WWE 'Crown Jewel' predictions: 5 burning questions from The Horsemen

Saddle up, folks!

Welcome to the very first edition of "The Horsemen," a new preview series featuring Uncrowned's wrestling writers examining the major shows in WWE and AEW. Rather than simply giving you match-by-match predictions, the crew will dive into the most intriguing aspects heading into — and potentially coming out of — the show.

For our inaugural ride, Kel Dansby, Drake Riggs, Pen Shamrock and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger tackle WWE "Crown Jewel" (1 p.m. ET, Peacock), WWE's second visit to Saudi Arabia of 2024 and the last major event before "Survivor Series: War Games" later this month.

So move over Ric Flair, Arn and Ole Anderson and Tully Blanchard, Uncrowned's Horsemen are here!

1. Rate the card/What match are you the most excited for?

Sulla-Heffinger: I’m going to give this card a B+ going into the event. I don’t see any filler matches really from top to bottom and even the non-title contests have significant stakes attached. That said, I am most excited for the United States Championship triple-threat between Carmelo Hayes, Andrade and LA Knight. Andrade was part of my favorite modern-era wrestling match (Andrade vs. Johnny Gargano, "NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia," January 2018) and I’m hoping he can recapture some of that Black and Gold magic in his latest WWE run. A win — or a show-stealing performance — would go a long way.

Riggs: I have to ride with Anthony right out the gate here and give a very healthy B+. All of these matches should be entertaining in their own ways. As much of an LA Knight guy as I am — YEAH — I won't double dip on you there, Anthony. I love a good triple threat and that's going to be excellent. I'm going to go with the arguably easy answer in Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther. If it's easy, that doesn't make it wrong though. The world champs are bonafide main event workhorses and I'll be stunned if they don't deliver in spades, depending on how you feel about potentially muddled finishes.

Shamrock: For the past month or so, when the weekends come to a close and Sunday scaries kick in, there’s been one thing that I know I can look forward to on Mondays:

Seth Rollins and Bronson Reed tracking down and beating the hell out of each other on “Raw.”

Normally when it’s 2 p.m. on a workday and sluggishness kicks in, people rely on caffeine boosts. But me lately? I rewatch a clip of Reed trying to give Rollins internal bleeding or Rollins stomping Reed’s face on steel steps and I ride that high to the evening’s episode of “Raw,” when the two will inevitably come together once again, a couple of rage-filled magnets duking it out.

I know inanimate objects have hated this feud, whether it be the table Reed obliterated, the car Rollins used to deliver a vicious stomp, or the trash can Reed yeeted into Rollins’ dome, it’s been a rough time for any item in the vicinity when these two brawl. Anyway, what I’m saying is Reed and Rollins is what I’m most looking forward to. Don’t be surprised when these two steal the show and do something that solidifies Bronson Reed’s spot as a contender for the foreseeable future.

In terms of a letter grade, Crown Jewel's card gets B for Banger, but make no mistake, it has potential to exceed expectations or fall short due to excessive outside interferences and jumbled match endings. Depending how it plays out, this could end up being an A+ or an L.

Dansby: On paper, this card is as strong as any WWE has put out in the past three or four months. Expanding it to seven matches, from the usual five, has allowed for more focus on the key storylines being built on television. The biggest beneficiaries of the extended card are Andrade and Carmelo Hayes, who’ve had an intense best-of-seven feud on "SmackDown" and now get to showcase it at a Premium Live Event (PLE) in the form of a United States title triple-threat with champion LA Knight. Don’t be surprised if this match steals the show from an in-ring perspective.

2. Which championship is most likely to change hands? (MITB is in play)

Riggs: This is an interesting one. I'll just say it first: I don't think any titles change hands at "Crown Jewel." Tiffany Stratton and her Money in the Bank briefcase are undeniably the wild-card, as someone with the cash-in ability always is. I'm just not sold on this level of dissension with Nia Jax coming to a crescendo yet. That could surely change after "SmackDown" tonight, but even then, the timing feels off to me and I don't think Jax will get put in that position of vulnerability after her match with Liv Morgan. That's even if she loses, which I doubt happens. I'm more inclined to see a tease from Stratton and then she pulls the trigger the following Friday. So, by default, the answer is the Women's Tag Titles. Regardless, I feel confident Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill come out on top despite the odds.

Shamrock: With Rhea Ripley out, the women’s division could use a bright pink spark in the form Tiffany Stratton cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase on Nia Jax. Additionally, taking the Women’s Tag Team titles off Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair could free one of them up for a feud with Liv Morgan, a logical move when you’ve already got Kairi Sane and Iyo Sky beefing with Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson.

Oh, one other thing — this isn’t a title change, but I also won’t be shocked if we see that tribal chief ula fala dangling around someone else’s neck by the end of the night.

Dansby: This may be a safe answer, but I don’t think any championships will change hands at this PLE. Historically, "Crown Jewel" has been more of a showcase than a roster-shaking event. The titles most likely to change hands, though, would be the Women’s Tag Team Championships. With four teams involved, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill could lose the belts without even being pinned, which could set the stage for the split fans have been waiting for.

Sulla-Heffinger: From a statistical standpoint, the answer here has to be the Women’s Tag Team Championships, as they’re being defended in a Fatal Four-Way. BUT, as Han Solo once said, never tell me the odds. Tiffany Stratton has the Money in the Bank briefcase and both women’s champions are competing against each other, meaning Tiffy will have her pick of who to cash in on. Stratton’s going to target Nia’s WWE Women’s Championship and no woman has ever failed on a MITB cash-in. (OK, tell me the odds when they work in my favor.) It’s going to be Tiffy’s time.

