The match on the Kick Off Show was for the United States Championship as Rusev challenges Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura hits a backstabber to get the advantage and keeps Rusev down with kicks and knee strikes. Rusev manages to get out of a headlock and start a comeback. Rusev avoids a Kinshasa to put on the Accolade. However, Nakamura "accidentally" headbutts Rusev in the groin while getting out of the Accolade then hits the Kinshasa to get the win. This was a decent match between the two.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamua (1 for 1)
After WWE decide to start with a segment involving that racist piece of shit Hulk Hogan (fuck's sake...), we get our first match in the WWE World Cup, which was between Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton. Orton hits a dropkick on Mysterio while he was in the air and continues to beat him down. Mysterio gets back into it with a senton and a DDT. In the end, Orton goes for the RKO but Mysterio avoids it and pins him to get the win. Orton responds by hitting Mysterio with a RKO anyway then proceeds to slam him against the Arabic announce table. This match was ok.
Winner: Rey Mysterio (N/A)
Our second quarter final pits Jeff Hardy against Hollywood Miz. Miz hits a couple of running dropkicks but gets hit with a clothesline when he goes for a third. The match goes back and forth before Hardy goes for the Twist of Fate. However, Miz reverses it into a Skull Crushing Finale to get the win. This was a decent match and it sets up an interesting semi-final between Miz and Rey Mysterio.
Winner: Hollywood Miz (N/A)
The third quarter final was Seth Rollins taking on Bobby Lashley with hype man Lio Rush. Lashley hits a brutal spine buster to get the advantage. Rollins counters a vertical suplex then goes on to hit a couple of suicide dives to get back the momentum. Rollins goes on to hit the Curb Stomp to get the win. This was quite a short match and I was surprised that Lio Rush didn't get involved to help out Lashley.
Winner: Seth Rollins (N/A)
The final quarter final was between Kurt Angle and Dolph Ziggler. The match starts at a slow pace with lots of holds before Ziggler gets the advantage. Angle goets back into it with multiple German suplexes. Angle hit the Olympic Slam but Ziggler kicks out at 2. Angle manages to put on the Ankle Lock but Ziggler manages to power out of it and goes on to hit the Zig Zag to get the win. This was quite a good match.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler (N/A)
Next is The New Day challenging The Bar with The Big Show for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. The Bar focus their attention on Kofi Kingston before he gets the hot tag to Big E. Big E goes for the Big Ending on Sheamus but Big Show distracts the referee. Show goes on to hit Big E with a punch when the referee is looking away. Sheamus follows that with a Brogue Kick to get his team the win. This was a good match between the two teams.
Winners: The Bar (2 for 2)
We now get our first semi-final in the WWE World Cup between Hollywood Miz and Rey Mysterio. Miz gets the advantage and keeps Mysterio down. Miz goes for a pumphandle slam but Mysterio reverses it into a DDT to start a comeback. Miz manages to hit a Skull Crushing Finale but it only gets 2. In the end, Mysterio hits a 619 then goes for a frog splash. However, Miz gets his knees up and pins to get the win. It was a bit of a damp ending but it was a good match.
Winner: The Miz (N/A)
The second semi-final was between Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins. Drew McIntyre distracts Rollins, giving Ziggler the chance to hit a DDT. After a few pinning combinations, Rollins hits the ripcord knee for 2. In the end, McIntyre takes advantage of the referee being distracted to push Rollins off the turnbuckle. Ziggler then hits a super kick to get the win. This was a good match and I was surprised that Ziggler won. Based on their previous history, Ziggler vs The Miz should be a good match tho.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler (N/A)
Next is Samoa Joe challenging AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. Styles attacks the left knee at the beginning but Joe bounces him off the crowd barrier to get some momentum. Styles hits a step up enzigiuri to start a comeback. After some back and forth, Joe manages to apply the Coquina Clutch but Styles attacks the knee to help him get out of it. In the end, Styles hits the Phenomenal Forearm to get the win. This was a good match and, after some of the stupid endings that they've previously had, it was nice to have this match have a clean ending.
Winner: AJ Styles (3 for 3)
We now get Brock Lesnar taking on Braun Strowman for the vacant Universal Championship. Acting General Manager of RAW Baron Corbin presents the Championship belt then hits Strowman on the back of the head with it. The bell rings and Lesnar hits 3 F-5s but Strowman kicks out each time. Lesnar then F-5's Strowman out of the ring and after a very, very brief fightback, Lesnar hits a fifth F-5 to get the win. Wait, what?! My reaction to that was:
Seriously, what the fuck was that?! You have had a part time Champion for almost a year and a half, now you want to go back to that so soon?! Plus, you just made Strowman once again look stupid. Ah well, be prepared for Lesnar's first title defence in what? A year or two?
Winner: Brock Lesnar (3 for 4)
The penultimate match is WWE World Cup Final between Hollywood Miz and Dolph Ziggler. The referee tells McIntyre to go to the back before the match. Then Miz attacks Ziggler before the bell. When Miz throws him out of the ring and follows him, he lands badly. They continue fighting but Miz is not able to continue so Shane McMahon, who was watching at ringside with Baron Corbin, decides to take his place...? What?! I take it Rey Mysterio or any Smackdown wrestler was suddenyl unavailable?! Anyway, during the match, Corbin interferes so he gets ejected. Ziggler beats the fuck out of Shane but Shane recovers and hits a Coast to Coast to get the win?! Shane McMahon wins the World Cup?!?!
Seriously, what the fuck just happened?! This show was pretty decent so far then in the last two matches, it just went off the fucking rails. Michael Cole on commentary was stunned and angry over what had happened and I agree with him. I cannot believe that they ended a decent tournament like that.
Winner: Shane McMahon?! (N/A)
The main event is where we get to see the return of Shawn Michaels as he teams up with Triple H to take on The Undertaker and Mayor Kane. I am not looking forward to this so let's get through it. Early on, Triple H suffers a torn pectoral muscle so he has to do most of the match with one arm. Michaels goes for the Sweet Chin Music on Kane but he gets hit with a Chokeslam instead. The match descends into chaos and Kane chokelams Triple H through the announce table. Undertaker and Kane beat up Michaels for what seems like a year before Triple H gets tagged in. In the end, Kane gets hit with a Sweet Chin Music by Michaels followed by a Pedigree by Triple H and D-X get the win.
The match was ok and Michaels did better than I thought he would. However, did this match, involving 3 guys in their 50s, need to go for 27 minutes; especially since the only regular-ish wreslter gets seriously injured?
Winners: Triple H and Shawn Michaels (4 for 5)
Crown Jewel was going actually quite well but it suddenly went to shit near the end. The main event was ok but once again, it was far too long. Hopefully, WWE can now put this show behind them and focus on Survivor Series
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