WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long has weighed in on the recent booking of “Main Event” Jey Uso, expressing disappointment over the short-lived World Heavyweight Championship reign. On his “Road Trip After Hours” podcast, Long stated that WWE pulled the trigger on Jey’s title loss too quickly, robbing the moment of long-term emotional impact.
“To me, and this is my opinion, I thought it was too soon,” Long said, referencing Jey’s 51-day reign that ended on the June 9 episode of WWE Raw. “I thought he’d get a little bit of a run with it. Sometimes, when you keep it for a minute, then when you do take it, it means something.”
The conversation followed comments from Jey’s father, WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi, who had recently voiced frustration that Jey wasn’t being paired with “top notch players” to elevate his run. Long agreed with the sentiment, noting that a title reign’s impact isn’t just about the win—it’s about how the loss is handled. “Always remember this: It’s not how you win the title, it’s how you lose it,” he said.
Podcast host Mac Davis echoed Long’s concerns, saying WWE’s creative team seemed to lose momentum after Jey’s big win at WrestleMania 41. “They had the story all the way to the championship. I just don’t think they thought past that,” Davis said. “And because of that, Jey suffers holding that championship. He’s not given some of the opportunities or real creative storylines to make people care. And no matter how good he is, if the storyline stinks, the storyline stinks.”
The critiques come at a time when fans are still debating the decision to have GUNTHER reclaim the World Heavyweight Title from Jey so soon after his crowning moment. While some see the title switch as a setup for a larger narrative arc, others—like Teddy Long—believe WWE may have missed a chance to let Jey truly shine at the top.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for continued coverage on Jey Uso, WWE Creative, and all the latest pro wrestling news.
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
