The Los Angeles Lakers been struggling since winning the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. The Lakers snapped a four-game skid with a win over the Clippers on Sunday night, but they are just 4-10 in their last 14 games. Following their latest loss, a 14-point defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies, LeBron James said the Lakers “just suck right now.” That comment overshadowed a bolder claim he made about his son, Bronny, the same night.
While Anthony Davis was doing his post-game press conference in the locker room, Austin Reaves asked James about Bronny’s upcoming game for USC, and whether or not he’d be in the starting lineup. (Currently, Bronny has been coming off the bench upon his return from a cardiac arrest episode over the summer.) James said it was time for Bronny to start, then added the following, according to Claire de Lune of The Guardian: “He could play for us right now. Easy. Easy.”
Bronny is averaging 6.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 17.1 minutes per game to start his collegiate career (seven games). In Kyle Boone’s most recent NBA mock draft for CBS Sports, he doesn’t have Bronny as a first-round pick, and while Bronny will likely play in the NBA at some point, he obviously wouldn’t be the answer for the Lakers right now.
James is always going to have confidence in his son, however, and, in any case, his comments speak more to his frustration with the Lakers’ current situation than whether or not Bronny could actually hold his own in the NBA in the moment.
After a slow start last season, the Lakers made a surprise run to the Western Conference finals thanks to some big trade deadline moves and an elite defense. With most of that roster back, the expectation coming into this campaign was that the Lakers would once again be at the top of the West.
Instead, they’re stuck in 10th place at 18-19 after the win over the Clippers. And that’s with James and Davis playing in nearly every game so far (neither has missed more than three).
It’s no wonder that James is upset, especially considering that he’s doing more than his fair share by averaging 25.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game on 52.7% shooting in Year 21 and at 39 years old no less.
The Adam Copeland experience in AEW is both a sprint and a victory lap. It’s a concentrated effort to quality, creatively fulfilling work with his best friend. Edge and Christian can rest on their WWE laurels, but Copeland and Christian Cage are about to cook.
Copeland made his All Elite Wrestling debut at AEW WrestleDream in Seattle on Sunday to oppose Cage and his pupils. The video of Copeland’s debut drew nearly 7 million combined views on Twitter and YouTube in the first 24 hours. The familiar notes of Alter Bridge’s “Metalingus” not only signaled Copeland’s arrival but also his final rally. He wrestled his final match for WWE in August where many thought he would walk away from the ring for good.
But professional wrestling retirements rarely stick. Still, Copeland is fairly confident that his run with AEW will be his last as a full-time performer.
“I think that’s a very safe thing to say because I know how much work it’s going to take to be able to pull it off,” Copeland told CBS Sports. “I know that. I’m not in any way trying to fool myself into thinking I’m just going to trot through this whole thing.
“It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be a lot of hard work. I enjoy hard work. I always have. It’s how I’m wired. It’s what I was born with. It’s in my DNA. So that’s super fun. But I’m also a realist and I understand that I’m not going to be able to maintain it for a super long time.”
Copeland wrestled his last WWE match on Aug. 18 in a first-time encounter with Sheamus. The match took place on an episode of SmackDown in front of Copeland’s family and his billed hometown Toronto crowd. Copeland teased retirement at the time, saying, “I don’t think I can make it another full run to get here again for a match” but also suggested a new “main residence,” fuelling speculation of a move to AEW. Copeland insists that he genuinely grappled with the idea of retiring after his last match.
“As I got closer to the end of the deal, retirement was a very, very real option. It was not off the table…” Copeland said. “I really sat with the idea of retirement because I truly thought like, ‘Man, WWE gave me that night. I don’t know how that gets topped.’ And that’s still in my brain.
“But I guess now it’s like, ‘OK, how can I try and top it in this new environment.’ Honestly, that Toronto show was a send-off of that character and it was the perfect way for that character to go out. Wrestling a guy that I’ve never wrestled that I always wanted to. It was just so much fun in there. That night, I’ll never forget it. I’ll always have that night with me. I told Sheamus that too. That will be one of the most special nights in my career, always.”
