WWE Crown Jewel 2025 predictions, expert picks, card time, date
On Saturday, WWE Crown Jewel will be held outside Saudi Arabia for the first time since the start of the event. This year’s event will be held in Perth, Australia, although it will operate in the same format as last year’s crown jewel.
This means two main matches featuring WWE’s top champions. On the men’s side, Cody Rhodes, the undisputed WWE Champion, will face World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. For the women, world champion Io Sky will face WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton. The winners of those matches will win the ceremonial Crown Jewel Championship, and receive their victory ring.
There are some other huge matches lined up for the card, which will take place at 8 a.m. on Saturday, including one of John Cena’s final matches on his retirement tour as he takes on an old rival in AJ Styles. Roman Reigns will also be in action, facing Bronson Reed in an Australian street fight.
With several big matches scheduled for the event, let’s take a look at what CBS Sports’ pro wrestling experts think will happen when the action gets underway in Perth.
WWE Crown Jewel predictions for 2025
Crown Jewel Championship for men — Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins: The Crown Jewel clause is specifically designed for Rhodes to lose. It makes no sense in the grand scheme of things. Rhodes has cemented his place at the top with multiple wins over Rollins upon his return to WWE. It’s time for Rollins to get a shot at “The American Nightmare.” On Raw, CM Punk quipped that he respects Rhodes too much to get involved in his business, suggesting that The Vision’s numbers game could trump the son of a plumber’s son. Choice: Seth Rollins wins — Shakeel Mahjouri
Maybe I’m leaning too heavily into what would be more interesting rather than what WWE is likely to do. Rhodes getting Rollins’ number and causing a crisis of confidence for The Vision’s leader is interesting; Rollins winning with the help of Bronson Reed and Bronbreaker is not. Likewise, Rollins winning alone doesn’t have much impact on how Vision’s story is built. Paul Heyman has already sent a message to Rollins that a loss is unacceptable and will make him question the decision to back Rollins over Roman Reigns. Will Breaker be content to sit behind a guy who can’t get the job done against Rhodes? The most interesting option is for Rhodes to win, so that’s what WWE should do. Choice: Cody Rhodes wins — Brent Brockhouse
Crown Jewel Championship for Women — Tiffany Stratton vs. Stephanie Vacker: Vaquer is a new champion who needs to continue building credibility as a major star at the event level. Stratton has had good success with her title, so the loss isn’t particularly damaging in the same way it might be for Vaquer. This leads to some very simple math that just says it gives Vaquer the victory. Choice: Stephanie Vacker wins — Brockhouse (also Mahjouri)
John Cena vs AJ Styles: Cena vs. Styles is the most deserving bye tour match that requires the least amount of story building. They had shockingly great matches at the height of their rivalry. That’s enough to guarantee a final tango. It’s unfortunate that most of Cena’s retirement tour was immature. Cena’s loss to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza really frustrated fans. He is unlikely to receive another clean loss with his final match fast approaching. Styles, who recently said he will retire next year, doesn’t have much to gain by defeating Cena. All anyone wants to see is another solid match from one of the most surprising feuds in WWE history. Choice: John Cena wins — Mahjouri (also Brockhaus)
Roman Reigns vs Bronson Reed: Reigns matches are very rare which makes the results somewhat predictable. Reed was there to give Reigns someone he could beat to stay around the main picture without actually being in it. It’s hard to imagine Reed beating Reigns. What purpose will this serve? To set up a third match between Reigns and Reed? This doesn’t seem like a good way to use Reigns moving forward. This must mean Reigns wins so he can move on to Breaker. Choice: Roman Reigns wins — Brockhouse (also Mahjouri)
Rhea Ripley and Io Sky vs. The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane): Ripley and Skye are bigger stars than kabuki warriors. Plain and simple. It doesn’t look like WWE has much planned long-term for the heel duo, at least not enough to give them wins over two of the women’s division’s biggest stars. This match is mostly an excuse to put Ripley in front of her home fans. Expect Mami to deliver a big win for her fellow Aussies. Choice: Rhea Ripley and Io Sky win — Mahjouri (also Brockhaus)