Jey Uso is over but lacks character development

The Internet Wrestling Community is an interesting place, for reasons good and bad. More often than not, there’s controversy, hazing, racism, misogyny, and even more toxic behavior. But every now and then, there’s a take that would be an interesting conversation if possible. Unfortunately, those conversations are rarely possible. The criticism of Jey Uso that has started doesn’t come from the best angles, but it does open a door to talking about his rise and whether he’s going in the right direction.

The Bloodline angle delivered many important developments. Of course, there’s Cody Rhodes defeating Roman Reigns to “finish his story.” Seth Rollins further established himself as one of the biggest stars and stalwart performers in the business. Sami Zayn broke through to a new level. But one of the biggest benefits of the entire angle is Jey Uso emerging from an already Hall of Fame career with his brother Jimmy and becoming an important solo star for WWE.

Uso is one of the most over performers in all professional wrestling. Period. And he got there organically. His entrance to WWE Backlash caught everyone’s attention, but the reaction was always there. News has come out that WWE is looking to “manufacture” similar reactions for the star, and that’s a statement that should cause pause. Whenever WWE looks to control an element, it usually leads to a situation where it feels just as forced as it really is, and thus said element is no longer cool.

However, the real concern when it comes to Jey Uso should be more about his character development. He started as a multi-faceted member of The Bloodline, struggling with his loyalty to the family, the carnage his cousin was causing, his love for his brothers, and his friendship with Zayn. From there, he became someone pushing to break out of the shadow of being a tag team champion, looking to find glory on his own. Now, it is “Yeet,” “Yeet,” and more “Yeet.”

While WWE loves its catchphrases, this one hasn’t had the best impact on Uso in some ways. Yes, his shirt is flying off the shelves and he’s getting paid off that. But is there longevity there? Think about some of the other performers already mentioned. Rhodes, Reigns, Zayn, Rollins, and others like Becky Lynch. They may have had a catchphrase or two, but their character was much more developed beyond that. Jey Uso’s isn’t quite yet. Can it grow past “Yeet?” Sure, it can. And in reality, it must if this hot run is going to continue.

Jey Uso is a big star for WWE and someone that the company will continue to push, perhaps even to a major singles title win. Along the way he de-evolved as a character and it’s OK to point that out. Here’s to hoping that he gets those layers back that made him such an interesting performer for many who watch the content.