It’s easy to become jaded when you’ve achieved everything that Copeland has: 11 world championships, two Royal Rumble wins, King of the Ring, Money in the Bank and a WWE Hall of Fame ring to accompany dozens of other titles. There were two things — secondary to the support from his family — that pushed Copeland over the edge to get back in the ring: a lifelong friendship and a creative palette cleanse.
“If we could end this together, that’s the dream,” Copeland said of working with Cage, real name Jay Reso. “I sat down with my girls and I’m like, ‘OK, so what does dad do, girls?’ What do I do? And I laid out the scenarios for them. Lyric said it and then Ruby agreed, ‘Go be with Uncle Jay and have fun.’ And that doesn’t mean that I’m not having fun in other places, but they know the most fun I’m going to have is with my best friend of the last 40 years.”
Speculation ran rampant for months that Copeland would join AEW, but he says the deal came together less than two weeks before his debut. Copeland’s wife, fellow WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix, was another key player in his decision to make the switch.
“It wasn’t until my contract was up on [Sept. 21]. It wasn’t until then,” Copeland said. “So it was really, really quick to get everything done and get everything dialed in. Figuring out so many things like getting with Alter Bridge and getting the music and doing all of those things. There were nine or 10 days.
“I didn’t know immediately, but I thought that’s where I wanted to go. I really thought that working with Jay again was what I wanted to do and how I pictured it in a perfect world. Beth said, ‘What’s your perfect world? ‘I was like, ‘My perfect world is that I end my career with Jay.’ So suddenly that perfect world looked like it could be there. It’s tough to pass that up.”
A night to remember#AdamCopeland #RatedRSuperstar@EdgeRatedR #AEWWrestleDream 🇺🇸 https://t.co/zd6OvcLsze 🔗 https://t.co/sT1hBzcXhs pic.twitter.com/cdjWHSREWz
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 2, 2023 Copeland was forced to retire in 2011 due to severe issues stemming from past neck injuries. Cage retired in 2014 due to concussion issues. Both wrestlers made remarkable comebacks and are still performing at an elite level weeks from age 50. The lifelong friends have had uniquely entwined careers even when they were apart. Cage is arguably doing some of the best work of his career as TNT champion. Copeland certainly noticed that while suffering from writer’s block in WWE.
“I kind of got the sense there wasn’t really a plan [for me in WWE]. I get it because what else do we do? What else is there to do? And after 25 years I’ve literally done everything there. So what do we do? It wasn’t anybody’s fault,” Copeland said. “I was coming up against creative walls too. I was having a hard time coming up with ideas and that’s not usually the case. I think they were too.
“There was also the conundrum that I was contracted for 10 matches a year. I offered to do more, but to their point, it wouldn’t feel quite as special, which I understood too… It just felt like neither one of us really had any ideas and that’s never been the case before. So when you look at that and then I look at my best friend over there having the time of his life, at a certain point, once I thought, ‘You know what, I still have a window here where I can do this and I don’t feel like I’m maximizing that.’ I think that was really what it boiled down to.
AEW president Tony Khan revealed at the WrestleDream post-show press conference that Copeland would be appearing in a regular capacity for the promotion. Copeland will appear on Wednesday’s episode of “AEW Dynamite” and Saturday’s “AEW Collision” ahead of his first official AEW match on Oct. 10. Copeland is keenly aware the clock is ticking and he isn’t shying from it.
“I want to try and maximize what I still have left,” Copeland said. “If that’s one year, if that’s two years, I want to do it as much as I can while I still feel like I can. I know that’s going to be hard and I know that’s going to take a lot of work physically. I know there’s a different fallout now, but I know all of those things and I really just want to weigh the glory of this thing as much as I can.”
It took LA Knight exactly half of his life to experience the height of his career. Twenty years after starting his professional wrestling journey, Knight gets the biggest opportunity of his career to date at WWE Fastlane when he teams up with all-time great John Cena.
“I have been at this for so long…” Knight, 40, told CBS Sports ahead of WWE Fastlane on Saturday. “That’s the craziest part about this. In a weird way, it’s like an overnight success, but it was also 20 years in the making to get to an overnight success. It’s such a juxtaposition in a strange way. I still have a habit of looking over my shoulder and waiting for somebody to pull the rug out from under me.
