The build-up tothe World Heavyweight Championship match atWrestleMania 41has been nothing short of controversial, despite featuring two ofWWE’s most popular stars at the moment,Jey Uso and Gunther. When Jey won the Royal Rumble, reactions were split. He remains immensely popular with live audiences, but other fans believe he hasn’t earned his “Main Event” moniker yet, and more deserving Superstars were in the Rumble match. It doesn’t help that Jey decided to challenge Gunther, who is extremely over with that segment of the audience that can be described as “purists” or, in a more derogatory term, “internet fans”.
What has been truly lacking from this match, however, is a powerful storyline. Jey and Gunther had three previous encounters (Jey had lost all of them), but there was not much meat to the bone. Gunther was never involved in the Bloodline orbit, which has been Jey’s main storyline for the past few years. Moreover, the beginning of their WrestleMania feud looked simmering at best, rather than explosive, and fans online started expressing dissatisfaction with Jey. Everything changed, however, duringMonday Night Rawfrom London, UK.
Jey Uso vs. Gunther Suddenly Got Extremely Interesting in London
Jimmy Played His Role Perfectly, Pushing Jey’s Match to the Level It Needed to Be
In London, Gunther faced Jimmy Uso, who was eager to defend his brother’s honor after Gunther insulted and victimized him last week. The match went as expected, with the Ring General beating the Yeet out of Big Jim, but things got really interesting after the final bell rang. The after-match segment was perhaps the highlight of the show, which is saying a lot, consideringCena and Cody opened with a magnificent promo battle. When Jey rushed to his brother’s help, Gunther handcuffed him to the ropes and proceeded to brutalize Jimmy, busting him open and literally bathing in his blood. A powerful, gory visual that we did not expect from a WWE show in this day and age.
This is exactly what both competitors needed. Time has proved that, in pro wrestling, success is built on the simplest story, a tale as old as humankind: good vs. evil. This definition has shifted a lot during the history of the WWE, but it’s undeniable that the most visceral reactions from fans come when they can relate with an underdog hero who beats the odds and overcomes an evil and resourceful villain. In less than ten minutes, WWE gave us all that and more.
WWE Finally Takes the Brakes Off One of WrestleMania’s Main Matches
Raw’s Main Title Deserves a Great Story
Finally, we got everything we needed from this feud: drama, emotion, stakes, personal issues, a heel that looks devilishly threatening, and an underdog babyface who has to battle through struggles and overcome the odds. The visuals were amazing too: Jey tied up and powerless, Jimmy unconscious and bleeding,Gunther bathing in his blood. Pure cinema, as some would say. In one stroke, WWE solved two big issues with this feud. First, Gunther did not feel threatening, having to resort to cowardly heel tactics that contrasted with his mighty in-ring persona. Second, Jey had nothing to fight for besides a belt, which is never enough to build an interesting story.
Now,the very-much-likely coronation of Main Event Jey Uso atWrestleMania 41as the new world champion will not just feel good for Jey’s hardcore fans or for the lucky ones who will be Yeeting in Allegiant Stadium. It will resonate with the larger audience who will watch the show worldwide because it’s now a story about things that everyone can relate to: brotherly love, abuse, courage, resilience, overcoming the odds, and, most of all, good vs. evil. The most relatable story of them all.
For Gunther, losing the title now won’t hurt him as much. He has established himself not just as a great, dominant in-ring wrestler but also as a really scary heel. That visual of him licking Jey’s blood will be used in a lot of reels. It’s a necessary step forward for the Ring General, who did a great job until now but also does not want to risk his character getting stale.
Was It Too Late to “Fix” the Build to the World Championship Match?
While what happened in London was great, it was only two weeks beforeWrestleMania, and one could argue thatWWE could have invested more in this feud at an earlier stage. Also, it’s undeniable that things got interesting only after Jimmy got involved, which opens an unpleasant question for his brother: is Jey Uso still too tied to Jimmy/the Bloodline to shine as a singles star? The thunderous (literally, ashe is making arenas shake) reactions he receives from live audiences are a fact, along with his merch sales, but LA Knight was getting the same, and he has floundered to the midcard due to the lack of a powerful story to keep him at the top.
Fans' criticism of Jey also opens up another interesting avenue, as it plays into the endless “wrestler vs. entertainer” debate. WWE has used a little bit of that wording in the feud, but not enough to make it a key component. At the end of the day, the amazing segment duringMonday Night Rawin London did everything it could tosave the Jey vs. Gunther feud. Now, they have to capitalize on it in the two weeks left and, more importantly, deliver a match atWrestleMania 41that will silence critics and awe fans. The story is there, now.
