Four Superstars Who Could Replace Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther at Crown Jewel

WWE's next premium live event was given a huge stipulation at the Bad Blood show in Atlanta, Georgia. The top champions of Raw and Smackdown will square off to determine a new exclusive champion for Saudi Arabia. That match, as of today, should be a banger. It seems clear that WWE is ready to go with its current configuration for that show. Still, it is fun to consider that some people could replace Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther at Crown Jewel. It wouldn't even be a shock, necessarily. Each already has built-in stories and rationales for fighting for and winning a world title. Likewise, most of them have already interacted with one another, adding to the potential intrigue in all four of the possible superstars.

Kevin Owens

On a relatively quiet show, an exceptionally long one for such a diminutive card, The Rock's return eclipses all other storylines. That is why many fans may have missed a social media exclusive in which Kevin Ownes turned against and jumped WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. That sets the direction for Cody. He is going to fight Kevin Owens for the title. If an enraged Cody asks for the match right away, WWE has plenty of time to get Owens the belt and build to a match with the World Heavyweight Champion.

Gunther vs. Kevin Owens would almost certainly be very, very good. However, it isn't a must-see or marquee match like Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther. The rationale for Kevin Owens winning is likely to hinge on the unlikely outcome where both Cody and Gunther are removed from the match. In that scenario, there is only one or two World Heavyweight Champions that WWE should consider for the spot opposite Owens.

Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn, like his best friend and mortal enemy Kevin Owens, is the current contender for a world title shot. Unlike Kevin Owens, Zayn even got some screen time by jumping Gunther in the ring at Bad Blood. Zayn lost his match with Gunther, which was where the smart money was in that fight. That likely won't be the ending of their feud, though. In fact, Sami could still grab the title after this meeting but before Crown Jewel.

Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens is a classic match that has never been given the main event it deserves. While the Saudi Arabia shows are controversial, they are indeed being treated as a major stage where big things happen—seeing those two end that show would be a significant payoff to a story of two phenomenal careers intertwined. Even if Kevin does not make it to the match, Zayn has a history with Cody Rhodes as well. The two are friends, sure, but Cody has a beef with his best friend. That loyalty he worked so hard to build back with Owens may not disappear so quickly this time. All of this is contingent on him somehow capturing the title he is just so good at fighting for.

CM Punk

If the Sami Zayn is really a one-and-done match, Gunther needs a contender for his title coming up. It isn't a right-now issue. They can just put him in the main event at Crown Jewel against Smackdown's champion. However, WWE will need a new challenger, and only one person will be at the forefront. After a significant win inside Hell in a Cell, CM Punk is clearly the number one contender. That will likely lead to a match between himself and Gunther for the title at Survivor Series. This is mostly because CM Punk isn't a fan of these shows in Saudi Arabia. That is understandable. Additionally, it has been just one year since his shocking return. Having a title match mark that occasion would be fitting. He could, though, still have that showdown while winning the title earlier. That would give him a crack at finishing a feud WWE will undoubtedly have a difficult time doing themselves.

If he was interested in doing Crown Jewel, this match is the perfect reason. CM Punk and Cody Rhodes got zesty last time they held dueling microphones. That was mostly to add some drama to the Royal Rumble match. However, there was a hugely positive response to their segments, and a singles match is absolutely warranted. CM Punk is winning the belt now, before the Survivor Series, which allows for his match with Gunther to happen, as well as a Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk match that fans would love to see. After that, he can disappear for a few months to rest for a huge road to WrestleMania, having had beef with both of WWE's top champions throughout the fall.

Randy Orton

Randy Orton is the most exciting option to consider because he could win either world title and feud with either world champion. In all scenarios, Randy would make the title match interesting. Arguably, Randy Orton replacing either man in Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther at Crown Jewel makes the story better. That he is a legendary WWE superstar who undoubtedly has fans in the upper echelons of the Suadi's royal family, who allegedly provide input to book these shows, is another mark for his ascension toward the Crown Jewel title match.

Randy Orton beating Gunther for his title is possible; they even had a title match earlier this year. It is unlikely, though. Still, Orton taking the world title off Gunther and having the mentor vs. mentee match with Rhodes could be an excellent way to get Orton a win over Cody without the title on the line, saving that showdown for a larger stage like Royal Rumble or even WrestleMania. That could even lead to a feud between the presumably defunct RKo team for the show. The more likely scenario, though, is that Orton uses the Kevin Owens distraction to get the title off Rhodes. Then he can rerun it for another great match with his more recent rival Gunther and maybe even get his win back.

WWE won't replace Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther at Crown Jewel.

Monday's Raw essentially confirmed that Gunther will face Cody in Saudi Arabia. Still, it is always fun to dive into what could have been, and of course, the card is subject to change. Cody Rhodes and Gunther have their history, though; they have faced off in monumental moments in two Royal Rumble matches. Gunther became world champion rather quickly, and Cody did not. The story is there, and the scenarios are eerily similar. The Bloodline has eclipsed Cody in recent months as Smackdown's top story. They even added him to that angle, but it didn't really change anything. On Raw, Gunther has been massively upstaged by CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, as well as Judgment Day. Both guys need a main event to boost their reigns, and they can do that against one another this year. The winner doesn't matter much, although it will probably be Gunther, as Cody has too many enemies not to get screwed over. Even in a loss, though, putting all eyes on the world titles is a smart move, and the two champions they have could use the slot more than anyone else.