“I’m used to, ‘No, no, no’ and me having to push, ‘Yeah, yeah!’ It’s me having to create my own opportunities. Even when I’m now put into bigger opportunities, it’s still not a point where I can relax.”
Check out the full interview with LA Knight below.
Knight’s role in one of Saturday’s big matches is particularly unique. He will team with Cena, the shared record holder for most recognized world championship reigns in WWE history and a legitimate Hollywood star, as part of Cena’s brief two-month return to action. They battle Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso representing The Bloodline, one of the most significant stables in WWE history. Knight’s relentless dedication has carried him here, but self-belief can wane at times after such an arduous path.
“In a weird way, I’ve got no business being here,” Knight said. “Looking just a year ago at where I was and what I was doing, what a hell of a turnaround. It’s damn near unheard of.
“I’m not the best at letting myself really feel that. Maybe 10 years down the road when I look back. But right now in this situation, I’m just so — I don’t know if you’d say — maniacally focused on making sure that everything hits the mark and that everything is the way I want it to be. It’s tough for me to step back and be like, ‘Wow, this is great!’ Occasionally, I might have that thought but it’s very fleeting.”
Knight’s success was the prophecy of late WWE Hall of Famer William Alvin Moody, better known to fans as Paul Bearer, the legendary manager of The Undertaker and Kane. Moody’s last television appearance was managing Knight in an independent wrestling promotion called Championship Wrestling from Florida. According to Knight, Moody left him a letter of encouragement in his final moments. Knight said it feels “pretty incredible” to live up to his deceased friend’s expectations.
“Part of the message was that he loved me and he knew I was going to go on to do big things,” Knight said. “That was insane that he was thinking of me at that moment.
“The fact that this guy that I watched growing up was thinking about me at that time, that was crazy. That was an enormous thing to consider and an enormous thing to think about. I feel like I’m bastardizing it to make it about myself, but in a weird way, it’s like my work had paid off in a certain sense that I’d garnered that kind of respect and friendship from somebody in the business.”
It’s evident that Knight operates with a chip on his shoulder, one formed from relentless passion and constant rejection. Knight headlining Fastlane is galaxies ahead of the guy released from his WWE NXT contract in 2014 or the male modeling manager gimmick he was saddled with in early 2022. Despite newfound heights, Knight’s hunger is far from satiated.
“I don’t know that with my personality I’ll ever be satisfied,” Knight said. “I have such a habit of nitpicking everything and getting down to nitty-gritty details… Obviously, for me, I want to be at the top of the mountain. There are a lot of hurdles to get there but I always wanted to be there.
“If you’re not aiming to be the WWE champion, if you’re not aiming to be that top guy, the face of the company and in the conversation as far as some of the greats, that would be at least close to that goal line. Maybe it would get me there. Maybe it wouldn’t.”
John Cena has a friend to ride with on the road to WWE Fastlane. Cena teams with LA Knight to battle the Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday night.
Cena and AJ Styles vs. Sikoa and Uso was teased as one of Fastlane’s main events, but The Bloodline removed Styles from the equation. Cena, a 16-time world champion, found a formidable replacement in Knight, one of the company’s fastest-rising stars.
Another tag team match is getting plenty of attention as well when Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso challenge Damian Priest and Finn Balor for the undisputed titles. Uso has sent shockwaves through the Raw locker room since moving on from his Bloodline brethren to branch out on his own, but has been supported throughout the change by Rhodes. They continue to find animosity in the form of Judgement Day as the duos have feuded for months. Now, they look to settle the score, but you can be sure that women’s champion Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio will play some role in the match.
Payback is in the past but things are far from settled between Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura. The bitter rivals meet in a world heavyweight championship rematch under Last Man Standing stipulations. The winner is declared only once their opponent fails to answer the referee’s 10-count.
Take a look below at the confirmed matches for Fastlane. The event streams live on Peacock on Oct. 7 with the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET.
2023 WWE Fastlane matches John Cena & LA Knight vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa & Jimmy Uso): Cena was stranded on the island of relevancy when LA Knight came along with a lifeboat. The framework was set for a massive tag team match pitting Cena and AJ Styles against Sikoa and Uso. The Bloodline forced the disadvantage by attacking and hospitalizing Styles with a backstage attack. Cena already signed the contract for Fastlane, meaning he would need to find a partner or go at it alone against Sikoa and Uso in a handicap match. As The Bloodline were attacking Cena the following week, Knight made the save and signed his own name to the contract as Cena’s partner.
