The always vocal WWE fanbase has been largely supportive of the creative product since Triple H took a larger role last year, at least apart from the Raw after WrestleMania 39, but for the first time in The Game’s tenure, one of the company’s signature premium live events has gotten decidedly mixed reviews. If both the live crowd and social media are any indication, feelings were split on SummerSlam, and while there are several issues you could point to, the main point of contention for some was the ending to the main event in which Jimmy Uso turned on his brother Jey and cost him the match. Let’s talk about it.
So, the predominant WWE storyline over the last few years has been the rise and now, the fall of The Bloodline. After an unrelenting streak of victories that saw Roman Reigns win both major WWE titles, The Usos win the tag team titles and Solo Sikoa jump to the main roster and rattle off an undefeated streak, cracks started to form around fan favorite groupie Sami Zayn. He was booted from The Bloodline, which set in motion a chain of events that saw Jimmy and Jey Uso turn on their cousin Roman Reigns. In response, Roman and Solo beat the hell out of Jimmy and put him in the hospital. That caused Jey to challenge Roman to Tribal Combat, but just as he was about to win that match last night and become the new Tribal Chief, Jimmy returned and cost Jey the match. And let’s just say fans have a lot of feelings about that creative decision.
I say “have a lot of feelings” because there is no set consensus. That wasn’t a nice way of saying people hate it. Fans are just not on the same page at all. There are some who think the heel turn makes no sense whatsoever. There are others who think the evidence has always been there and this is the next logical step in The Bloodline story. And of course there’s a final group that’s cautiously reserving judgment until we hear from the brothers themselves.
I think the loudest contingent on social media is probably the camp that doesn’t think the betrayal makes any sense. After all, Jimmy was just hospitalized by Roman and Solo. Why would he turn on his brother to help those two? Here’s a sample tweet…
Jimmy turns on Jey….idk man….I don’t love that…like it kiiiinda feels like extending the story for the sake of extending the storyDid The Bloodline story just jump the shark? Idk man maybe, we’ll see i guessAugust 6, 2023
There’s a lot of that going around on social media. It’s not that people are so opposed to The Usos turning on each other, although that is a big deal given they’re one of the greatest and most decorated tag teams in wrestling history, it’s more that many fans don’t really think the prep work was done to make it seem realistic or in character for the story. That’s especially frustrating for some, given The Bloodline has gotten the most TV time of any faction over the last few years. Ultimately, they would have liked to see more cracks in the partnership or teases of dissension before the turn happened. If you look under any of the more general tweets asking people what they thought of the Tribal Combat match, it’s a lot of “this came out of nowhere” or “this doesn’t make sense.”
But that is not the collective opinion of all wrestling fans. There is a very loud grouping of fans who think the turn made complete sense and those mad just haven’t been paying enough attention. They point to arguments Jimmy and Jey have had, specifically when it was unclear if Jey would leave The Bloodline. They’re also convinced that Jimmy turning on Jey doesn’t mean he’s going back to Roman. They think the storyline will spin outside of The Bloodline, and some are pointing to the seemingly surprised look on Roman’s face when Jimmy appeared and helped him. Here’s an example…
I don’t think Jimmy Uso betraying Jey has anything to do with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline. I think he was jealous and mad that Jey got a title shot that basically came at his expense. #SummerSlamAugust 6, 2023
At this point, I don’t really know what to think. The Bloodline story has been the single best thing in wrestling over the last several years. The run with Sami Zayn that led into the match with Roman at Elimination Chamber may have been the best multi-month run in sports entertainment history. But Jey never felt like a real threat to win this match, and while I do think an Uso vs Uso feud could be a lot of fun and is something they've said they want to do, I get those that feel like this storyline is lingering a bit and just sorta exploring all the possibilities, whether they’re warranted or not.
Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa and Wiseman Paul Heyman have earned my trust. I’m going to keep giving them the benefit of the doubt, but given the frustration from a very vocal segment of the fanbase, I think it would be in everyone’s best interest to really make sure the sell here on why Jimmy turned is explained clearly and convincingly.
