{"id":163182,"date":"2026-06-17T08:00:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T12:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=163182"},"modified":"2026-06-16T23:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T03:05:06","slug":"jey-uso-should-not-win-wwe-king-of-the-ring-2026-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/06\/17\/jey-uso-should-not-win-wwe-king-of-the-ring-2026-heres-why\/","title":{"rendered":"Jey Uso Should NOT Win WWE King of the Ring 2026, Here\u2019s Why"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are now down to the final three of the WWE King of the Ring 2026 tournament, and things are looking much more interesting for this year\u2019s competition compared to last year\u2019s. With the crown finally within arm’s reach, Oba Femi<\/span> waits to see who he will face in the finals: Je\u2019Von Evans or Jey Uso, during Night of Champions at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The match will be locked in following the bout between Evans and Uso this Friday on SmackDown, building off the shocking victories both men achieved in their respective Fatal 4-Way matches.<\/span><\/p>\n

But there is one person among these competitors who has faced significant backlash <\/span>f<\/span>ollowing his victory this past Friday<\/span><\/a> on SmackDown: Jey Uso. Many fans have grown tired of several elements of his character, as well as his recent in-ring work, making WWE\u2019s decision to advance him in the competition unpopular with a large segment of the audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll be taking a look at why Jey should not win this year\u2019s King of the Ring tournament. But before we get to that, it\u2019s important to dive into why he has received so much pushback as a candidate to take home the crown in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n

In-Ring Limitations And Repetitive Move Set\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Since he transitioned away from one of <\/span>WWE\u2019s most iconic tag teams<\/span><\/a>, The Usos, in 2023, many fans have pointed out what they feel are clear limitations in Jey\u2019s in-ring move set.<\/span><\/p>\n

Critics frequently call him out for relying on just four main moves: Superkicks, the Uso Splash, the Samoan Drop, and a Spear that many argue lacks the impact and intensity of other superstars.<\/span><\/p>\n

While his style works great in tag team competition and standard TV matches on Raw and SmackDown, it simply doesn\u2019t translate well to high-profile singles matches.<\/span><\/p>\n

Uso has dealt with this very dilemma in matches like his SummerSlam 2023 main event showdown with his cousin Roman Reigns, as well as his <\/span>WrestleMania 40 bout<\/span><\/a> with his twin brother Jimmy Uso.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gimmick Fatigue <\/b>
\n<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

The second criticism from his detractors is the feeling that he has devolved into a <\/span>\u201cgimmick character\u201d<\/span><\/a>. When he first transitioned into \u201cMain Event Jey\u201d back in 2023, his character relied heavily on emotional, high-stakes family drama and a genuine, compelling underdog journey.<\/span><\/p>\n

And while the act worked with the vast majority of fans at first, the critical reception began to decline last year despite Uso’s massive success. Along with his winning streak inside the ring, he found incredible momentum with <\/span>his signature catchphrase, \u201cYEET.\u201d<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Usos
A WWE Raw graphic of AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs. The Usos. (Photo Credit: WWE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Critics argue that the \u201cYEET\u201d catchphrase shifted his character into a more PG version of himself to win over younger fans. And while it clicked with the children, it increasingly alienated a large percentage of the older fanbase. Even in his promos, critics often argue that Uso’s mic work relies far too heavily on catchphrases rather than compelling storytelling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still Being Green in Single Competition<\/b><\/h2>\n

The issue of botching is something that virtually every wrestler has dealt with at some point, but it has become a glaring issue when it involves Jey Uso. Because his in-ring ability is already under intense scrutiny, any mistake he makes becomes immediately amplified. In contrast, when a fan-favorite wrestler slips up, the audience is much quicker to brush it off as an “ambitious risk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the things people have noticed as botches in Jey\u2019s arsenal include whiffed strikes, top-rope dive malfunctions, and most noticeably, a lag in his pacing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The pacing lag has become his most noticeable issue, as there have been many promos where he appears to be catching his breath. This usually follows his long-winded entrance where he comes down the stairs, all while swinging his arms up and down doing the \u201cYEET\u201d dance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019ve covered some of the reasons why some fans have become critical of him, it is time for us to make our case for why we believe Jey Uso should not win this year\u2019s King of the Ring tournament. Let\u2019s get started.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

