Crown Jewel (2021) for the WWE Universal Championship
Location: Mohammed Abdu Arena on the Boulevard, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Date: October 21, 2021
Winner: Roman Reigns
If this match didn’t take place then the upcoming match at Wrestlemania would be even more anticipated. But at Crown Jewel at the end of last year, we got a preview of Wrestlemania’s main event, when Lesnar took on Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship.
Reigns won the match, which largely focused on manager Paul Heyman’s allegiance: was he Reigns’ Wise Man, or was he Lesnar’s Advocate? It’s the first time that Lesnar and Reigns faced each other as their new, revamped characters. Reigns was now a monster heel–the Tribal Chief who demanded obedience from both his family and the WWE fans. And Brock on the other hand, was a kickass babyface, more prone to smiling and wearing cowboy hats than his typical scowl.
Reigns won the match via pinfall, by way of interference; his cousins the Usos kicked Lesnar in the head when the ref wasn’t looking, and Reigns used the title belt to clock Lesnar and finish the job.
The story that’s been told, in multiple iterations over the past eight years, is that Reigns cannot beat Lesnar if the playing field is equal. When he doesn’t outright lose, he always needs some assistance, whether it be from Braun (unintentional) or the Usos (intentional), to secure the win. Reigns does not have a clean win over Lesnar–an unimpeachable victory where one can say, decisively, that the torch has been passed. When you count it up, Reigns and Brock both have two wins over the course of five encounters. The main event this Sunday will be the rubber match that breaks the tie.
Reigns is probably going to win on Sunday night, but it also matters how he wins. He’s at the height of his career, and let’s hope that WWE gives him the decisive victory he needs to elevate him as one of the greats.
