WWE Crown Jewel 2021: Results, Reigns retains, full recap and analysis

Roman Reigns is still your Universal Champion.

Lesnar dominated at first, as you'd expect. In a clever strategy, Reigns resisted Lesnar's suplexes by lingering close to the ropes and clinging to them each time Reigns attempted a German, though eventually he did connect with one.

Eventually the tide turned when Reigns clocked Lesnar with a Superman Punch onto the outside, then laid him out with a beautiful over-the-top-rope dive onto Lesnar. He cut Lesnar down with a Spear for a two count.

Reigns blitzed Lesnar with a series of Superman Punches, then went for another Spear. Lesnar, being the freak that he is, leapfrogged over Reigns, who crashed into the turnbuckle. The whole crowd is loving this. Lesnar finally got to take Reigns to Suplex City, hitting him with three more German Suplexes. Lesnar lands an F5, but only gets a two.

Lesnar attempted a second F5, but Reigns countered it into a Guilottine, which Lesnar was able to power out. Lesnar manages to land a second F5, but inadvertently knocks out the referee. Lesnar, in his own gentle way, tries to prod the ref -- by lifting him up by the belt and plopping him on the ground. When he turns around, he eats another Spear from Reigns.

Heyman throws the Universal Championship into the ring, right in the middle of Lesnar and Reigns. They get into a tug-of-war, then the Usos interfere by hitting a double Superkick onto Lesnar. Reigns then clobbers Lesnar with the Universal Championship for the pinfall.

Rating: 3 stars. Michael Cole assured us that Brock Lesnar wouldn't forget this night, and with the screwy finish it's assured that these two will have a rematch. That makes sense, because this match wasn't wrestled like a blowoff. This felt like an appetizer to setup another main event on a different stage.

Also important to note is that Heyman's allegiences are still unknown. On paper, Heyman helped Reigns retain the title by lobbing the Universal Championship into the ring. But Heyman threw the title preciely in the middle of Reigns and Lesnar, and it could be only by storyline chance that it worked in Reigns' favor. This story is definitely not over.