3. Off the wall prediction for the PLE

Dansby: It’s Tiffy time — but with a twist. Many people believe Tiffany Stratton will cash in her Money in the Bank briefcase on Nia Jax at this PLE. She’s been teasing it constantly since aligning with Jax, but Rhea Ripley’s injury has thrown a wrench into the "Raw" women’s title picture. A fresh twist would be Dirty Dom helping Liv Morgan beat Nia, only to inadvertently set up Tiffany to cash in on Liv. This would keep the Tiffy/Nia partnership strong (for now) and establish Stratton as the "Raw" Women’s Champion, with Nia reigning as the Queen of "SmackDown."

Riggs: We're getting a double interference in the main event because WWE loves to give Saudi nostalgia. This whole card actually has the potential to be a booking mess. That said, Goldberg interferes to continue the build with Gunther and The Rock interferes — or at least appears on the ramp — to distract Rhodes. Who comes out victorious after the shenanigans? I feel like it might actually be more likely to be Gunther but who knows? We're going bold. Legends on legends on legends.

Sulla-Heffinger: Logan Paul interferes in the Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther match. The Horsemen are going to dive into how we think the main event will play out in a moment, but booking Paul into this spot sets up a perfect, brief World Heavyweight Championship feud between The Maverick and Gunther for "Survivor Series: War Games." By the way, Paul has appeared on three of the past four Saudi Arabia PLEs.

Shamrock: Rather than one wacky prediction, I've got three of ‘em, each one a little farther off the wall.

3. Logan Paul interferes in the U.S. title match, costing LA Knight his belt.

2. Jade Cargill and Bianca lose in a manner that opens the door for Cargill to begin a heel turn.

1. Jacob Fatu turns on Solo Sikoa, setting him up to lead a new iteration of the Bloodline.

4. How does the main event play out? Where do both champions go after?

Shamrock: Cody Rhodes isn’t losing to Gunther, right? I've tried to visualize it and nope — can't see Cody being pinned. The thing is, WWE has fallen a bit too in love with outside interference deciding matches, so I’m anticipating a copout finish that doesn’t allow either one of these guys to benefit from scoring a clean win over the other. It’s unfortunate, really, that when stars collide in 2024, hijinks ensue every time to decide the finish. My best guess is that Cody wins and whatever interference it is that costs Gunther will be the origin of his next feud.

Sulla-Heffinger: I would be stunned if we got a clean finish here, seeing as it would somewhat diminish either Rhodes or Gunther. Gunther’s path forward is a little murkier, but there are credible options for him on the roster: Damian Priest, Logan Paul, the winner of Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed, or — *Bret Hart voice* — Bill Goldberg. On the other side, we NEED to get Rhodes into the inevitable Bloodline vs. OG Bloodline War Games match, so look for a potential run-in either during or right after the match.

Dansby: Neither Gunther nor Cody can afford a clean loss in this match, and the prospect of Bloodline interference is far from appealing. So, why not use this champ vs. champ matchup to deepen Kevin Owens’ storyline? KO should defeat Randy Orton earlier in the night using ruthless tactics, then cost Cody his main event match. Gunther, who has no real stake in the feud, would exit victorious, while Owens would deliver a brutal apron powerbomb to Cody to close the show. Welcome back to the NXT version of KO!

Riggs: Ultimately, we're going to get The Rock vs. Rhodes at WrestleMania (possibly along with Roman Reigns), and Gunther vs. Goldberg built in Gunther's background until the big night wouldn't surprise me either. That match will happen, it's just a matter of when. To circle back to the latter prediction, at the very least, Goldberg would cost Gunther the win and that's all we see between them. In terms of immediate next rivalries, Rhodes will take on either or both Randy Orton and Kevin Owens. Orton has to happen at some point. I mean, what are we even doing if not? Gunther, on the other hand, goes into a big beefy man meat feud against Bronson Reed after he beats Seth Rollins, who then gets to focus on CM Punk. Stories galore!

5. What will we be talking about on Sunday morning?

Dansby: The headline story Sunday morning should be the Cody-Owens feud, but the Bloodline Saga always finds a way to stay in the spotlight. I expect the original Bloodline members to put up a valiant fight but ultimately lose due to being outnumbered. How will they even the three vs. four disadvantage against the New Bloodline? The answer lies with Sami Zayn, of course. In the coming weeks, expect to hear William Regal announce, “WARRR GAMES!” in that unmistakable voice.

Sulla-Heffinger: War Games. If we’re not, something went awry on Saturday. Aside from the Bloodline vs. OG Bloodline possibility, I’m hoping Crown Jewel helps find a way to get Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane locked in on the women’s side. In fact, can we make it a WWE law that for as long as she’s on the roster, Sky is required to be in War Games?

Riggs: If The Rock is involved again, then it's him based on an appearance alone. Most realistically, I think the Bloodline story will provide some continued great and memorable story moments. For me personally though, it's always the one who has everybody sayin' L-A KNIGHT. YEAH.

Shamrock: I will be talking about the flawless moonsault or perfectly landed missile dropkick or whatever beautiful maneuver Iyo Sky lands in the Women’s tag title match, but will any of you be listening? My optimistic guess is that the vast majority of the wrestling world will either be talking about The Rock’s return and his brewing feud with Roman Reigns. My pessimistic prediction? We’re talking about Bill G*ldberg.