WWE Crown Jewel 2026 Predictions: Wrestling Inc. Picks The Winners

WWE Crown Jewel 2026 kicks off this Saturday from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a four-match card (as of this writing) and three titles on the line. Champions will clash against champions as Roman Reigns takes on Sami Zayn while Chelsea Green battles Liv Morgan, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton fight to determine who will be the last man standing, and as always, the Wrestling Inc. staff are here to predict the winners!

We're coming off another strong showing at "WWE NXT" Halloween Havoc, which means we've been stringing together wins here in the predictions column lately! We're fully expecting that to continue in the Middle East this weekend, though we are pretty well split on a couple matches going down in ANB Arena that could realistically go either way. Who will emerge from Riyadh victorious? Let's get to the picks!

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton have been feuding since before WWE WrestleMania 42, where they had a match that many fans try to push out of their minds due to the inclusion of Pat McAfee as the voice in Orton's head. After Orton left Rhodes a bloodied mess, despite the "American Nightmare" retaining his Undisputed WWE Championship at the time, the pair fought once again at WWE Sunday Night's Main Event in September.

With the former Legacy stablemates tied at one win each, they'll face off in a Last Man Standing match at Crown Jewel, and 73% of us here at WINC believe Rhodes is walking out of Riyadh the victor. Rhodes has shown he's willing to go to his own dark place, as seen when he punt kicked Baron Corbin in front of Orton on the October 16 edition of "WWE SmackDown."

Over the last few years, Orton has moved into a more part-time role in WWE, thanks to a slew of injuries and surgeries that "The Viper" brought up in his most recent promo on the blue brand. We think it's likely that Rhodes, who will be around much more often, hits that signature punt of his rival's to win, writing Orton off TV, especially with the upcoming holidays. That predicted punt could add some intrigue to Rhodes' character, as many have been clamoring to see him as a heel.

Orton has been after his 15th world championship, but with the title scene so packed on "SmackDown" right now, him taking a break through the rest of the year would make sense. The majority of us are going with a Rhodes win here, in hopes we see a brutal punt to give his character new edge going into 2027.

Written by Daisy Ruth

The Vision's Bron Breakker and Austin Theory will be making the first defense of their world tag titles in 122 days as Mr. Money in the Bank, Penta, teams with Je'Von Evans to challenge them. 

Penta has drawn the ire of Breakker after beating him to the briefcase and the championship contract within. Breakker, meanwhile, drew the ire of Evans by spearing him so hard he needed to be taken away in an ambulance, and then when Evans returned in said ambulance, pushing him off of a ladder to send him through its roof. And it just so happens that Breakker has a tag team partner and championship to compete for at Crown Jewel.

According to the Wrestling Inc. staff poll, it's not going to be a moment of catharsis for the challengers, however, as 55% voted for the Vision to make good on their first title defense. Of course, that is a very tight split, with 45% envisioning new champions. Those of us who voted Vision just don't think it's terribly likely that Breakker and Theory lose in their first defense, especially not to a thrown-together team like Penta and Evans — both of whom have other things going on as singles stars.

Written by Max Everett

Women's World Champion Liv Morgan is one of the few true brands that WWE has right now. Much like Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and others, she's entering the world of cinema in the upcoming Takashi Miike film "Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo," and she's currently in her fourth reign with the title. She is, quite simply, untouchable. As a 55% favorite, the fact that she only has a narrow margin over WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green speaks to Green's popularity.

Green is not yet the larger-than-life character that Morgan has become, however, and what's more, she doesn't have a team like Judgment Day watching her back. Matt Cardona might be Green's rock backstage, but no one on WWE programming has a stronger ally than Liv does in Dominik Mysterio. The deck is simply too stacked against Green on Saturday, which is why the Women's World Champion has eeked out a small but significant lead over the WWE Women's Champion. After all, does Chelsea Green even have her own Britney Spears-inspired theme song?

Green might be an appealing underdog, but Saudi PLEs have often swung big and broad. It is the place for the capital-S Stars like the Romans Reigns, Codies Rhodes, and yes, even the Livs Morgan of the WWE Universe.

Written by Ross Berman

In a reversal of roles, Roman Reigns will take on Sami Zayn at WWE Crown Jewel, with "The OTC" acting as the fan favorite and Zayn embracing his heel side.

The last time these two met one-on-one in a televised setting, Zayn challenged Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber 2023, held inside his hometown of Montreal. That night, the Bell Centre and those watching at home rode completely for Zayn as he attempted to dethrone the long-reigning defending champion. Three years later, most of those same fans are now rooting for Reigns heading into their rematch at Crown Jewel.

Despite its glaring character changes, 73% of WINC staff expect the outcome of Reigns vs. Zayn to remain the same.

Zayn left Reigns looking up at him on the go-home episode of "WWE Raw," which means he's heading into Crown Jewel with great momentum. A lot of the time, though, those with short-term momentum end up losing their PLE matches. Based on recent reports, it also seems that the driving force behind Zayn's second world title win was ensuring that he, not CM Punk, was the one facing Reigns in the yearly champion vs. champion bout at Crown Jewel. That, combined with the finish of "Raw" this week, doesn't give us great confidence about his chances at Crown Jewel or his long-term plans in WWE. If anything, it seems likely that he'll be a simple speedbump along Reigns' path to WrestleMania 43, where a main event title clash with Oba Femi reportedly awaits him.

Written by Ella Jay