The Infamous Crown Jewel IV?

 How's It Going, Enthusiasts?

Doing all right? Well, this is a delicate time in the WWE schedule as Saudi Arabia doesn't have the best rep. out there. Well, as many feel this is an abhorrent display, I'm going to side with the Triple H thinking and say that Saudi fans shouldn't be penalized for the ills of their government. Wrestling should be a political free zone because none of it's real anyway. It's supposed to serve as an escape from all those unpleasant truths. If anything, the Saudi fans are deserving because of them. This is a brief respite from perceived hardships. I say "perceived" because we don't know what it is to live in Saudi Arabia. I'm sure some places and people are reflections of the problem while others are markers of modern thought and progress. No one is in a position to dictate the direction of a culture. Only the culture itself will decide to evolve or not. 'Tis the crux of Human Nature. We do what we want. If that is how they want to live, that is their prerogative. May those who think differently seek proper shelter and those who are in favor find an agreeable medium. And so, onto the action.

I'm not sure what to think of this installment of Crown Jewel yet, it seems that more thought has been put into it in comparisons to the previous shows. A lot of time to think about it I suppose. It is a little interesting that The Undertaker is in town too. Should we expect him to make an appearance? Only if they can make it cool but there's no guarantees on that. WWE can be gratuitous in its idea of entertainment. As usual, I'll speak on a few matches that have my interest, the rest is up to them.

So, Crown Jewel is going on as I type and the first match that has my interest is Mustafa Ali vs. Mansoor. We all know that Mansoor is the Saudi darling and he has yet to lose at Crown Jewel, is that going to be a given a 3rd time around? Well, I'm fine with it if they give it some twists and turns. What I've been getting at with respecting the Saudi audience is that we all know that WWE tends to be repetitive. With an intelligent crowd, how is that supposed to hold interest? Even though they've only been there twice before, they should catch on quick that this is same ole same ole unless it isn't. Let's hope WWE put some thought into this one. 

The next match that has my interest is the Ladies Triple Threat with Sasha Banks, Bianca BelAir and Becky Lynch. There was speculation that Charlotte would make her way in but it sounds like she's not in town so, I guess scratch that. I'm not sure if Bayley is recovered for a surprise return and at the same time, not sure this is the place for it. Only other big surprise would be a veteran legend. I get the feeling this should be fairly straightforward and I don't doubt its potential. I don't care who wins this one as long as the finish isn't lame. There's where things get iffy.

And though I could have a long rant on how Goldberg vs. Bobby Lashley is probably going to be a huge waste of time, I'm just going to skip to Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns. I think this should be a good match. Now that Reigns gets what he's supposed to do out there, we can sort of just sit back and enjoy. What will be important here is relevancy. We're somewhat taken in by the question of Paul Heyman's allegiance but is that really so hard to figure? We all know that Heyman is a self-serving sort of character. He goes where the title goes and so, he'll side with whomever wins. What we look for is that reasonable conclusion. So, if Brock Lesnar wins, there has to be a long range plan for that. Slapping it on him is just that and it adds to the litany of complaints the WWE product already harbors. If they decide to do a switch up, Lesnar can't just go home and sit on it. Word is he was contracted for 8 appearances I think he's done like 4 if you count him just showing up so, he could win it to play out the final appearances or they could stick to the general script and keep it on Reigns since he's not going anywhere. Again, what matters most is a discernable thought process. If this is done just to do or just to irk fans then I don't know how WWE plans to last in the long-run. 

Going, "we've always managed..." isn't enough, especially when the self-sabotage is obvious. People will just think Nick Khan is delusional or Vince McMahon has gone senile. Now, I don't believe most of the rumors. I get the feeling the WWE Brass doesn't mind the fans thinking whatever the fuck they want because that leaves them the path to prove everyone wrong but that's just it. Many of us have yet to be impressed. I have to admit that it's better than it has been. AEW has definitely given WWE incentive to clean up their act but it will take time. They've been coasting for like the past 15 years. Do not  expect an instant turnaround. They have to discover what putting on a good show consistently is in the this modern age. There will be a lot of trial and error. Today, we'll see what they've learned to some degree. If there's any progress, that would count as a success to me. For those of you curious enough to watch, I'll start my own viewing probably around 3:30pm or 4pm PDT. I'll be on the lookout for funny and/or hilarious tweets but I won't expect much. This is not a popular event Stateside. I'll make the most of it just the same.

See You in a Bit,

-Nicole Alexis (^_~)