This Saturday, WWE Crown Jewel 2026 comes your way from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a card that (pending Friday's "WWE SmackDown") consists of four matches — three of which will be contested for championships. In addition to the world tag titles, both Crown Jewel Championship belts will be on the line, while in the sole non-title bout, Cody Rhodes enters his first-ever Last Man Standing match against longtime friend and rival Randy Orton.

But of course, not every match is created equal — especially not when it comes to making fans want to watch the show. Which of these four matches has the WINC crew ready to brave any and all dangers, and which makes us want to throw in the towel? Here is our biggest draw and biggest dud for WWE Crown Jewel 2026!

Ever since Cody Rhodes returned to WWE in 2022, I dreamed of a WrestleMania clash between him and his former mentor, Randy Orton. Unfortunately, that dream later turned into a nightmare as unnecessary celebrity involvement spoiled a story that required nothing else but two men leaning into their deep-rooted history.

I'm happy to see that this story has since gotten a second chance, with Orton first planting the seed for a proper rematch by dropping "The American Nightmare" with an RKO at SummerSlam. In their official rematch at Sunday Night's Main Event, the calculated "Viper" then preyed on Rhodes' kind-heartedness by "begging" him not to deliver a vicious punt kick. Rhodes fell for the trick, ultimately getting lured into a low blow and another RKO from his Legacy mentor.

Following his loss, Rhodes' character direction was met with a number of questions from viewers, myself included. Would he remain the "good guy," even if it harmed his "QB1" reputation? Or would he go off the deep end and even the playing field?

Heading into Crown Jewel, it's clear that Rhodes has chosen the latter, with Baron Corbin recently falling victim to a punt kick issued by him. I'd argue that this move was for the better, both for Rhodes' on-screen character and his ongoing story with Orton.

Rhodes' new-found aggression adds a refreshing layer to the Rhodes-Orton feud. With Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll also taken out of it, the WWE rivals can tell a much more compelling story that we, as viewers, can sink our teeth into in return. Add in the fact that Rhodes has never competed in a televised Last Man Standing Match (something Orton wisely leaned into during his latest promo), and WWE has a promising recipe for this Crown Jewel faceoff.

Written by Ella Jay

There are quite a few things you could say about Liv Morgan versus Chelsea Green. It's a clash of champions, the WWE Women's World Champion against the WWE Women's Champion, for neither of those belts but rather a purely ceremonial WWE Crown Jewel Championship. That's a title belt that resides exclusively in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is not defended but rather contested like the FA Community Shield in soccer. But that's pretty much all that can be said for the title match: hollow sales spiel. 

Part of the issue going into this match is the feeling that Green is just an Interim Champion. Sure, WWE stopped calling her that and removed the asterisk they originally put on the title reign, but she has been presented as someone who just got lucky and has since become a deer in headlights at the hint of confrontation. She has been aligned with Tiffany Stratton, holder of the Money in the Bank briefcase, in an almost carbon copy of Stratton's 2024 partnership with Nia Jax. And that has been a stain, not only on her reign thus far, but also on the build-up to the match at Crown Jewel. 

Much of the segments have been built so that Green is bested by the numbers of Morgan and the Judgment Day, Stratton then making the save and going to cash in on Morgan; Judgment Day members invariably then make the save. 

There is no apparent reason, outside of the format, for Green and Morgan to be fighting. One is a champion who feels too beatable. One is a champion who wins in spite of everything. And a sizable part of their story has been whether Stratton will cash in Money in the Bank. None of it is too compelling coming into the event. 

The Crown Jewel title is one of those gimmicks that really feels best-suited, if it must exist, as a means for the best of the best to face one another. Roman Reigns versus Sami Zayn feels like a match that somewhat fits that criteria. Liv Morgan vs. Chelsea Green does not.