WWE Crown Jewel 2023 Results: Rollins Beats McIntyre

Seth Rollins defeated Drew McIntyre in an excellent opener at WWE Crown Jewel 2023. In the impressive debut of Byron Saxton’s ring announcing career, Rollins and McIntyre lived up to their lofty introductions with an entertaining back-and-forth match. The Saudi crowd was red-hot for the contest, and they leaned heavily in the corner of McIntyre.

Following McIntyre’s loss, the WWE commentary team suggested Drew McIntyre may consider joining the Judgment Day to finally regain a world championship. Backstage, Rhea Ripley smirked at a dejected McIntyre, almost as if to say “I told you so.” After the match, Damian Priest attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, only for Sami Zayn to hijack the briefcase and abscond into the crowd.

McIntyre was the clear favorite of the Saudi Crowd in the Mohamed Abdo Theater. Fans, clearly thirsty for a title change, chanted for the heel-leaning McIntyre throughout the match while lightly booing Rollins at times.

In Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins ran into the most believable Superstar to dethrone him for the WWE World Championship. Rollins was just a -500 favorite over McIntyre, compared to Reigns’ insurmountable -5000 line.

WWE excelled in telling the story of Drew McIntyre’s slow-burning heel turn. Like any great heel, McIntyre has been justified in his actions but is going about them in an unlikable way. McIntyre continues to stew over being victimized by the pandemic and the Bloodline. Though just about every top WWE star can make the same claim, it can be argued that nobody was victimized worse by the pandemic and the Bloodline than Drew McIntyre.

And McIntyre made sure you knew about it.

McIntyre’s increasingly salty promos are reminiscent of Bret Hart’s heel turn in 1997, one of the most effective heel-turns of modern-day wrestling. McIntyre continues to be wronged, and with nobody lifting a finger to help him, he has grown cynical and bitter. This refreshing character arc has added some much-needed depth to McIntyre, who has largely floundered since losing to Reigns at Clash in the Castle. What was once a helpless downward spiral for McIntyre has become a compelling one.

As Drew McIntyre’s heart grows darker, WWE continues to tease the possibility of McIntyre joining The Bloodline. Damian Priest continues to have tensions with the Judgment Day. Assuming he gets another shot at Rollins’ world championship, Drew McIntyre as world champion could set the stage for a dramatic Judgment Day double-cross of Money in the Bank winner Priest.

WWE Raw has stagnated in recent weeks and is in need of a change. Drew McIntyre turning heel and winning the WWE World Championship could have been that change. But with WWE teasing a McIntyre-Judgment Day alliance, change may be on its way.