It was a show mired in controversy before the event, but how did it turn out on the night?

Despite a fierce fan and media backlash, WWE went ahead with Crown Jewel in Riyadh last night. I watched most of it and, to be honest, was surprised by just how passable it was.

The dramatic reduction in propaganda made for a far less cringeworthy event than the Greatest Royal Rumble, but that’s not to say it went without some issues creatively. So, here is a list of random, out of order thoughts that probably would have been better expressed as tweets during the show, but my phone died…

Shane McMahon wins the WWE World Cup

This was bizarre. The tournament itself wasn’t terrible, and I’ll take multiple Seth Rollins outings any day – but the way it ended leaves some to be desired. Especially when you have Rey Mysterio back in a WWE ring and (apparently) signed on to a long term contract – to throw away the entire build just to have Shane walk away with the cup makes the whole exercise seem kind of pointless.

Don’t get me wrong, I know this was just a strange marketing gimmick for this ridiculous show, but if you’re going to do it – you might as well do something cool with it, right? (Like that ridiculous title belt they had made up for the GRR, I guess…).

If anything, they should have avoided having Shane on the show altogether just as to not have to play his entrance music which, in this context, was a little more than on the nose. I wasn’t sure if I should’ve laughed or cried at the sight of him parading around to the words “if you ain’t talking money then your talking don’t matter.”

Overlooking that for a moment though, how awesome was Miz’s selling of his injured ankle? There were a few minutes where I legitimately thought he was injured, and his performance throughout the night reminds me why is one of WWE’s true greats.

Brock Lesnar wins the WWE Universal title

Sigh.

Shawn Michaels returns

Should he have stayed in retirement? Absolutely. But he didn’t, and, in the event, wasn’t at all terrible. He wasn’t terrible, but the match…

Also wasn’t terrible – but part of me still wishes it didn’t happen.

I don’t really know what to say about DX vs the Brothers of Destruction. As someone who’s been watching wrestling for the better part of 15 years now, I feel a tremendous amount of respect for these guys as legends of the game – and little could change that. But these so-called nostalgia matches really don’t do anyone any favours, and I find it very hard to be honest about how I feel about them.

So I’ll just say what I liked about it. Triple H is in great shape, and should absolutely wrestle more. As far as I can tell, he could keep performing at a top level for a good few years yet. He’s got the rest of his life to be a corporate stooge, so he should carry on doing what he’s doing for as long as he can. His ring gear looked awesome, and I loved the NXT flourishes on his entrance jacket. When in wrestler mode, HHH is one the few remaining guys to incorporate metal imagery into his aesthetic – and I really connect with it.

Shawn Michael’s performance was incredibly surprising. I was expecting (and kind of hoping) he’d play it safe; stay in the corner for most of the match with an occasional Sweet Chin Music before retreating to safety. So while his in-ring work was impressive, I was watching a lot of it with my hands over my eyes, scared that this next knock would be the one to do some permanent damage. Shawn was his usual hilarious self though, and the bit where we went to run his fingers through his now absent hair had me in stitches.

Kane and Undertaker are among my favourite wrestlers of all time, and their promo videos from the last few weeks have been fantastic (if a little tone-deaf). But with Kane’s commitments outside of wrestling and after Undertaker’s storied career, I think time is nearly upon us for their final hoorah.

Last year, I wrote a blog with a dream storyline idea for Undertaker’s retirement. Whether or not that idea still works now, I’m not so sure, but their exit absolutely needs to be big and dramatic, and fitting of a pair of performers who have come to define a generation of wrestling.

Long-term

Long-term, I don’t know how much of this is going to play into WWE storylines. WWE will be keen to put the controversy in their rear-view mirror, and like the Greatest Royal Rumble before it, this really was just a glorified house show.

On the night, there were more than a couple of botches, and the presentation issues from GRR carried over here – namely the aristocracy milling about in the front rows, on their phones, generally apathetic, while all slumped in those hideous bucket chairs in the same disinterested pose made for particularly atmosphere-destroying viewing. Though shoutout to the set designers, the stage looked incredible, and makes me lament for the days when WWE we had a fresh stage for every big show.

The circumstances of these shows of course leave an unpleasant taste in one’s mouth, and WWE should absolutely be made to sit in their shame for a while. But as a night of wrestling, Crown Jewel could have been a lot worse.

We’ll have to wait for Survivor Series in a couple of weeks to gauge the longer-term outlook for WWE in light of everything that’s transpired over the last month. They let a lot of people down by going ahead with this show, even though I can’t ignore the looks of joy on some of the kids’ faces up in the general seating. But WWE must now earn our respect back, and make a conspicuous effort to put quality content in front of money, for a change.

They have it in them, and I remain hopeful.