World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Last Man Standing match): It’s been a long, long time since Nakamura has looked this dangerous. “The King of Strong Style” has rekindled a killer instinct that led to a competitive match against Rollins at Payback. Nakamura fell short in his pursuit of the title, but his mind games spurred Rollins into wagering the world heavyweight title a second time. Rollins and Nakamura look to settle the score for good in a grueling Last Man Standing match at Fastlane.
WWE Women’s Championship — IYO SKY (c) vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair: It seemed that Flair was set to challenge SKY one-on-one after beating Bayley on SmackDown. As Damage CTRL was about to pounce on Flair after the match, Asuka ran in to make the save. A frustrated Bayley then declared — without SKY’s input — that both Asuka and Flair could challenge for the WWE women’s championship.
Undisputed Tag Team Championships — Judgement Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) (c) vs. Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso: Rhodes was instrumental in bringing Uso from SmackDown to Raw. Uso is short on friends but he counts Rhodes among them. The Judgement Day’s failed attempts to recruit Uso have led to ongoing turmoil between the two sides. It was announced on the Oct. 2 episode of Raw that Uso and Rhodes will challenge Priest and Balor for the undisputed tag team titles.
LWO (Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde and/or Cruz Del Toro) vs. Bobby Lashley and Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford): The new trio of Lashley and Street Profits are out to establish themselves as SmackDown’s number one stable. Their hostile takeover has put them at odds with LWO. A six-man tag team match is scheduled for Fastlane. Three members of LWO, yet to be determined, will take on Lashley and the Street Profits.
WWE is bringing Fastlane to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday. The card is stacked with some big matches, including John Cena returning to action for his first televised match since WrestleMania.
Cena will be teaming with LA Knight to take on Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso of The Bloodline. Knight and Cena had previously had some tense interactions when Cena reffed Knight’s match with The Miz at Payback. Despite that, Knight came to Cena’s rescue after The Bloodline injured AJ Styles, knocking him from his planned spot as Cena’s tag partner.
Another tag team match is getting plenty of attention as well when Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso challenge Damian Priest and Finn Balor for the undisputed titles. Uso has sent shockwaves through the Raw locker room since moving on from his Bloodline brethren to branch out on his own, but has been supported throughout the change by Rhodes. They continue to find animosity in the form of Judgement Day as the duos have feuded for months. Now, they look to settle the score, but you can be sure that women’s champion Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio will play some role in the match.
The card also has two more intriguing matchups set to take place. The WWE women’s championship is on the line when IYO SKY takes on both Asuka and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match. SKY earned the title after cashing in her Money in the Bank contract against Asuka at SummerSlam. Ironically enough, that was also a triple threat match involving Flair. Plus, an interesting tag match is scheduled when LWO takes on Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits.
Let’s take a look at who the CBS Sports experts are picking to win each match at WWE Fastlane, which streams live on Peacock at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday with a kickoff show beginning one hour before.
