Published: 14 minutes ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 13 hours ago by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
WWE
Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn are set to determine the WWE Crown Jewel Championship on November 7, but a returning star could cause an upset.
The October 19 episode of WWE Raw saw Reigns, the current World Heavyweight Champion, exchange words with Zayn, the Undisputed WWE Champion, with the pair ruminating on who was the more significant title holder.
For Reigns, his focus is split between 946, with both stars aware that Penta has the Money in the Bank briefcase and a championship shot at his disposal.
With the WWE Crown Jewel Championship up for grabs for either of the top guys on Raw and SmackDown, an absent star may deliver a never-before-seen moment:
What went down on WWE Raw?
The show opened with Reigns admitting “it’s good to see you” to Zayn, with the pair sharing an embrace, before things went south.
For Reigns, he would call Zayn’s title reign “a burden”, reflecting on their shared past in The Bloodline, before The OTC would suggest that his counter number was a member of 946.
Zayn would call himself the head of his own table on SmackDown, noting what he had learned as an Honorary Uce, although Reigns would point out that the Undisputed WWE Championship is just “a title”.
They would go at it verbally, with arrogance and disrespect playing their part in the exchange, leading to Reigns talking about Zayn’s track record, stating, “You might not even have that championship come Crown Jewel.”
Then, to cap it all off, Penta made an appearance, complete with the Money in the Bank briefcase, just to remind both stars that there’s more ahead than Crown Jewel.
The better WWE champion
Reigns believes that whichever championship he holds is the “better” of the two, with the WWE Crown Jewel Championship embodying that in a more tangible form.
Created in 2024, the WWE Crown Jewel Championship is on the line at the PLE of the same name, with the Undisputed WWE Champion and World Heavyweight Champion both vying to claim it, without the burden of their respective title being on the line.
It’s as close to “bragging rights” as fans are likely to see in the modern WWE landscape, although how important it is outside of Crown Jewel is up for debate.
2024 saw Cody Rhodes as the inaugural WWE Crown Jewel Champion, with Seth Rollins claiming the title in his match against Rhodes last year.
The returning WWE star?
Last seen in action at WWE WrestleMania 42, Drew McIntyre has had an extended absence that has seen him involved in a number of Hollywood projects, including the reboot of the Highlander franchise.
Doing publicity on Going Ringside for “Agent of Shadows”, a vertical microdrama from ReelShort, McIntyre has recently stated suggested he may bring his sword back into play, with Reigns in his site, saying:
“I gotta beat Roman, because I’ve never beat him. One of the things, I’ve got these swords here, so if it comes to (it), because Roman’s got ninety-five family members, I may bring the sword back.”
The sword and the crown
And this brings us to WWE Crown Jewel.
Taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, there is a moment for Drew McIntyre to do the unthinkable, by preventing an answer to the argument born of arrogance when it comes to the top champion in WWE and robbing the fans of a new Crown Jewel Champion in a dastardly moment that could be talking about for months to come.
Likely to be the main event of the upcoming PLE, the sight of a returning Drew McIntyre, levelling both champions with a sword and picking the one he will pursue, would add a new layer to the championship picture, with the SmackDown star potentially returning on Raw or, even more wildly, holding both aloft and hinting at free agency.
However he returns, McIntyre is clearly going to make an impact, with a top championship likely to come his way.
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