The journey of “Main Event” Jey Uso to the top of the mountain was a story years in the making, culminating in a career-defining victory over GUNTHER for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 41.
However, the reign was short-lived. On the June 9 edition of WWE Raw, GUNTHER reclaimed the championship, ending Jey’s run at just 51 days. The decision sparked debate among fans, with some questioning the call to take the title off the popular babyface so quickly and worrying it could halt his momentum.
On the latest episode of the Extreme Life podcast, veteran Matt Hardy addressed these concerns directly, stating that a world title reign, no matter the length, is a significant accomplishment, preventing a superstar from being considered “buried.”
“Well, I’m glad he got his title reign. I’m glad they let him go out there. They let him do their thing, let him do his thing, and they elevated him. I feel like he deserved an opportunity just to see how far he could get, how big he could get over, because he does have an emotional connection with so many of the WWE fans. So I’m glad, I’m glad they did it. The fact that he had that run and he lost it back to GUNTHER. Even in that fashion, I like all that. I’m fine with all that, and it’s going to be interesting to see what’s next with Jey, see if the Usos come back and have a dominant tag team run. It’s just nice that he was able to dip his toe, dip his feet, into the waters of a Main Event player. I think he earned that, and I’m glad he got the opportunity to do it… No, he’s not buried. He’s not buried at all. If you’ve been awarded the world title, you are definitely not buried… I feel like if it is done the right way, if it is done the right way, it could be huge for GUNTHER. I think he could grow his legend and his legacy.”
Hardy sees the championship run as a deserved test for a main event player and believes the story now shifts to what’s next for Jey, including a potential reunion with his brother Jimmy Uso for another dominant tag team run.
Matt Hardy’s podcast drops every Friday at ExtremeHardy.com. If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit ExtremeHardy.com with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
