Jey Uso can become the World Heavyweight Champion for the second time this year. On Monday’s episode of Raw, he won a battle royale for the right to face CM Punk for the title at Saturday Night’s Main Event XLI next week.
This development came after Seth Rollins had to vacate the title because of a shoulder injury. WWE had begun the process of writing him off television by having his cohorts Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed betray him a week ago.
Unfortunately, certain elements conspire to make this bout look like the wrong decision…
Uso’s first title reign came amidst massive fan furor. He had broken out as a character in the Bloodline saga, and he eventually got himself a solo push, even winning the Intercontinental title. It eventually escalated to him winning the Royal Rumble this year, then dethroning GUNTHER at WrestleMania XL1.
However, calling the ensuing reign “weak” would be mildly putting it. Uso’s first major feud was with Logan Paul, and his alleged subpar in-ring skills and inability to carry an angle became apparent. They had already been present before, but his ascension to “Main Event” status only exacerbated those issues.
Eventually, WWE called an audible and had GUNTHER regain the title to set up a so-called “dream match” with the retiring Goldberg. It also faltered, but that is a different story altogether.
During that time, Uso also started involving himself in Rollins and The Vision’s feud with Punk – something that persists to this day. Speaking of that angle, there are a few names there who deserved to fight for the WHC over him…
One of said names is LA Knight. The veteran has been wrestling for many years now, even winning the Impact World Championship once. In the WWE, he has held the United States Championship twice but has yet to get his chance at main-event gold despite his charisma.
One can only imagine him and Punk exchanging barbs on the microphone on the go-home episode of Raw. The atmosphere would be electric.
Another option would have been Breakker, but general manager Adam Pearce banned both him and Reed from participating in the battle royale for their treachery. Still, imagine Rollins returning from his injury to see that man brandishing what he once had. He would be fuming with rage, which may set the tone for a captivating feud.
Outside that angle, there is also AJ Styles, who has been adamant that he will retire next year. He has been a top-tier champion many times, both in the WWE and elsewhere, so why not give him one last reign as a token of appreciation?
Now, this is not to say Uso is a bad wrestler. He can deliver with the right opponent, but his botches are a microcosm of why he lacks the believability required of a world champion. He has charisma, yes, but it can dissipate quickly when he fails to properly land a spear, as has happened once too often.
Luckily, WWE has been teasing a reunion with Uso’s twin brother Jimmy, whom he has not exactly been on the best terms with since SummerSlam 2023. Maybe returning to tag duty will be a better use of him right now…
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