Andreas HaleApr 17, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
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- Andreas Hale is a struggle sports activities reporter at ESPN. Andreas covers MMA, boxing and professional wrestling. In Andreas’ loose time, he performs video video games, obsesses over track and is a White Sox and 49ers fan. He’s additionally a number for Sirius XM’s Combat Country. Earlier than becoming a member of ESPN, Andreas used to be a senior creator at DAZN and Carrying Information. He began his occupation as a track journalist for shops together with HipHopDX, The Grammys and Jay-Z’s Lifestyles+Occasions. He’s additionally an NAACP Symbol Award-nominated filmmaker as a manufacturer for the animated brief movie “Bridges” in 2024.
JEY USO IS no longer meant to be right here.
No longer for the reason that 2025 Royal Rumble winner does not should be within the International Heavyweight Championship fit vs. Gunther at WrestleMania 41. It is because he by no means sought after to be right here.
Neatly, he by no means sought after to do it on my own.
Not like his contemporaries, Jey Uso by no means dreamed of status tall by means of himself at WrestleMania as a champion. It used to be at all times meant to be along his dual brother and tag group spouse, Jimmy. Except for the 9 mins between their births on Aug. 22, 1985, Jey and Jimmy Uso have necessarily executed the whole lot in combination. They have got completed the whole lot a tag group may just need in WWE, together with being the longest-reigning tag group champions, appearing within the first tag group major match in WrestleMania historical past at WrestleMania 39, and going in opposition to each and every different at WrestleMania XL. The speculation of doing one thing all on my own had by no means as soon as crossed his thoughts.
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“To be fair, I by no means did anything else with out my brother,” Jey informed ESPN. “Each unmarried main checkpoint of our lives, bro. We did the whole lot in combination. From enjoying soccer, going to university and having common jobs to our present jobs at WWE. We even had our youngsters on the similar time.”
As a son of WWE Corridor of Famer Rikishi, Jay Uso’s purview of professional wrestling has at all times been a circle of relatives affair. At the uncommon events he wasn’t running along with his brother, he used to be surrounded by means of participants of the famend Anoa’i circle of relatives, which incorporates cousins Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu, more youthful brother Solo Sikoa, and, in fact, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
At WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, Jey Uso can be in a job that no person may have noticed coming a decade in the past when he used to be in tag group purgatory, relegated to WrestleMania preshows at easiest and suffering to get tv time at worst. However after stunning the sector and getting rid of favourite John Cena to win at Royal Rumble in February, he is earned a possibility to problem for the International Heavyweight Championship and can input WrestleMania as one of the vital largest stars at the roster.
“I believe it will be some of the fan-friendly and emotional victories within the historical past of this business,” WWE Corridor of Famer Paul Heyman mentioned of the chance that Jey may just take house the International Heavyweight Championship, “for the reason that target audience has lived throughout the turmoil of Jey Uso’s occupation.”
BEFORE THE MULLET with the top fade haircut, the midriff tops with “Yeet” scribed around the entrance, the white Nike Air Drive Ones, the sun shades and the doorway, Jimmy and Jey debuted as The Usos on WWE Monday Evening Uncooked on Would possibly 24, 2010, with little aptitude.
They spent the following 8 years clawing their strategy to the highest of the department. They received tag group gold on a number of events, however they were not noticed as a concern at the roster, mirrored by means of their relegation to preshow on WWE’s largest match of the 12 months till WrestleMania 34 in 2018.
“They are saying the adventure is simply as necessary because the vacation spot, proper?” Jimmy Uso mentioned with a kind of tongue-in-cheek supply. “It used to be a long-ass adventure, and it used to be certainly a grind. … However whilst you get that rattling alternative, you gotta run with it, bro.”
The Usos reinvented themselves by means of simply being themselves, ditching face paint and the Siva Tau front in want of a extra hip-hop aesthetic. Fanatics started embracing the Usos, they usually discovered themselves transferring up within the pecking order as a tag group.
“I believe all of us believed in Jey and Jimmy years in the past, lengthy sooner than both of them learned that they had a long run with the exception of each and every different,” Heyman mentioned.
A 30-year veteran of the business, Heyman learned Jey used to be particular when Rikishi –then referred to as Junior Fatu — introduced his sons to a WCW tv taping in July 1989. The 4-year-olds performed wrestling strikes comfortably, and Heyman used to be positive he would see them once more within the business. By the point Heyman returned to WWE in 2012 and reconnected with the twins as adults, he knew there used to be one thing left to free up.
“They have been unquestionably the most efficient tag group on this planet. It used to be too simple for them,” Heyman mentioned. “So anytime the advice used to be thrown available in the market that they may each be unmarried stars, they’d take a look at everybody like we have been loopy as a result of how may just you get a divorce the most efficient tag group on this planet? Neither certainly one of them really understood simply how a lot field place of job [appeal] that they had to supply till they have been put ready the place that they had no selection however to self-analyze and notice the singles greatness that lives inside of each and every of them.”
Jey Uso (left) and Jimmy Uso (proper) began in WWE as tag group companions. Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports activities
After which the whole lot modified.
Jey Uso’s ascent to stardom, all through which he added the moniker “Primary Tournament,” started when the sector close down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Usos have been scheduled for a triple-threat tag fit in opposition to The New Day and protecting champions John Morrison and The Miz. Alternatively, it used to be reported that The Miz used to be pulled from the fit because of sickness, turning it into an extraordinary triple menace by which most effective one of the vital Uso twins may just take part.
“I assumed our fit would get canceled, however they simply ended up making it a triple-threat singles fit,” Jimmy recalled. It used to be the primary time he and his brother would not paintings WrestleMania in combination. “We did paper, rock, scissors to look who would finally end up running the fit. I received … after which I injured my knee.”