2023 WWE Fastlane card, predictions World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE has done a good job resurrecting Nakamura into a threat to a top championship. It hasn’t been believable that Nakamura would beat Rollins for the belt, but the story of Nakamura knowing Rollins’ back is injured and targeting the injury has carried a top-of-the-card program well for months. Rollins losing the belt will happen at the appropriate moment to a man who can be trusted to be the face of Raw. That isn’t now and that isn’t Nakamura. Pick: Seth Rollins retains the title — Brent Brookhouse (also Shakiel Mahjouri)
John Cena & LA Knight vs. The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa)
It seems WWE is finally ready to give Knight his breakout moment. Knight has been getting some of WWE’s biggest crowd reactions all year and fans have been clamoring to see his rise. Pairing him with 16-time world champion and Hollywood star John Cena is a befitting coming-out party. The Bloodline group has elevated each of its members, but Sikoa and Uso’s place in the pecking order requires them to lose occasionally. Cena’s two-month run with the company wraps at the end of the month, so giving the heroes a win sets the stage for both Cena and Knight to battle Roman Reigns in the final quarter of 2023. Pick: Cena & Knight win — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship — The Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest) (c) vs. Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso
Judgment Day remains the primary focus of Raw most weeks and there’s a slow-burn story with tensions between Balor and Priest. Despite that, Saturday is probably the story of a different turn. Drew McIntyre has been showing signs that he’s about to turn heel and has had issues with Uso specifically. It seems as though the most sensible approach is for McIntyre to make an appearance and cost Rhodes and Uso the win. This would set up a solid program for Rhodes’ next rival as he continues the story of trying to work toward a world title victory. Pick: The Judgment Day retain the titles — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
WWE Women’s Championship — Iyo Sky (c) vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair
Sky is a breath of fresh air in a women’s division that desperately needs it. Asuka’s run at champion wasn’t spectacular and Flair’s act has unfortunately grown stale. Sky has lots of fresh matchups and storylines ahead of her, including an eventual split from Damage CTRL and Bianca Belair’s revenge tour. Sky is loaded with talent and dripping with charisma. Let her shine. Pick: Iyo Sky retains the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Latino World Order vs. Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits
The union of Lashley and the Street Profits immediately caught people’s eyes. It was the perfect amalgamation of a Hurt Business reunion and a much-needed character change for the Profits. It’s clear by WWE’s booking that LWO is designed as a midcard stable: one that can win important matches but is generally used to lift others. The Lashley-Profits organization is far too new to take a loss at a major show. This should be competitive at times but generally a strong showing for SmackDown’s new bullies. Pick: Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits win — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
WWE Fastlane comes to Indianapolis on Saturday night. The card features five matches, three of which are for championships, including a world heavyweight title match that is set to be contested under Last Man Standing rules.
In one of the night’s headline matches, Seth Rollins will defend his world heavyweight championship against Shinsuke Nakamura in a Last Man Standing match. Nakamura came up short against Rollins at Payback but has continued to taunt Rollins over the champion’s injured back. After refusing to fight Rollins for weeks, Nakamura goaded the champ into accepting any match Nakamura wanted.
In the other featured match, John Cena returns for is first televised match since WrestleMania when he teams with LA Knight to take on Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso of The Bloodline.
The card also has two more intriguing matchups set to take place. The WWE women’s championship is on the line when IYO SKY takes on both Asuka and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match. SKY earned the title after cashing in her Money in the Bank contract against Asuka at SummerSlam. Ironically enough, that was also a triple threat match involving Flair. Plus, an interesting tag match is scheduled when LWO takes on Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits.
Below is how you can catch all the action on Saturday night.
Watch 2023 WWE Fastlane Date: Oct. 7, 2023 Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Indianapolis Start time: 8 p.m. ET Watch live: Peacock
2023 WWE Payback match card John Cena & LA Knight vs. The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa) World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Last Man Standing) WWE Women’s Championship — Iyo Sky (c) vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship — The Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Finn Balor) (c) vs. Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso Latino World Order vs. Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits
Logan Paul has continued to make a name for himself in the combat sports world. Following his boxing match against Bellator MMA fighter Dillon Danis over the weekend, Paul made it clear what’s next for him.
Paul set his sights on the WWE United States Championship and revealed that he plans to challenge Rey Mysterio for that title in the near future.
“My true passion, y’all already know, I’m a WWE superstar. So, I’m moving back to the WWE,” Paul said in the postfight interview. “There are some championships that I want to get. I’ve got my eye on something. I got my eye on someone. I’m an American boy, and I want that U.S. title. Rey Mysterio, I already beat you once brother, and I’m coming for that U.S. championship.”
It didn’t take long for Mysterio to respond.
“I was like, ‘What did he just say? No way,’ and I had to rewind it to make sure. He did, he called me out,” Mysterio said on “The MMA Hour” on Monday. “I’m like, ‘Okay. I’m not hard to find. You can find me every Friday night on SmackDown.’ I can’t wait to see what he has to say.”
WWE then announced Paul would be on this week’s Friday Night SmackDown for a “face-to-face” confrontation with Mysterio. The segment will likely set up a championship match between the two at WWE’s Crown Jewel event, scheduled for Nov. 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Can @LoganPaul back his words up this Friday on #SmackDown? pic.twitter.com/INbPmh7xHn
— WWE (@WWE) October 17, 2023 Paul made his in-ring debut for WWE at WrestleMania 38 back in April 2022 and has since competed in seven matches. His first attempt at winning gold in WWE came at the 2022 Crown Jewel event when he failed to beat Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. He then went on to enter the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble, face Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 39, compete in this year’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match and beat Ricochet at SummerSlam 2023.
