3 ways Jimmy Uso can explain his SummerSlam betrayal of Jey Uso on WWE SmackDown tonight
"Why, Jimmy, Why?," Michael Cole screamed into his headset as Jimmy Uso walked away from the scene of the crime at WWE SummerSlam 2023. The elder Uso had just pulled off arguably the betrayal of the year, costing his twin brother a victory over their tyrannical cousin, the Tribal Chiefdom, and the Undisputed Universal Championship.
As SmackDown after SummerSlam emanates from the Scotiabank Saddledome, the WWE Universe will have many questions on their minds. What's next for LA Knight after winning the Slim Jim Battle Royal, or for the Women's division, which has a brand new champion, or for the stars left off the card? The biggest question, though, will be why Jimmy betrayed Jey, costing him the biggest match of his life.
With the answer set to define The Bloodline for months to come, here are three potential reasons the elder Uso could give for his actions on WWE SmackDown.
#3: Jimmy Uso could reveal a secret deal with Roman Reigns to be the next Tribal Chief
Moments before Jey Uso left The Bloodline in dramatic fashion on the June 16 episode of WWE SmackDown, an interesting tidbit was brought to light. Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman accused Jimmy Uso of opposing the decision to groom his brother as the next Head of the Table. To everyone's surprise (especially Jey's), the elder Uso didn't deny the accusation.
The drama that followed swept this brief but very important exchange under the rug, but it could shed more light on Jimmy's reason for betraying Jey. What if, after being taken out by Reigns and Solo Sikoa, Jimmy was approached to cut a deal and be next-in-line for the Ula Fala? What if, in exchange, he was asked to ensure Main Event Jey didn't get his hands on it?
While some fans believe this would drive the story backwards, it would set up a bunch of interesting scenarios, such as a chaotic fatal four-way match for the Tribal Chiefdom. Alternately, it could begin a Sikoa jealousy angle, where he grows disillusioned with being overlooked as a potential successor, and finally deserts the Tribal Chief.
#2: "I did it to protect you, Uce!"
One of the central tactics to Roman Reigns' rule over The Bloodline on WWE SmackDown has been his use of gaslighting and manipulation to keep his cousins in check. Jimmy Uso, freshly turned heel, could take a page out of the Tribal Chief's playbook, and attempt to play off his betrayal as an altruistic act.
Imagine the elder Uso saying "I did this for you, Uce! Look how that Ula Fala corrupted Roman! Look how it made you fight your own blood! And don't think I haven't seen how Solo stares at it with hunger in his eyes! I saved you! You should be thanking me, Uce! You're the purest of us all, and I didn't want you to be corrupted!"
It would be exactly the kind of compelling emotional manipulation that we have come to know and love from The Bloodline. As a bonus, it would be a nice throwback to Rikishi's infamous "I did it for The Rock" confession.
#1: Simple brotherly jealousy could be Jimmy Uso's reason on WWE SmackDown
Occam's razor suggests that the simplest explanation is often the right one. Therefore, the most probable explanation for Jimmy Uso's WWE SummerSlam actions could be outright sibling jealousy. Twice the elder Uso has been sidelined in the past three years, and twice his twin and career-long tag partner has used the opportunity to become a singles star.
Maybe Jimmy finally got tired of watching Jey be named "The Main Event," challenge for singles titles and pin Roman Reigns. Maybe he believes it should be him, and he can do all that better. He is, after all, the elder twin, the first-born, the one who called himself "Tribal Chief" on the road to Money in the Bank AND had the guts to Superkick Reigns first at WWE Night of Champions 2023.
Jealousy is what turned Cain against Abel, Kane against The Undertaker, Owen against Bret, Matt against Jeff and Nikki against Brie. We wouldn't bet against it being what drove Jimmy to the dark side!