S Poddar
Last night on Monday Night Raw, Jey Uso win his first singles title when he outmaneuvered Bron Breakker to become the new holder of the Intercontinental Title on a memorable night held in Ontario, California and sends the WWE Universe head over heels. Uso’s victory marks a huge career milestone and the unexpected title change was all that was seen on social media.
The match felt kind of like a high-stakes contest typically reserved for the major pay-per-views, which was a surprise to many fans, as titles rarely change hands on any given weekly episode of Raw or Smackdown. Most surprisingly, though, was that Breakker lost the title seemingly early in this storyline as he had only just earned it. In a shocking conclusion, that crowd’s positive reaction made it perfectly clear that they fully embraced Jey Uso’s moment in the spotlight as a singles competitor.
Jey had to fist two spears and a few Uso Splashes to seal the victory. Right at the sound of the bell, social media just exploded with reactions from the fans, other wrestlers, and WWE executives to the fall of Finn Balor. Emotional Jey is seen celebrating with fans, taking in a moment that had been a long time coming for him in his career.
Support began pouring in straight away. WWE veteran wrestler Bayley congratulated Jey via social media. She said the unique atmosphere of the Toyota Arena made it special in itself as the crowd was intimate and full of life.
Another WWE star, and the current WWE Champion Cody Rhodes was brief yet candid in his response. All he had to say was “Yeet, referring to their old camaraderie because they were formerly tag-team partners.
Then there is veteran WWE Superstar Kofi Kingston, who is on his own storyline going with Xavier Woods with a potential New Day breakup going on. Kingston, himself a veteran who experienced a similar career resurgence later in life, grasped what victory meant for Jey. It was a nod of respect from someone who knows how hard it is to reach the top after years of hard work and perseverance.
Damian Priest is the other popular WWE star who has been growing in stature. Congratulating Jey with a win that he so deserved, Damian praised his work and dedication. His acknowledgement portrays a broader appreciation Uso has received within the wrestling world for his work ethic and tough dedication.
Actually, no one in the WWE was better suited to sum it all up than Triple H himself, Chief Content Officer of the WWE, who called him the “living embodiment of hard work paying off.” Coming from someone of the stature that Triple H has attained, the praise was golden and spoke volumes about the years of sweat equity he’d put in to finally get a solo title.
Even Mami, a WWE personality in her own right, got into the congratulations fray. A flood of tributes that aren’t just coming from excited fans but also from fellow wrestlers has really solidified the fact that Jey’s victory was personal for him but one of the WWE Universe as well.
Now, while Jey Uso will no doubt retain the precious Intercontinental Title, the real big question: how long can he keep it? Bron Breakker, for all intents and purposes, is far from finished. At just 26, Breakker remains very much a future headliner in terms of that which WWE looks for in a top-flight performer. Indeed, many believe he may very well win the title back in their own rematch and given the meteoric rise of the man, few would be surprised that this probably happens sooner rather than later.
Then there is Jey at 39. Generally a tag-team player, his breakout as a singles competitor has been a long time in the works, and Monday night’s victory was the fruition of years of commitment. For fans, this victory is special since they have witnessed how he changed from being one half of that famous Uso brothers’ tag team to now a full-fledged soloist. It’s a crowning glory that may have taken longer than expected, but well worth waiting for.
Bron Breakker may be streaking toward WWE superstardom on a quicker trajectory, but Monday night belonged to Jey Uso. As the new Intercontinental Champion, Jey now gets the opportunity to solidify his legacy from being some tag-team icon to a force he most definitely will be, standing on his own two feet. His reign will last as long as it will, but he will stand tall with this victory defining his career.