The year is nearly over, but there’s still plenty of work to be in done in the WWE universe. The wrestling promotion continues to roll on toward Survivor Series to close 2023 and Royal Rumble to open 2024, but first they head back to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for this year’s Crown Jewel. As per usual, the event is loaded up with some of the promotion’s top stars as five titles will be at stake come Saturday night.
The action features prominent storylines from the Bloodline and Judgement Day factions. Undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns is back in action when he defends his crown against red-hot contender LA Knight. Bloodline enforcer Solo Sikoa is in singles action when he takes on legend John Cena.
Judgement Day leader Rhea Ripley will have to hold off four challengers to her crown when she takes on Nia Jax, Zoey Stark, Shayna Baszler and Raquel Rodriguez in a fatal five-way match. And Damian Priest looks to end his ongoing rivalry and feud with Cody Rhodes when they tussle in singles action.
The card appears to be complete in advance of WWE’s 10th event in Saudi Arabia.
Take a look below at the confirmed matches for Crown Jewel, which streams live on Peacock with the main card starting at 1 p.m. ET.
2023 WWE Crown Jewel matches Undisputed WWE Universal Championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. LA Knight: Knight is WWE’s biggest success story this year. Saddled with a terribly male modeling manager gimmick upon his main roster debut, Knight has flourished since reverting to his NXT persona. Knight is getting some of the loudest crowd reactions these days and he teamed with John Cena to defeat Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa at Fastlane. Knight shined in a verbal altercation with Reigns on SmackDown and will now officially face him at Crown Jewel.
World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre: After Rollins’ grueling win over Shinsuke Nakamura at Fastlane, McIntyre made it clear that he intended to take the title from Rollins. McIntyre did make it clear, however, that he wasn’t interested in sneak attacks or fights prior to the match and that he wanted Rollins as close to his best as possible, resulting in a match being made for Crown Jewel. McIntyre did not save Rollins from an attack by Money in the Bank contract holder Damian Priest but did stop Priest from cashing in on Rollins. So, it remains possible that Priest ends up factoring into this match.
Women’s World Championship — Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Zoey Stark: All five women have been mixing it up with various matches and attacks in recent weeks, all while trying to lay claim to being “the baddest woman in WWE.” A “fatal five-way” made sense for an unusual bout filled with WWE’s most physically powerful women.
John Cena vs. Solo Sikoa: Cena is itching to win on his own merit. The 16-time world champion shared an epiphany with fans on the Sept. 20 episode of SmackDown: he hadn’t won a singles match in more than 2,000 days. Cena said he contemplated retirement but was determined to prove he can hold his own. The surefire Hall of Famer put out an open challenge that was answered by Sikoa. A brawl broke out before the match could officially take place, but was formally booked for Crown Jewel.
WWE Women’s Championship — Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bianca Belair: Belair revealed on the Oct. 27 episode of SmackDown that she was granted a rematch against Iyo Sky for the WWE women’s championship at Crown Jewel. Sky cashed in her Money in the Bank briefcase on Belair moments after Belair defeated Asuka to win the title at SummerSlam on Aug. 5.
United States Championship — Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Logan Paul: Paul called Mysterio out after defeating Dillon Danis in a crossover boxing fight. Mysterio issued a response, saying Paul knows where to find him. Mysterio welcomed Paul to challenge for Mysterio’s U.S. championship at Crown Jewel. Paul accepted and the foes shook hands. The big question is whether WWE puts a championship around the social media influencer’s waist.
Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest: Priest still holds the Money in the Bank briefcase but has been held back from his desire to cash in by Rhea Ripley on multiple occasions. With nothing else going on for Crown Jewel, Rhodes and Priest made for a sensible pairing, especially after multiple clashes over the undisputed WWE tag team titles.
Sami Zayn vs. JD McDonagh (Kick-off show): Zayn has been a persistent thorn in the side of Judgement Day. He will get a chance to deal further blows to the group in a battle with Judgement Day’s fringe member, McDonagh.
