Jimmy Uso’s SmackDown Return Likely Means The End Of Jey Uso’s Singles Run
Jey Uso enjoyed the career-redefining run this past fall. His brother Jimmy was out of action due to injury, and his cousin Roman Reigns became a blueprint for how to push a top heel. So, Jey was uniquely positioned to be the first major challenger to Reigns in his new Universal Championship run, after which he became The Head of the Table’s right-hand man. Now that Jimmy is back, though, Jey’s time as a singles wrestler may be coming to an end.
Jimmy Has Buzz
Jey Uso garnered his share of momentum in 2020 for several reasons. His real-life familial connection to Roman Reigns made their on-screen issue believably personal. Jey also held up his end in heavily featured matches, playing the underdog brilliantly.
Related: Why Roman Reigns & Jey Uso Have The Best Family Storyline (& 5 Better Ones)
Perhaps the biggest ingredient for Jey’s success as a singles wrestler, though, was how fresh it felt. Long-time fans were well aware of Jimmy and Jey’s talent after years of putting on excellent matches with New Day, The Bludgeon Brothers, and a multitude of other tandems. But seeing Jey as a featured solo act felt genuinely fresh and exciting.
Indeed, Jey still had some of that excitement behind him as he transitioned to a heel supporting role behind Reigns, putting on strong matches opposite Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, and others. But Jimmy’s return immediately shifted fans’ focus, producing intrigue as to what side he’s really on and what his presence might mean for his brother. With Jimmy positioned as the fresh returning act, Jey looks at real risk of receding to the background.
Jimmy And Jey Can’t Escape Each Other
There are certain acts that WWE can’t seem to permanently extract from one another. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, for example, seem to have a certain magnetism, be it as partners or opponents, that has drawn them together time and again over the last six years across NXT, Raw, and SmackDown.
The connection is even more pronounced for individuals who are always synonymous with teaming together. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan could never escape each other’s orbit in WWE, just as—so long as they were working for the same company—fans were never too far from a Hardy Boyz reunion. That sibling connection can be all the more pronounced, be it for kayfabe siblings The Dudley Boyz, or real-life sisters like The Bella Twins.
Indeed, the twin connection maximizes the degree of difficulty in separating wrestlers. Looking near-identical makes it hard to see one sibling without thinking of the other and, for practical purposes, can make it difficult to tell them apart when they wrestle as opponents. It may well be a key reason why WWE never tried to push Jimmy or Jey Uso as a singles act before that they never thought they’d be able to differentiate their characters. While Jey blossomed in his solo run, it stands to reason they won’t ever be separate for long as characters as long as they’re both on the active roster.
The Team Will Reunite
With the possible exception of New Day, The Usos are the greatest tag team WWE has had in the last decade. Sure, some fans may argue on behalf of The Bar, Team Hell No, or a handful of other units. Jimmy and Jey Uso debuted in 2010, though. They've evolved through different versions of themselves and have held the tag titles six times, cumulatively reigning for over six hundred days. Their longevity, kayfabe accomplishments, and track record of producing good to great matches against an exhaustive list of opponents positioning them alongside the greatest tag teams in WWE history.
It's only a matter of time before WWE puts these two back together on a permanent basis. Moreover, they have some of their most natural stories to be told together, whether they’re the heel tandem that fleshes out a dominant faction behind Roman Reigns, or a face team that rises up against him and other villains. The odds are fans will see both of these stories and quite a few more across the years to come.
Jey Uso had the solo run of his career working opposite and then under Roman Reigns for a half year. Winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal over WrestleMania 37 weekend was less of a stepping stone than a capstone for that journey, however, because the return of his brother Jimmy means their on-screen fates will be intertwined moving forward. Jey’s accomplishments out on his own should elevate the team, though, and do offer proof of concept that he, and perhaps Jimmy as well, could thrive on their own if one of them gets hurt again.
Next: Jimmy Uso Is Right, Teaming With Roman Reigns Has Hurt Jey Uso
