been waging war with this former faction since returning at SummerSlam three months ago, and at Survivor Series, all of the Bloodline drama must culminate in epic fashion.
WarGames is the perfect match for the two groups to settle their score in, especially after Solo Sikoa led his team to victory over Reigns and The Usos at Crown Jewel. Moreover, it was Sikoa who scored the win for The Bloodline by pinning Reigns.
Sami Zayn coming to the aid of Reigns and The Usos afterward all but confirmed that he'll be the fourth man on OG Bloodline's team for WarGames to oppose Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and Jacob Fatu, despite Zayn accidentally attacking Reigns while targeting Sikoa.
The Bloodline was arguably at its peak when it consisted of Reigns, The Usos and Zayn in the final few months of 2022. Getting their wiseman Paul Heyman back into the mix in the coming weeks would only add to the excitement of the angle.
Reigns has yet to face Sikoa or Fatu one-on-one, not to mention his inevitable encounter with The Rock. WarGames won't mark the end of this family feud, but it will be an incredibly important and highly anticipated chapter.
Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed in a Street Fight
Bronson Reed had his long-awaited breakout moment on the post-SummerSlam edition of Raw when he viciously assaulted Seth Rollins and put him on the shelf (in storyline) for two months.
Rollins returned with a vengeance at the end of September and cost Reed his Last Man Standing match against Braun Strowman, resulting in weeks of out-of-control chaos between the two. Rollins had every out to lose, yet he was booked to go over, regardless.
Reed was made to look credible in defeat, but the clean loss will definitely hinder the hot momentum he had heading into Crown Jewel.
That questionable outcome is exactly why it's imperative the rivalry resumes.
Reed can still be salvaged with a win over Rollins, and not only that, it must be decisive. A Street Fight or a similar stipulation would make the most sense to ensure their storyline is taken to the next level.
It won't entirely make up for losing the initial outing, but Reed can bounce back in a major way if he beats Rollins at Survivor Series, one of WWE's most celebrated events. Rollins vs. CM Punk is imminent, but there's more mileage in Rollins vs. Reed for now.
Nia Jax vs. Naomi for the WWE Women's Championship
Days removed from Bad Blood, Naomi challenged WWE Women's champion Nia Jax to an impromptu match on SmackDown and shockingly emerged victorious. Although it was a non-title affair, the belief was that Naomi's win earned her a future title opportunity.
The focus for the past month has been on Jax and Liv Morgan ahead of their champion vs. champion clash at Crown Jewel, which was ultimately won by Morgan. With the Women's Crown Jewel Championship out of the way, Jax can rekindle her rivalry with Naomi in time for Survivor Series.
Naomi has been a recurring highlight on SmackDown throughout the year but hadn't been able to win whenever it mattered most until recently. As a perennial fan favorite, Naomi is an excellent foil for the despised Nia Jax at the moment.
With it having been over seven years since Naomi last held singles gold in WWE, a title change isn't completely out of the question at Survivor Series. Of course, Tiffany Stratton's Money in the Bank briefcase remains in play and that is bound to be a factor as well as it has for every other title defense Jax has had since capturing the prestigious prize at SummerSlam.
Gunther vs. Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship
It was announced during Crown Jewel that a Fatal 4-Way match will be held on Monday's Raw to determine Gunther's next challenger to the World Heavyweight Championship. The combatants will include Dominik Mysterio, Damian Priest, Seth Rollins and Sheamus.
Mysterio is fresh off an upset over Priest, so if WWE does want to go forward with Gunther vs. Mysterio as a one-off, it would be a fine attraction for the undercard of Survivor Series. Both men being heels doesn't make for an ideal dynamic, decreasing his chances of becoming number one contender.
As previously mentioned, Rollins and Bronson Reed should be having a rematch of their own at Survivor Series and the timing isn't right for Sheamus to be put back in the world title picture just yet. That leaves Priest as the best possible option of the four.
WWE should hold off on Gunther vs. CM Punk until a little later on as Priest is a suitable filler challenger for The Ring General. It's highly unlikely that he'd regain the gold (nor should he anytime soon), but they had strong enough chemistry at SummerSlam that a rematch is a must no matter the outcome.
Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
Kevin Owens and Randy Orton were scheduled to collide at Crown Jewel, but their brawl breaking out before the bell prevented it from becoming a sanctioned match. Instead, they fought around ringside, and once Owens laid out Orton by jumping on top of him off of a platform, they were separated and sent to the back.
It was a clever move on WWE's part to keep the feud going without delivering a definitive winner, but how they intend to keep it alive ahead of Survivor Series is the question.
Cody Rhodes has a stunning lack of challengers to his Undisputed WWE Championship right now, so it's only appropriate that he be incorporated back into the storyline so he can defend the title against them both at the upcoming event.
Per the rules of a Triple Threat, Rhodes wouldn't have to be pinned to lose his title, which would create genuine intrigue and drama at the top of the card on SmackDown. Concurrently, it can plant the seeds for a future feud between Rhodes and a potentially-heel Orton with the gold up for grabs.
The next Undisputed WWE title defense should be a marquee match, and this star-studded Triple Threat would undoubtedly fit that bill.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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