An ACL damage sidelined Jimmy and compelled Jey to head at it on my own for the primary time in his occupation.
With out Jimmy by means of his aspect, Jey used to be thrust right into a storyline along with his cousin Roman Reigns, which ended up laying the root for The Bloodline tale that ruled WWE tv over the following 4 years. Jey would problem Reigns on two events for the Undisputed WWE Common Championship in emotional, heartfelt suits that noticed the dual start to come into his personal as a singles famous person.
“That used to be the primary time I were given to be keen on my brother,” Jimmy mentioned. “I had to sit down my ass nonetheless for as soon as and switch off the aspect of my mind that is within the ring. And I used to be like, ‘To hell with this, I’ll be a fan.'”
Jimmy returned from damage and rejoined his brother in The Bloodline in Spring 2021. By means of then, Jey had gone through a full-blown reinvention and used to be not noticed as one of the vital Uso twins. Underneath the tutelage of Reigns and Heyman, one of the vital largest minds within the trade, Jey blossomed into a celebrity in his personal proper.
“The whole thing about The Bloodline used to be a collaborative effort, with the targets of constructing each and every particular person stand out on their very own with their distinctive character,” Heyman mentioned. “Fanatics now know the adaptation between Jey and Jimmy. It took a very long time to outline them, however as soon as their character began shining on tv, the target audience understood the adaptation between the 2 Uso brothers.”
Each time he is requested about his brother, Jimmy beams a grin and makes use of the phrases “we” as an alternative of “he” or “I.”
“I am proper there with him,” he mentioned. “We are out right here residing the dream. The primary tag group to major match WrestleMania. They informed us that wasn’t conceivable. Then we confronted each and every different at WrestleMania. That is loopy. Now you are speaking concerning the cherry on best for my brother? Come on, guy. Such things as this do not occur in a dual’s international.
“I’m going to let you know something: If I did not get harm, I don’t believe we’d have had the chance to separate and transform Jimmy and Jey. It used to be a blessing in hide.”
THE BEST WAY to file the expansion of a professional wrestler is throughout the lens of a online game, as abnormal as that can sound.
Jey Uso debuted in WWE 2K13 as a downloadable persona after the sport’s unencumber with an total ranking of 81, tied because the lowest-rated male wrestler within the sport. In WWE 2K25, Jey’s total ranking of 90 is tied for 8th among energetic wrestlers, at the back of the likes of Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins and CM Punk. It’s simply known as one of the vital largest leaps for a personality within the franchise.
“Jey Uso’s upward thrust throughout the corporate and in our sport simply slowly began ticking up just like the Nasdaq in one of the best ways conceivable,” WWE 2K gameplay manufacturer Bryan Williams informed ESPN. “Him and his brother have been necessarily the similar persona type within the sport for years — from rankings to transport units. However all through The Bloodline Technology, we had to create a unconditionally other type for an act who used to be necessarily a brand-new performer within the franchise.”
Jey Uso has transform a fan favourite as a singles wrestler. Joe Camporeale/Imagn Photographs
Williams has been a part of the WWE 2K franchise’s construction group since 2005 and has had a heavy hand within the rankings and persona design. As a lifelong professional wrestling fan, Williams takes nice delight in Jey Uso’s persona construction, which incorporates each and every side of his persona, together with his front.
“It is fireplace as a result of now I ain’t were given to create myself and up my stats not more,” mentioned Jey, who virtually teared up when he landed at the quilt of the particular The Bloodline Version for WWE 2K25 with the remainder of his circle of relatives.
His expansion within the online game made his evolution to singles wrestler really feel actual to him. However not anything felt as actual as his victory on the Royal Rumble after dropping to Gunther at Saturday Evening’s Primary Tournament the former week..
The truth that he used to be tapped to win did not morning time on him till walkthroughs previous within the day when he used to be left within the room with Logan Paul in John Cena. Except for his coworkers within the ring, no person knew he would win.
“I sought after to surprise my dad,” Jey mentioned of protecting the outcome from his circle of relatives. “He used to be so emotional when he noticed it as a result of he is aware of what this spot manner for me. He is been round this trade for goodbye that he thinks not anything can surprise him. However that did.”
Jey joined The Rock, Roman Reigns and his uncle, the past due Yokozuna, because the fourth member of the Anoa’i circle of relatives to win the Royal Rumble.
We now have noticed extra special underdog tales culminate at WrestleMania sooner than. Rey Mysterio shooting the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 22, Daniel Bryan defying the chances to transform WWE International Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania 30, and Kofi Kingston’s emotional experience to defeating Bryan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35.
What separates Jey from the ones sooner than him is they have been considered as lifelong singles stars looking forward to their flip. Jey by no means requested for a flip, he earned one.
“I by no means concept I might be a best singles famous person,” mentioned Jey, nonetheless shaking his head in disbelief. “Being the most efficient tag group with my brother used to be the number 1 function, however now I am going from the preshow to the principle match. It is been an adjustment with out my brother by means of my aspect, and I am simply now feeling OK by myself as a singles wrestler.”
Although he’s going to be on my own in opposition to Gunther at WrestleMania 41, he mentioned he’ll include the chance and raise his circle of relatives legacy into the hoop.
“I listen the naysayers,” Jey mentioned. “They’re announcing I do not deserve this chance and I will be able to’t win, nevertheless it took 15 years to get right here and now I’ve one shot after my quantity were given known as and I am going to respond to the rattling name … after which we are going to pass birthday celebration with the entire circle of relatives, Vegas taste.”
