The decision to end Jey Uso’s 51-day reign as World Heavyweight Champion has drawn criticism, with former WWE talent Stevie Richards asserting that Triple H “did Jey dirty.” Uso’s run with the championship came to an end during the June 9 taping of WWE RAW in Phoenix, where he was defeated by the man he originally beat, Gunther.
This title change cut short a reign that began with a triumphant and emotional victory over Gunther at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, where Uso won by submission. The brevity of his championship run has not sat well with some, including his father, Rikishi, who had previously voiced frustration with his son’s creative direction.
During a discussion on his The Stevie Richards Show podcast, Richards analyzed the controversial booking decision, framing it as a misstep by the creative team.
“I do believe they (WWE creative) did Jey dirty because this is the trap…a babyface champion is a dangerous proposition. It’s a slippery slope and it gets stale real quick. Jey didn’t get stale, that’s the point of contention,” Richards stated.
On the same podcast, Richards also speculated that WWE might punish Uso in response to his father’s public criticism of the company’s creative direction.
Despite the championship loss, Uso remains a central figure in the title picture. He is scheduled to compete against Cody Rhodes on an upcoming episode of WWE RAW in a King of the Ring Tournament match. The winner of that contest will advance to face Randy Orton in the tournament finals at Night of Champions, with the ultimate victor earning a World Heavyweight Championship match at SummerSlam.