WWE Crown Jewel 2025: Draws And Duds

It's nearly time for WWE Crown Jewel to abandon Saudi Arabia for Australia, as this Saturday's premium live event comes our way from Perth! The now-standard five matches comprises the latest Crown Jewel card, and while some of them have the Wrestling Inc. crew buzzed for the show, others are ... somewhat less exciting.

We're spoilt for choice here, from the Australia returns of Rhea Ripley and Bronson Reed to a pair of champion vs. champion Crown Jewel title matches and the latest in-ring farewell for John Cena as his retirement tour enters its final months. However, only two can be singled out for praise and censure — at least according to the WINC staff's personal hype levels. It's time to find out the biggest draw and the biggest dud as we look ahead to WWE Crown Jewel 2025!

One of the last stops on the John Cena retirement tour will see him revisit yet another one of his iconic rivalries, having fended off the likes of CM Punk, Randy Orton, and R-Truth in the nostalgia portion of his final run – at the time with the WWE Championship in tow and in the midst of a brief heel run. 

The reinvigorated babyface Cena followed up on his WWE title loss back to Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam with a crushing defeat against another rival of yore in Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza, and will be looking to get back to winning ways before the end of his career, facing AJ Styles at Crown Jewel in Perth. Styles differs from a rival like Punk or Orton in the sense that he came against the "Greatest of All Time" towards the end of his full-time career with the company, and at a time where many wondered whether Styles – having come from TNA and NJPW notoriety at a time when such 'indie darlings' had an uphill battle – would be meeting the long spoke of "Golden Shovel." 

Styles would go on to beat Cena, later winning the WWE Championship for the first time and defending it once more over Cena, alongside Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley) in a triple threat match. Cena claimed his 16th WWE title reign, tying the record with Ric Flair at the time, by defeating Styles in an instant classic at the 2017 Royal Rumble. And those bouts managed to cement Styles in the conversation of Cena's greatest opponents, so much so that this close to calling time on his career, Cena has called on Styles to be his next opponent. 

Styles feels like the right sort of opponent to bring the spirit of "Big Match John" out between the bells, much like Sami Zayn when they renewed their United States Championship competition. But there is also something to be said about nostalgia, which really is what a retirement tour is all about capturing, so there's all the makings for Styles vs. Cena for the final time to be remembered as, if nothing else, a really good epilogue to their iconic saga.

Written by Max Everett

It feels strange to call any match involving Women's World Champion Stephanie Vaquer and WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton a "dud" because they are two of the most talented women in WWE, but the fact they're facing each other simply because it's time for Crown Jewel is what makes this a dud. While Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins are facing off for the same reason, WWE has done an excellent job of also integrating their history since Rhodes returned to WWE into that story. Stratton and Vaquer have none of that, making this sadly the least exciting match on the card when it comes to story.

We just found out on the September 26 edition of "SmackDown" that it will officially be Stratton that Vaquer is facing in Perth. The match Stratton won to determine that fact was also a mess, which doesn't exactly help things. After Stratton was able to pull out the victory, Vaquer's music hit and they faced off, meaning their first confrontation came just two weeks before the premium live event. During their contract signing on "SmackDown," a stereotypical "Can They Coexist?" tag team match was set up between the pair and Women's United States Champion Giulia and Kiana James. It seems like lazy WWE booking, however, as these tag team matches are so common where opponents have to team up to take down a common enemy. The match in front of the Perth crowd on Friday will be good, at least, but it won't much further anything between Vaquer and Stratton.

Those in creative likely think this match doesn't need any story, since Rhodes and Rollins have that covered, because it's likely to be an in-ring banger. The crowd is also going to be hot for this one, as all crowds love Vaquer and the Perth crowd is one of the first to really get behind Stratton, back when she was in the 2024 Elimination Chamber live from the city, and honestly could have helped her case for a babyface push in WWE. 

While the match may be good, possibly one of the best, it also seems a little predictable that "The Dark Angel" is getting the win. Vaquer is one of the hottest things in WWE right now, and it doesn't seem wise to have her lose here, especially since she hasn't had the opportunity to defend her own championship since winning it at Wrestlepalooza. If Triple H is as chronically online as some believe, he'll likely have noticed that fans (at least those in the IWC) are growing tired of Stratton's title reign. It's not like the Women's Crown Jewel Championship really would mean anything, but giving it to Stratton doesn't seem like the move right now with how white-hot Vaquer is.

It's the strangest thing to call a Stratton vs. Vaquer match in front of an international crowd a "dud," but with the other matches on the card, it's the bout that stands out the least.

Written by Daisy Ruth