WWE returns to Saudi Arabia on Saturday for the 2023 edition of Crown Jewel. As usual, the promotion is bringing plenty of big matches to the event, including five championship bouts.
Roman Reigns will defend the undisputed WWE universal championship in the night’s main event, putting his belt on the line against LA Knight. It will be Reigns’ first title defense since facing Jey Uso at SummerSlam in August.
The other top men’s title will also be on the line when Seth Rollins defends the world heavyweight championship against Drew McIntyre. Rollins has been incredibly active since earning the title, including a pair of headlining roles against Shinsuke Nakamura. Now, he welcomes a greater test in the imposing Scot.
The top women in the promotion will also be in action on Saturday night. Women’s world champion Rhea Ripley will face off with four challengers all vying for her title in a fatal-five way match. Ripley will take on Nia Jax, Zoey Stark, Shayna Baszler and Raquel Rodriguez. Meanwhile, WWE women’s champion Iyo Sky puts her title on the line against former champ Bianca Belair. Sky cashed in her Money in the Bank contract on Belair at SummerSlam to claim the championship, so Belair is looking for a bit of revenge after dropping the belt under less-than-ideal circumstances.
Let’s take a look at who the CBS Sports experts are picking to win each match at WWE Crown Jewel, which streams live on Peacock at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday with a kickoff show beginning one hour before.
2023 WWE Crown Jewel card, predictions Undisputed WWE Universal Championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. LA Knight
It’s great to see Knight get the opportunity to main event a pay-per-view, with WWE finally stepping on the gas and taking advantage of him getting over huge with the fans. Still, Knight doesn’t really fit in the “bigger story” of Reigns and The Bloodline to where it feels this would be where WWE would take the title off of him. It’s also worth noting that Reigns’ lengthy run with the belt is starting to approach Hulk Hogan’s longest title reign of 1,474 days. With how much focus has been put on the historic nature of Reigns’ title reign, and with him currently not set for another match until the Royal Rumble, it feels like it’s a bit too obvious that he’s going to come out on top here. Pick: Roman Reigns retains the title — Brent Brookhouse (also Shakiel Mahjouri)
World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
The world heavyweight championship needs a facelift. Rollins has done a solid job as the first champion since WWE revived the title. The stories had effort, superstars were spotlighted and great matches were produced. But the plots had holes, elevations didn’t stick and Gunther is putting on a better workhorse championship reign with the intercontinental title. McIntyre is overdue for a world title and is one of the more compelling characters on Raw as a tweener bordering on villain. A McIntyre title run could produce fresh feuds with guys like Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes, who are eternally trapped in a stale feud with the Judgement Day, culminating with Jey Uso winning the title at WrestleMania. Pick: Drew McIntyre wins the title — Mahjouri
There’s plenty of logic in McIntyre winning the belt and presenting a fresh face as champion. However, the shadow of Money in the Bank contract holder Damian Priest looms over this match. WWE has gotten into something of a rut with Judgment Day “running Raw” and the only real step to freshen things up for the group is to break them up or to have Priest cash in and take the big belt. Priest could cash in after Rollins retains and is left broken down after a brutal match, but put me down for Priest cashing in mid-match to add a bit of drama before winning the belt to give Crown Jewel its usual “big moment.” Pick: Damian Priest cashes in and wins the title — Brookhouse
Women’s World Championship — Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax vs. Zoey Stark vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Raquel Rodriguez
WWE did an interesting thing with this match, tossing five women in the ring all gunning for both the title and the status of “baddest woman in WWE.” Jax has been a wrecking ball since making her return and would make the most sense as the victor should any of the challengers take the belt. Stark’s momentum was basically dead once she split from Trish Stratus, which was a misstep in that it wasted months of effort to establish her. Rodriguez still doesn’t feel like she has clicked with the crowd. And Baszler is fantastic but WWE hasn’t felt very committed to her place at the top of the card outside of her feud with Ronda Rousey. Given Ripley’s momentum and how much she’s getting out of being champion, it doesn’t feel like Crown Jewel marks the end of her reign. Pick: Rhea Ripley retains the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
United States Championship — Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Logan Paul
