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Opinion: WWE Changes Perception Of Jey Uso With Men's Royal Rumble Victory

Why did Jey Uso win the Royal Rumble? Simple. He's earned the trust of WWE and they are taking a chance on him.

Rick Ucchino

John Cena shows respect after Jey Uso wins Royal Rumble
John Cena shows respect after Jey Uso wins Royal Rumble / WWE

As Jey Uso and John Cena tussled on the ring apron Saturday night during the closing moments of the Men's Royal Rumble Match, tens of thousands of people at Lucas Oil Stadium were all on their feet. Many were jumping, screaming, clapping, or a combination of all three as they anxiously anticipated a history-making moment.

Among those standing at attention inside the Lucas Oil press box, were myself and my Takedown on SI colleague Zack Heydorn.

Both of us were ready to bolt out of the box the moment the match ended so we could make it down to the Royal Rumble Press Conference, where we presumed we'd be chatting with three-time Royal Rumble winner John Cena.

"Being the last one to go toe-to-toe with John Cena in his final Rumble is a nice spot for Jey," I said to Zack just moments before the unthinkable happened. As the 16-time World Champion hoisted up Uso for the Attitude Adjustment, Jey slipped off his shoulders and back inside the ring. He then quickly shoved the future Hall of Famer down onto the floor to win the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble.

John Cena was stunned. I was stunned. It's safe to say a vast majority of the WWE Universe was absolutely in a state of shock.

The Royal Rumble was ridiculously flooded with talent this year. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, and the aforementioned John Cena headlined one of the most star-studded fields in the event's nearly four-decade-long history.

In the end, it was 'Main Event' Jey Uso who was pointing at the WrestleMania 41 sign to close out the show. And in hindsight, we never should have doubted him as a viable contender.

“There were some heavy hitters in there. I was a heavy hitter too," Jey Uso said during the Royal Rumble Press Conference Saturday night. "Like John [Cena] says, my time is now, and I was screaming that the whole night. It’s my turn. Y’all gonna see. I’m just gonna go up from here. The Yeet train is just now getting started. Y’all just let me rock, let me keep cooking.”

Already one of the most decorated tag team wrestlers in WWE history, Jey Uso was given the opportunity to prove himself as a singles competitor when he split from the Bloodline in the Summer of 2023. Much to his credit, he has excelled as a performer beyond even the most lofty expectations.

At a time when WWE has more organically grown babyfaces than at any other time in its history, Jey Uso continues to stand tall amongst the very best of them. He is consistently one of the top merchandise movers in the entire company and his entrance has become must-see television as vast seas of humanity Yeet in unison at every show across the country.

“Even if you’ve never watched our product before, I just want to bring out positivity, Uce, energy, especially for the kids, and it’s all working, man. So I’m gonna still come out the mud, even though I got it now, Uce. Same mentality, just about to take it, Uce. I’m about to take over. Yeet”

Despite his popularity, Jey Uso's Royal Rumble victory has been a controversial decision for the very vocal minority of wrestling fans on social media. While it's not at all shocking to see hate and negativity spewed in volumes online, the vitriol is a byproduct of Jey Uso's perception.

The reality is that some 'fans' simply struggle to accept it when a star breaks out of the mold that's been constructed around them. Certain members of the WWE Universe were never going to perceive Jey Uso as anything more than a great tag team wrestler... until he won the Royal Rumble.

What more would a third Royal Rumble victory have done for John Cena's legacy? Cena is after a 17th World Championship yes, but there are multiple vehicles along the road to WrestleMania to get him there. The Royal Rumble is but one of them, albeit the most meaningful one. Which is exactly why a John Cena victory Saturday night could have been viewed as a hollow one.

Winning the Royal Rumble for Jey Uso is a career-altering moment. Especially with the bevy of talent involved in the match this year.

The internet reaction to Saturday's main event doesn't carry much weight with me, and it won't for WWE either. I could ultimately be proven wrong, but this doesn't feel like a #WeWantCody situation. There's not going to be some extended campaign to move Jey Uso off his spot on the WrestleMania 41 card, because he didn't take it from anyone. He earned it.

“I’m the definition of real hard work,” Jey Uso said Saturday night. “I ain’t ever complained. Just went to work every day, Uce... Ain’t nobody seen me coming. No one saw this coming. I just stick to the code, man. Love what I do, respect the locker room, and it will all come back to you."

A World Championship match isn't all that Jey Uso has earned, he's clearly earned the trust of those on the WWE creative team and they are taking the ultimate chance on him. After making the safe and arguably correct decisions to have Charlotte Flair and Cody Rhodes win earlier in the night, WWE chose to further elevate a rising star with the Men's Royal Rumble.

It's a decision that should be commended, not lauded.

Will history prove that Jey Uso was the correct choice? That depends entirely on what happens in the days and weeks ahead.

The company has no choice but to go all in. Paul 'Triple H' Levesque and his team cannot pull back on Jey Uso's rise on the grandest stage without proving the naysayers right.

WWE taking such a big risk only to have Uso lose his fourth consecutive televised singles match against Gunther would justifiably end with the company being crucified by fans across the globe.

Regardless of what inevitably happens this April, Jey Uso's status as a Royal Rumble winner should not be tainted, tarnished, or questioned.

His popularity runs much deeper than his entrance or his catchphrase. Jey Uso has a genuine connection with the audience. He's an absolute rock star in every city he visits across the globe. That's not something that can or should be ignored.

It's a level of adulation that helped carry the likes of Becky Lynch and Kofi Kingston to World Championships. Plain and simple, Jey Uso's time is now.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino has been covering professional wrestling since 2019, but his broadcast career has spanned over 15 years. He can be heard every weekday morning on 700WLW radio in Cincinnati, OH. You can also read his work over on SI's Cincinnati Reds Talk. Follow Rick on X and Instagram: @RickUcchino

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