Good morning, wrestling fans! It early in the U.S., but in Australia, it’s prime time for WWE action. The Crown Jewel event at RAC Center in Perth features two Crown Jewel Championship matches, a stop on the John Cena retirement tour, a tag team match filled with mixed feelings, and something called an Australian Street Fight that we will be learning about alongside you.
In the Men’s Crown Jewel Championship match, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will go up against World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, who has not beaten Rhodes in three tries. There is a Crown Jewel Championship ring on the line here, but the bigger reward is the right to be called the face of the WWE — at least according to Rollins.
On the women’s side of the championship coin, Women’s WWE Champion Tiffany Stratton and newly crowned Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer will meet for the first time in just the seventh match between two current women’s champions. The card also features a tag team match that pits Australian superstar Rhea Ripley and her somewhat reluctant partner Iyo Sky against Sky’s mentor-turned-nemesis Asuka and her sidekick, Kairi Sane. Roman Reigns accepted Aussie Bronson Reed’s challenge to an Australian Street Fight on “Raw” earlier this week, and no one knows for sure what to expect, but it should be fun.
The final match on the Crown Jewel card has been a long time coming. For the fifth and final time in their decorated wrestling careers, John Cena and AJ Styles will meet in the ring to finish their story. Both superstars competed and were victorious at WWE’s first Premium Live Event in Australia, 2018’s Super Show-Down in Melbourne, so it’s fitting this is where they will write their ending.
Follow along with ESPN’s Andreas Hale all morning for breakdowns of every match and the sights and sounds from Perth.