He\u2019s Already Relevant<\/b><\/h2>\n

Historically, the King of the Ring tournament has been best used as a launching pad to elevate rising talent or to reinvent a star\u2019s gimmick completely. Even though Jey’s stock has taken a noticeable dip since last year, he is already a fully established main event star who pulls in top-tier merchandise sales.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A
A Saturday Night’s Main Event Poster featuring Jey Uso and CM Punk (Photo Credit: WWE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Among all the available choices this year, Jey Uso is simply the worst candidate. Repeating the formula of last year’s tournament, where an already massive star like <\/span>Cody Rhodes walked away with the crown<\/span><\/a>, makes the accomplishment feel redundant rather than elevating someone who actually needs it.<\/span><\/p>\n

WWE risks falling into that same trap by making Jey Uso the 2026 King of the Ring winner when all the other options are far better candidates, and a tournament victory would elevate their careers in a way that Jey doesn’t need.<\/span><\/p>\n

Past Failures\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

One of the most compelling cases against him winning this tournament is his lackluster singles run from last year. While some will certainly argue it was a success, those achievements are significantly overshadowed by the failures.<\/span><\/p>\n

When WWE went with the bold decision of having him win last year\u2019s Royal Rumble, it left many fans scratching their heads. His storyline toward <\/span>WrestleMania 41 with Gunther for the World Heavyweight Title<\/span><\/a> also felt mostly lackluster, with a build-up that made the match\u2019s outcome feel incredibly predictable.<\/span><\/p>\n

To make things all the more confusing, WWE decided to have that match open WrestleMania 41, effectively turning \u201cMain Event Jey\u201d into \u201cOpening Match Jey.\u201d While the moment of him winning the title was awesome – especially celebrating with his twin brother – the aftermath was a complete disaster.<\/span><\/p>\n

His title reign lasted only 51 days, as he lost the championship right back to Gunther on the June 8, 2025, episode of Raw. Following this loss, WWE seemed to struggle with how to book him before eventually making the correct decision to have him <\/span>rejoin the tag team division<\/span><\/a> alongside his brother on the December 8, 2025, episode of Raw.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Better Options for King of the Ring 2026<\/b><\/h2>\n

Last but not least is the simple fact that every other remaining wrestler has a far more compelling case to become King of the Ring. Winning the crown would launch their respective careers to new heights, whereas Jey Uso\u2019s would return to where it was just one year ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A
A photo of WWE star Jey Uso. (Photo Credit: By Diego Serrano – WWE Royal Rumble 2025, CC BY 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=159687923)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Je\u2019Von Evans, having him win wouldn\u2019t just be wildly unpredictable; it would be incredibly bold. He would become the youngest wrestler to ever win the tournament at just 22 years old, instantly elevating him from a fun mid-card talent into potentially one of the most exciting main-event stars on the roster.<\/span><\/p>\n

With Oba Femi, a victory in the King of the Ring tournament would be quite fitting, especially for someone with the nickname \u201cThe Ruler.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But winning would create quite an interesting scenario for the company, giving them the bold opportunity to have him involved in two major storylines for the two-night SummerSlam PLE, first with World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, and a <\/span>blockbuster rematch with Brock Lesnar<\/span><\/a>, with whom he has serious unfinished business.<\/span><\/p>\n

While a \u201cKing Jey\u201d storyline may be able to introduce some high-energy segments on television, having Uso win would completely miss the point of the tournament. King of the Ring should serve as a launchpad for talents who are hoping to join the main event scene, like Je\u2019Von Evans, and help fully solidify things for Oba Femi.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Uso should instead join forces with his brother, where the two can work to inject some life into a <\/span>stagnant tag team division<\/span><\/a> while bringing extra gold back to the \u201cHead of the Table.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jey Uso doesn’t need a King of the Ring crown to remain a massive star, but the rest of the field needs it to become one. WWE must avoid the easy choice and instead use this tournament to elevate the next generation of main-event talent.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are now down to the final three of the WWE King of the Ring 2026 tournament, and things are looking much more interesting for this year\u2019s competition compared to last year\u2019s. With the crown finally within arm’s reach, Oba Femi waits to see who he will face in the finals: Je\u2019Von Evans or Jey […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5699,"featured_media":163191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,2192,3],"tags":[1724,9744,9746],"class_list":["post-163182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wwe","category-wrestling","category-wwe-universe","tag-jey-uso","tag-wwe-king-of-the-ring","tag-wwe-night-of-champions"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5699"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=163182"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":163192,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163182\/revisions\/163192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/163191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=163182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=163182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=163182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}