In the penultimate match of WWE Crown Jewel 2022, Bianca Belair retained the Raw Women’s Championship over Bayley, besting ‘The Role Model’ in a Last Woman Standing match. ‘The EST of WWE’ secured the win by trapping Bayley between either side of a ladder, subsequently sliding her underneath the turnbuckles to prevent her from escaping.
This marked the ninth televised defence of the red brand championship for Belair. She first lifted the title from Becky Lynch on night one of WrestleMania 38, and has since fought off Asuka, Sonya Deville, Carmella, and others to reach what is currently her 218th day as the champion.
Posting to her Instagram story, Bianca noted that she made her own gear. Given the strict laws in Saudi Arabia, all of WWE’s female personnel for the event were allowed to have only their hands and head on show. For Belair, she opted for an EST-adorned purple bodysuit that was, for the most part, either sewn by hand or glued together:
“I didn’t have time to make my gear at home. So I made this gear on the road between shows in hotel rooms, on bus rides, and on plans. Soooo…most of this gear was sewn by hand or glued together.”
Bianca Belair Among History Makers At WWE Crown Jewel
WWE has come far since its first premium live event in Saudi Arabia. Casting your mind back to April 2018 reminds you that no women, in-ring or otherwise, were featured on the card. That’s a stark contrast to today’s events in the country, with several female WWE Superstars featured.
In total, there were twelve females featured during the broadcast of Crown Jewel, including its Kickoff show where Jackie Redmond hosted alongside Matt Camp and Peter Rosenberg. In-ring-wise, Dakota Kai, IYO SKY, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Bianca Belair, and Bayley all competed, whereas Rhea Ripley, Nikki Cross, and Scarlett were involved elsewhere. Two female referees also made the trip over, those being Jessika Carr and Daphne Lashaunn.
History was also made with the crowning of new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Damage CTRL’s victory, thus beginning their second reign with the titles, marked the first time a women’s championship had changed hands in Saudi Arabia.