WWE heads to Saudi Arabia for the second time in 2024, and this go-around, Crown Jewel 2024 will feature a pair of champion-versus-champion matches to crown two unofficial title holders.

World Heavyweight Champion Gunther will face WWE Champion Cody Rhodes in a colossal clash between two of WWE’s biggest stars, while WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax will go one-on-one with Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan to determine the first-ever Crown Jewel Champions. WWE’s latest pay-per-view from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is part of a massive 10-year deal that WWE hopes to extend beyond 2028, when the current deal expires, and the company has assembled another strong card for the event this year: which also features a pivotal six-man tag team match between both sides of The Bloodline.

Most previous events in Saudi Arabia revolved around some sort of gimmick, whether that was the Greatest Royal Rumble or the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments. This time around, WWE is hopeful that the appeal of a clash between the top champions will help attract fans and pave the way for a successful route to Survivor Series in just a few weeks.

Will that happen? As always, that depends on WWE’s ability to make smart creative decisions at Crown Jewel 2024.

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Nia Jax defeats Liv Morgan

WWE has struck gold with Jax, who is in the middle of the best run of her career and is shaping up to become the epic villain who will only be killed off as an emerging fan favorite, likely soon-to-be babyface Tiffany Stratton.

However, that will likely last at least a few more months, meaning Jax will have to continue her dominance no matter who she faces during that time. Morgan, her Crown Jewel opponent, is a very different type of champion, one who usually needs help to win and rarely, if ever, runs roughshod over her rivals.

Morgan can certainly bounce back from a loss to Jax, a fellow heel, and remain a heat magnet. On the other hand, it wouldn’t look good if Jax lost to Morgan, given the stark differences in their characters and the way they’re booked. While it would be surprising to see this match end cleanly considering it involves two heels, that is exactly what needs to happen.

After all, Jax wouldn’t need any help, and Morgan’s cowardly nature wouldn’t need the win.

Randy Orton defeats Kevin Owens, but Owens holds on

Kevin Owens recently betrayed not only Rhodes but also Randy Orton, and at Crown Jewel the two stars will face off in a battle of former friends.

Given Owens’ recent heel turn, the expectation is that he will face Rhodes in a blockbuster WWE Championship match, either at Survivor Series or in the upcoming return of Saturday night’s Main Event. That would presumably mean that Owens would triumph over Orton in Saudi Arabia, but it certainly doesn’t have to happen that way.

The main premise of Owens’ turn is the belief that he is the right man in the situation, but there is also the added layer of his desire to become WWE Champion again. He is the center of Rhodes’ current character arc, and yet his own arc is just as compelling as he returns to his evil ways.

One of the best villains in WWE history, Owens should cement his heel turn – which has worked wonderfully so far – with a loss to Orton that absolutely enrages the former Universal Champion. After the match, Owens must attack and destroy Orton to “get his heat back” and prevent Orton from helping Rhodes later in the evening. More about that soon.

Bronson Reed destroys Seth Rollins

Bronson Reed has been one of Triple H’s best new hires, transforming from an overlooked midcarder to a hugely entertaining wrecking machine on Raw.

Reed’s memorable feud and matches with Braun Strowman really helped him become one of the red brand’s top acts, and now he finds himself in the biggest rivalry of his career with Seth Rollins. The two stars have been involved in a handful of riveting segments in recent weeks, and their intense rivalry feels like one that will span many months and matches.

It’s doubtful that Rollins will ultimately lose this feud, but Reed can still get a huge boost by scoring at least one major victory over the former world champion. Considering the way these types of feuds are typically booked, Reed should get the first victory without any underhanded tactics, leaving Rollins, the fan favorite, to overcome the odds to ultimately win the rivalry.

If Reed loses at Crown Jewel, WWE won’t have much options after that. But if Reed wins and does so convincingly? Then, WWE can easily continue this compelling rivalry, with Rollins looking for revenge.

Cody Rhodes loses to Gunther in controversial fashion

WWE really backed itself into a corner with Rhodes vs. Gunther, right?

That’s because neither star should be losing now or anytime soon. Even if Rhodes indicated in a recent promo that there would be a decisive winner in this dream match, this is one of those periods where WWE losing one of its biggest stars cleanly could do more harm than good.

Gunther vs. CM Punk is reportedly scheduled to appear at Survivor Series, while Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens is also a possible direction for that show. Two matches of that magnitude indicate that all four stars involved need to enter the event with as much momentum as possible.

What’s unfortunate is that WWE is in trouble because Gunther and Rhodes could use the momentum-building win at Crown Jewel. So the ‘out’ here is a controversial finish with no clear winner, perhaps because Owens – enraged by his loss to Orton – interfered to cost Rhodes the fight.

And since Orton was eliminated earlier in the night, that would prevent ‘The Viper’ from assisting Rhodes.

Roman Reigns’ bloodline fails

WWE surprisingly delivers a Bloodline battle at Crown Jewel, when Roman Reigns and The Usos will challenge the new version of Solo Sikoa’s faction – a fight that looked like it was destined for Survivor Series.

In all likelihood, that’s probably still the case, with Reigns, The Usos, Sami Zayn and perhaps even another star like Bron Breakker clashing with Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and Jacob Fatu in a WarGames match. Which begs the question: if the babyface side of The Bloodline ranks high against Crown Jewel, what’s the point of a WarGames match? There isn’t one.

No, instead Reigns’ Bloodline should lose in Saudi Arabia, especially after Reigns and Rhodes already defeated Sikoa and Fatu at Bad Blood last month. It’s important that Sikoa’s squad is portrayed as equal to Reigns’ group, because – let’s face it – Reigns’ stable a lot of more star power and significantly more performance under his belt.

To make this feud worth continuing into Survivor Series and beyond, it’s imperative that the new Bloodline beats the old version – and that Sikoa or Fatu is the one standing strong at Crown Jewel.