Why is the first-ever Crown Jewel considered one of the worst WWE PPVs of all time? Reason for unapologetic feedback explored

The fifth WWE Crown Jewel event is set to occur this weekend on November 4, 2023, at the Mohammed Abdu Arena in Saudi Arabia. While the event has been well-received in recent years, that wasn't always the case, especially when it was first established in 2018.

WWE began a 10-year partnership with the Ministry of Sport in support of Saudi Vision 2030 in 2018. In that same year, Crown Jewel was announced. It had a total of 12 matches, which included people like Triple H, The Undertaker, Seth Rollins, Shawn Michaels, and more. However, it wasn't well-received by both fans and professionals.

The event was rushed and wasn't well thought out compared to others. Including wrestling legends like The Undertaker, Kane, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H the event was treated as a novelty and used big names to generate hype. There weren't any proper storylines or feuds behind it. The wrestlers were already past their prime, and it showed in their performance, which they called a "trainwreck."

The inaugural Crown Jewel also hosted its very own World Cup. Some of the matches in the tournament were good, but the sudden insertion of Shane McMahon to replace "The Miz" and end it with him winning grabbed the headlines.

The event was also filled with controversy. No female wrestlers were featured on the card; only Renee Paquette (FKA Renee Young) was present for commentary. A couple of stars also refused to perform in the event, namely John Cena and Daniel Bryan (AKA Bryan Danielson).

Has there been improvement with WWE Crown Jewel after its inaugural show?

Roman Reigns vs Logan Paul at last year's CJ event was highly praised

Fortunately, Crown Jewel has become a much better show. However, there were still some hiccups throughout the years, whether that may be due to its political nature or from WWE itself.

After Crown Jewel 2019, the flights were delayed and caused over 175 superstars to be stranded in the Middle East. This caused some concerns for the well-being of the stars, but fortunately, there were no issues with their health and safety before returning. The official cause of the delay was said to be a mechanical issue.

Women were allowed to wrestle in the event. In 2019, it featured its first women's match between Natalya and Lacey Evans. More women followed through in the following years. However, it is noted that they were not allowed to wear their usual ring gear for fear of it being to revealing.

Who will be present at WWE Crown Jewel 2023?

Eight matches are currently scheduled for the Saudi Arabia event. The kick-off show will feature Sami Zayn vs. JD McDonagh, and the likes of Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair, Logan Paul, John Cena, and more are expected to appear at the event.

It remains to be seen what will transpire with the upcoming Saudi Arabia event this weekend.

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