Predictions for WWE Crown Jewel matchups emerge ahead of event

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A teased Rhea Ripley-Liv Morgan showdown on the April 20 episode of Raw could be headed for Crown Jewel. | (Photo: WWE) SummerSlam is over, and even though it’s still summer, WWE is already looking ahead to the fall. And so are we. One of WWE’s signature events as the leaves start to turn is Crown Jewel, where WWE’s men’s and women’s world champions meet to determine the Crown Jewel Champion, similar to how the best teams from two sports conferences play for a championship. If Crown Jewel were held today, Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk would face World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns in a WrestleMania 42 rematch. On the women’s side, either Interim WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green or reigning champ Rhea Ripley would take on Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan. But Crown Jewel isn’t today. In fact, WWE has yet to announce a date for the show. Adding to the mystery is Money in the Bank taking place in October, which could shake up the card entirely. With so many possibilities still in play, our staff of learned wrestling blowhards is here to predict which champions will be standing across the ring from each other when WWE gets to Crown Jewel. Crown Jewel Champion Predictions Undisputed WWE Champion vs. World Heavyweight Champion Geno Mrosko: If they’re heading for Saudi Arabia, they’re going to get what they want and why wouldn’t they want a match like CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns? No matter what the two are doing, it’s always going to make for compelling television, and it’s ready made with plenty of material for the two to dig back into if they go for it again. Why not? Prediction: WWE Champion CM Punk vs. World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns Sean Rueter: I don’t hold the Crown Jewel belt in much esteem personally — it’s comp for me is an All Star Game, and more Pro Bowl than 4-Nations Face-Off, if you get my drift. So for a belt we don’t hear about except for a few weeks a year on either side of this event, I don’t think they’ll worry about anything other than either pleasing the Saudis or packing the house if they take Crown Jewel back to Australia or to another non-U.S. destination. So let’s load it up and tease that rematch Punk offered the Code-ster. Let’s get weird and say Rhodes can only win the Crown Jewel strap by pinning the WWE champ, not the WHC. Prediction: WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes vs. World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes Claire Elizabeth: As much as I’d like to see Kevin Owens with a real world title on his shoulder for the first time (no the Universal doesn’t count), I don’t think he’s winning it from the Punker and I don’t think Cody can do it on a rematch either, which leaves us precious few options on the blue brand. GUNTHER? Randy Orton? Nah. So that leaves us with the WHC and it’s tempting to call a shuffle but the Tribal Chief just put it to Seth Rollins convincingly all by his lonesome and looking over the rest of the red roster I am just not seeing it, so it’ll be Punk’s chance to indulge in one more round of making Roman look strong and maybe get his win back in the process. Prediction: WWE Undisputed Men’s Champion CM Punk vs. WWE Men’s World Champion Roman Reigns Cain A. Knight: If Crown Jewel returns to Saudi Arabia, then maybe WWE will line up an even shorter WWE championship reign for Sami Zayn to coincide with it. Prediction: WWE Champion Sami Zayn vs. World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns M. G0MEZ: Despite WWE’s attempt to make Crown Jewel feel bigger than it is, it’s still not on the level of its “Big Four.” For that reason, I can’t see a big match like Punk vs. Reigns or Reigns vs. Rhodes happening at this event. What I can see is a Money in the Bank cash-in shaking up this year’s show to set up another rematch that will likely have a different outcome. Prediction: Undisputed Champ CM Punk vs. New World Champ Bron Breakker Jon Velez-Jackson: If I were booking in WWE, I’d have Roman Reigns lose to whomever wins the upcoming Luchador tournament, but I don’t really see the company making any big title moves in the men’s side soon. Perhaps, they’ll throw a surprise in here, though, and have the winner of the men’s Money in the Bank cash in on CM Punk or Reigns at Crown Jewel. WWE could tease this beforehand with the briefcase holder not revealing who he will target. (Otherwise, fans might not be too excited for this WrestleMania rematch.) Prediction: Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk vs. World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns WWE Women’s Champion vs. Women’s World Champion Geno Mrosko: I think Liv Morgan is going to be champion for some time, because they seem to really believe in her in a way they only seem to believe in the likes of Rhea Ripley or Charlotte Flair. So I’ll say she deals with the hard charging Becky Lynch and Stephanie Vaquer to survive to get to this matchup. The other side is much harder to anticipate but I’ll go with the feel good option and say it’s still the woman holding the title now. Prediction: Women’s Champion Chelsea Green vs. Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan Sean Rueter: For this one, I’m not even gonna get cute with this one. If WWE wants to make the most possible money (from me and people with the exact same tastes as me), the path is clear. Prediction: WWE Women’s World champion Becky Lynch vs. WWE Women’s champion Chelsea Green Claire Elizabeth: Now this one feels a little bit more up in the air. While I don’t feel like Stephanie Vaquer is likely to unseat Liv Morgan with her deathgrip on a title she never defends, you can never count Becky Lynch out, especially since she seemed a little less up her own backside this past Raw than she has been in some time. The SmackDown scene is all over the place thanks to Rhea Ripley’s injury and interim champ Chelsea Green has her ways and wiles. I suspect she’ll beat her current challenger Nia Jax but after that, with Jade Cargill and Charlotte Flair prowling, who knows? So I’m seeing a pair of changes leading to a Crown Jewel trial by fire as Jade Cargill proves herself against Becky Lynch for the first time. Prediction: WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill vs. WWE Women’s World Champion Becky Lynch Cain A. Knight: All these injuries on SmackDown could lead to Charlotte Flair becoming the WWE women’s champion again. Meanwhile, I don’t see Becky Lynch or Vaquer taking the world title from Liv Morgan in the short-term. Prediction: WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan M. G0MEZ: Becky Lynch and Stephanie Vaquer returned to Raw this week, each targeting Liv Morgan. Something tells me those two will get in each other’s way, allowing Morgan to retain her title. On SmackDown, I don’t predict a long interim reign for Chelsea Green. Instead, expect Jacy Jayne to topple Green on her way to becoming the undisputed queen of Friday nights. Prediction: New Women’s Champ Jacy Jayne vs. Women’s World Champ Liv Morgan Jon Velez-Jackson: Given the response to Chelsea Green winning the Women’s Championship, WWE would be foolish not to give her a decent run with the title. (I don’t put it anything past WWE Creative, though.) What I would like to see is Chelsea versus Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer, who takes Liv Morgan’s belt at some point before Crown Jewel, possibly via a Money in the Bank briefcase. Prediction: WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green vs. Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer That’s how we see Crown Jewel shaping up. In the comments, tell us where we’re wrong or why you agree, and give us your predictions for Crown Jewel!