Despite being one of WWE's most popular acts at the moment, Jey Uso currently has nothing to show for it.
The multi-time tag team champion broke away from The Bloodline nearly a year ago and seamlessly transitioned into singles stardom. He's remained consistently over with the audience but has fallen short every time it has mattered most, leaving fans to wonder what's next for him on the Raw roster.
Meanwhile, on SmackDown, Logan Paul might finally be on the verge of losing the United States Championship with his match against LA Knight at SummerSlam now made official. WWE may extend the program by having Knight lose in their initial encounter, but it'd be better for the social media sensation to drop the star-spangled prize on the sooner side.
Paul's run with WWE in the last few years has completely exceeded expectations from an in-ring standpoint, but it's difficult to him to add to the product in a meaningful way if his appearances are limited to a part-time schedule. It's even more difficult for him to hold a title because of how infrequently that title will—and has been—defended.
This installment of Quick Takes will tackle where WWE has failed with the Logan Paul experiment, an underrated issue within the company, why MJF winning the AEW International Championship was the right call, and more.
Jey Uso's Lack of Direction Has Become Painfully Apparent
From the moment Jey Uso joined the Raw roster last fall, it was clear he was primed to face Jimmy Uso in a brother vs. brother match at WrestleMania 40. It was why he lost the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship relatively quickly and failed in his various opportunities at the Intercontinental Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship.
Once that rivalry ran its course, there was no reason for WWE to hold back with Jey any longer. He unsuccessfully challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship again at Backlash before falling short in the King of the Ring tournament and the men's Money in the Bank Ladder match.
Although he's racked up wins in recent weeks against Chad Gable and Dominik Mysterio, he has no obvious direction.
He'd be a perfect fit in the Intercontinental Championship picture if Bron Breakker weren't about to win the title. Gunther winning the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam ensures he won't be anywhere near that piece of hardware for the foreseeable future.
WWE's only option with Jey might be to keep him in holding pattern until reuniting with Jimmy in the tag team ranks for an eventual rivalry with the new Bloodline. It's a logical development yet a waste of what he's proven he can do on his own.
MJF Capturing the AEW International Championship Was the Right Call
AEW kicked off its historic 250th edition of Dynamite in epic fashion on July 17 when MJF bested Will Ospreay in a near-hour-long thriller to clinch the International Championship.
The announcement of the first-time-ever encounter happening on Dynamite came as a surprise to viewers expecting to see it saved for the All In event in London's Wembley Stadium next month, but doing it early as an attraction on Dynamite was the way to go.
Not only will their match go down as one of the best in Dynamite history, but MJF taking the title from Ospreay significantly shakes things up ahead of All In.
MJF is fresh off a hot heel turn and can use this title reign to further his momentum if he isn't going to be gunning after the AEW World Championship anytime soon. As for Ospreay, he finds back himself in chase mode with a massive obstacle to overcome in front of his home country at All In, assuming he and MJF have their rematch on that show.
Between Daniel Garcia's established issue with MJF and Pac being owed an opportunity at the title, it's possible MJF and Ospreay go in different directions and end up in marquee matches against other opponents at the event—not to mention the arrival of Ricochet undoubtedly being imminent.
Subpar Entrance Music in WWE Remains Triple H's Blind Spot
For all of the improvements Paul "Triple H" Levesque has made to the WWE product since taking the reins two years ago, the subpar entrance music in the company remains his biggest blind spot.
Moreover in WWE, unlike any other promotion, entrance music is a crucial aspect of a wrestler's presentation. Many of the all-time greats had an unforgettable walkout song that perfectly encapsulated their character.
Although that's the case with some of today's top talent, a vast majority of the roster doesn't have that same luxury, especially on the women's side.
It hasn't helped that WWE has had to downgrade several Superstar songs due to def Rebel replacing CFO$ as the go-to music-makers, a fate Sheamus sadly suffered on the July 15 edition of Raw when his iconic "Written in my Face" tune—which was only recently brought back—was replaced by something far more generic.
A catchy entrance theme plays a part in establishing the identity of a certain star to the audience. If their song is unrecognizable or ill-fitting, they'll fail to capture the attention of the average fan from the get-go.
Improving the process of creating quality walkout songs should be considered a top priority within WWE.
Andrade's Recent Wins Put Him in Line for Post-SummerSlam Push
Since returning to WWE in the men's Royal Rumble match at the onset of 2024, Andrade has largely been lost in the shuffle on SmackDown and Raw. Only recently has he begun to build momentum and find his footing again.
After being absent from the King of the Ring tournament, he resurfaced on the May 31 edition of SmackDown with a win over Apollo Crews. He captured the Speed Championship (exclusive to X f.k.a. Twitter) and qualified for the men's Money in the Bank Ladder match, where he had a strong showing.
His latest victory versus Carmelo Hayes was an encouraging sign that he's in line for a push coming out of SummerSlam.
While it could be considered too soon to incorporate him into the United States Championship scene, rekindling his rivalry with Santos Escobar and the rest of Legado del Fantasma would be a fine program to start with. He works well as a babyface but has always been in his element as a heel, so an eventual turn would be ideal.
Regardless, consistency will be the key to ensuring this renewed singles push for Andrade pans out.
Logan Paul's U.S. Title Reign Is Long Past Its Expiration Date
Logan Paul's track record of exceptional matches since arriving in WWE has been undeniable and the company's decision to put the United States Championship on him last year was inevitable.
The idea of Paul bringing exposure to the title thanks to his celebrity status outside of wrestling was fine on paper and it arguably worked for a while, but his reign has far surpassed the point of benefiting the product due to his part-time schedule.
WrestleMania 40 would have been the right place for Paul to be dethroned so the U.S. title could be freed up for the spring, but his win over Randy Orton and Kevin Owens that night bought him another few months as champ.
In his absence, the SmackDown midcard scene has suffered from not having anything to fight for. LA Knight has been incredibly overdue for a run with the star-spangled prize and should've gotten his moment at 'Mania to avoid the situation WWE now finds itself in.
Two title defenses in eight months isn't sustainable. The social media sensation can continue to serve as an occasional attraction for WWE, but it's imperative his reign end at SummerSlam to save SmackDown from having an absentee champion any longer.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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