Monday Night Jey Uso: A Solo Run on Raw for Jey Uso is a Big Deal

Jey Uso is set for what should be a major run on WWE Monday Night Raw. 

On the 2023 Payback Card, wrestling royalty Cody Rhodes exerted some of his apparent power to announce that Jey Uso, who had walked out of WWE, was back and alone as a member of the Raw roster. A solo run on Raw for Jey Uso is a big deal for the company, the performer, and the Bloodline. He had much to unpack his first night on the red brand, which the creative team will likely do every week. He reignited with old friends, found some older rivals, and dealt with some of the top stars. The impact of this Raw run has implications for the company that they likely didn’t foresee just a few months ago.

Is Jey a Main Event Man?

Jey has wrestled as “main event” Jey Uso for a while now, stemming from his original Universal title matches with his cousin Roman Reigns that kicked off the Bloodline saga. All of those main event matches, though, came with a caveat: they came across from Roman and the Bloodline. Of all the main event talent that have stepped to Roman Reigns, only four have ever felt like a big deal. Jey Uso, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, and Sami Zayn, respectively. So far, only Seth has had an opportunity to main event without Reigns. Part of that is storyline logic. However, Some of it concerns whether or not these challengers could carry the champion.

Cody will still get his chance after he dethrones Roman Reigns, and it’s likely to go well. Jey didn’t appear to have an opportunity to prove it until now. A solo run on Raw for Jey Uso is a big deal because he can be the main event without his cousin or that story. To start, he will rely on Sami and the Bloodline stuff that got him over initially. Eventually, though, he can feud with Seth Rollins, Nakamura, and Judgment Day, with whom he has minimal personal history. His time on Raw is probably short-term, but that he gets to go it alone, even for a little while, will allow Jey to headline away from his relatives and see if his support is solid.

A Fresh Face on Monday Nights

Assuming Jey Uso can live up to his main event moniker gives Raw a fresh star. Adam Pearce clarified that Smackdown would receive a Raw wrestler as compensation. That probably means Cody Rhodes, who was never going to fight for the World Heavyweight Championship due to his long-standing story. Additionally, it would require he fight Seth Rollins again, his longest-standing rival from just last year, in a rematch nobody cares to see yet. Jey for Cody gives Rhodes his shot at Roman at WrestleMania, but it also offers Raw a new face that fans can buy into for the rest of the year.

Having seen Cody feud with Judgment Day and Brock Lesnar already, he is out of feuds on Raw if he can’t compete for the world title. Jey Uso can do those feuds now and have them feel fresh and exciting. Also, Jey doesn’t need to win the WWE title to finish his story. His narrative is that he is alone for the first time, looking to make his own name. He can do that quite well, feuding for the Heavyweight title or even the Intercontinental title by defeating Gunther. There is more Raw can do with somebody not named Cody Rhodes in the number two babyface behind Seth Rollins, giving this Jey Uso run a lot of momentum and intrigue with fans while refreshing Cody on his road to WrestleMania.

Crowding at the Head of The Table

It has become a meme among WWE fans to discuss finishing the story. That fans are in on this has been used to create comedic content for months. It is ultimately true, and WWE theoretically strived to book the product throughout its existence. The Jey Uso story, in particular, has been one of the most complex in the company’s history. Although the fundamentals often change, he has been positioned as the guy to lead the tribe next, either in WWE Champion Roman Reign’s absence as his right-hand man or as his great rival in Tribal Combat. The story is often about Jey Uso losing his clout or fighting to take control from Reigns directly. This move to Raw is no exception.

A solo run on Raw for Jey Uso is a big deal because it allows Roman and Jey to face off as equals. This could mean both men are world champions, or more likely, with neither one holding the top title. Jey having time outside of the Bloodline proper means that Jey is not a rebellious underling when they face off next. Instead, he is an outside force of some notable skill challenging the authority of Roman Reigns. With the rest of the family seemingly in disarray as well, this gives the creative team a lot of directions to take the fall of the Bloodline, with two top stars claiming separately to be at the head of the table.

A Solo Run on Raw for Jey Uso is a Big Deal for Fans

When Jey Uso came out for SummerSlam 2023’s Tribal Combat match, the entire Detroit stadium danced with him. He commanded the people like the chief Reigns could have only dreamed of being. Fate is set, and the dice have been cast. To justify a significant signing and to finish a story more than six years in the making, Cody Rhodes needs to win the WWE Championship from Roman Reigns. Throughout WWE’s extra extended Bloodline super-cut, fans fell for the charisma and hard work displayed by Jey. Throwing away a multi-year payoff because of a single solid reaction would be foolish. That is why a solo run on Raw for Jey Uso is a big deal. It gives WWE a chance to test this out and see if they have a surprise star for years to come without risking their previous financial and storyline investments. How he handles that spot could change his career forever. Given his reaction in Charlotte, fans couldn’t be happier to provide him with his shot.