Against all odds, Paul has proven himself a natural in the ring. He’s athletic and his personality just “works” as a natural heel. He also used the stage of his real boxing match with Dillon Danis to promote a match with Mysterio. The luchador is a legend and it’s been nice to see him get another run with a belt but this is WWE’s chance to put a belt on Paul, which everyone knows they want to do. It will be a bit rough for SmackDown if their two top men’s titles are held by part-time talents, but Paul could put in a bit more time on TV ahead of major events like Survivor Series, Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. Pick: Logan Paul wins the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest
With the exception of Ripley, WWE continues to flip-flop between booking Judgement Day as a dominant force and feeders to Raw’s top faces. Rhodes is an A+ player on Raw but could use a strong victory. Priest’s status as Money in the Bank winner and undisputed tag team champion is likely padding enough in the company’s eyes to have him take a loss. Pick: Cody Rhodes wins — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
John Cena vs. Solo Sikoa
Cena has been very generous during his recent stint with the company and it seems Crown Jewel might be the last we see of him for a while. The ongoing story revolves around Cena’s self-doubt having not won a singles match in five years. I doubt WWE extends this story for an indefinite period of time. These Saudi Arabia events generally don’t feature a ton of development and are more of a shiny showcase than a cornerstone event. Giving Cena the win is the simple play. Pick: John Cena wins — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
WWE Women’s Championship — Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bianca Belair
Sky’s reign has been fine but unspectacular. It’s entirely possible that WWE puts the belt back on the reliable Belair, but I think her newfound edge would benefit from her getting screwed out of the title again. Belair is trending in a similar direction to McIntyre’s character and she’ll need all the bitter motivation she can muster to fully embrace her character tweak. Pick: Iyo Sky retains the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Sami Zayn vs. JD McDonagh (Kickoff Match)
McDonagh is continuing to struggle to gain acceptance from Judgment Day while Zayn lost his tag partner and best friend Kevin Owens to SmackDown. Both men need a win in storyline, but Zayn needs a win in reality because he’s the bigger player of the two. The first match on a Saudi show usually is very by-the-numbers to warm the crowd up. That means putting Zayn over in a very straightforward way. Pick: Sami Zayn wins — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
LA Knight has had the biggest rise of 2023 but dethroning Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel on Saturday is a nearly insurmountable task. Riyadh hosts the meeting between the longest-reigning undisputed champion in WWE history and the promotion’s hottest act today.
Reigns and The Bloodline are one of the most dominant forces in professional wrestling history. Knight has the full backing of WWE fans as he looks to do the unthinkable. Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes, and Jey Uso all failed to overcome Reigns, but Knight is brimming with confidence in pursuit of the biggest moment of his 20-year career.
WWE is rolling out the red carpet for some major stars for their latest trip to Saudi Arabia. John Cena searches for a singles win that has eluded him for five years against The Bloodline’s enforcer Solo Sikoa. It may very well be the last appearance of Cena’s current stint with the company. Plus, Internet star Logan Paul returns to WWE in pursuit of Rey Mysterio’s United States championship.
The top women in the promotion will also be in action on Saturday night. Women’s world champion Rhea Ripley will face off with four challengers all vying for her title in a fatal-five way match. Ripley will take on Nia Jax, Zoey Stark, Shayna Baszler and Raquel Rodriguez. Meanwhile, WWE women’s champion Iyo Sky puts her title on the line against former champ Bianca Belair. Sky cashed in her Money in the Bank contract on Belair at SummerSlam to claim the championship, so Belair is looking for a bit of revenge after dropping the belt under less-than-ideal circumstances.
Below is how you can catch all the action on Saturday night.
Watch 2023 WWE Crown Jewel Date: Nov. 4, 2023 Location: Mohammed Abdu Arena — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Start time: 1 p.m. ET (Noon ET kickoff show) Watch live: Peacock
2023 WWE Crown Jewel match card Undisputed WWE Universal Championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. LA Knight World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre John Cena vs. Solo Sikoa Women’s World Championship — Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Zoey Stark vs. Raquel Rodriguez WWE Women’s Championship — Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bianca Belair United States Championship — Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Logan Paul Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest Sami Zayn vs. JD McDonagh (Kickoff match)
