Jey Uso says classic match with the New Day helped prepare him for his main event run on SmackDown [Exclusive]
Jey Uso has grown accustomed to the main event scene on Friday Night SmackDown. Ever since he stepped up to challenge the Tribal Chief, and ultimately acknowledged him, Jey Uso has found himself in big match after big match. He'll compete in another one this Friday when he takes on Daniel Bryan inside a steel cage.
If Bryan wins, he will receive a shot at Roman Reigns' Universal Championship at Fastlane. If Jey Uso comes out on top, Bryan will have to acknowlege Reigns as the Tribal Chief, the best wrestler in the world and the main event of WrestleMania 37.
While much of the focus heading into this match is on Bryan and his quest to win the Universal Championship, Jey Uso cannot be overlooked. The six-time WWE Tag Team Champion has been doing masterful work, both in the ring and on the microphone in his brother's absence.
Speaking to SK Wrestling ahead of this week's SmackDown, Jey Uso said he's absolutely been relishing his first singles run.
"I dig it. You know, I'm real bummed out my brother went down, but then it was a blessing in disguise Uce. I just went to work, you know, I put in the work and I ain't stopped since. I ran through the big... tried to run through the Big Dog and people got with me man. So I just took off from there...AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Daniel Bryan, again and again and again. And I'm going to do it this Friday in the steel cage match, I found out that I got on Talking Smack cause DB was on there talking that smack to the councilman. Now I got to put him down Uce, now I got to get him."
Working main event bouts is nothing new to Jey Uso. He's been in a number of them in recent months. He also found himself locked inside a steel structure on multiple occasions during that time. At WWE Elimination Chamber, he was one of the last two men in the match. Ultimately, Jey Uso lost out to Bryan in that high-profile match, and he'll surely have revenge on his mind this Friday.
Bryan and Jey Uso have clashed a few times since the former tag team specialist joined forces with Reigns last fall. Bryan has defeated Uso a few times, but Reigns' right-hand man shouldn't be considered an underdog ahead of their latest encounter.
Jey Uso says Friday won't be a cake walk, but he's prepared thanks to a few other WWE Superstars
Friday's cage match against Bryan is just the next opportunity in a recent stretch of buzzworthy cage matches for Jey Uso. He finds himself in the fairly unique position of competing inside the Hell in a Cell and the Elimination Chamber in both singles and tag team competition.
The Usos defeated the New Day in a Hell in Cell Match in 2017 to capture the SmackDown Tag Team Championships for a third time. This extremely violent match was instant classic, and many fans remember this match for the absolutely brutal beating that Xavier Woods took. At one point, Jey and Jimmy Uso pelted him with kendo sticks while he was handcuffed to the ring post.
As barbaric as that match was, Jey Uso told SK Wrestling that he had a good time inside the Hell in a Cell environment. More importantly, the experience prepared him for his match with Roman Reigns three years later.
"I really had fun with the New Day. There's some matches where, you know, you be kind of stressed out and like, 'man, like I hope I do good' type stuff. But then there's matches, when you're in there, you're literally having fun. Like you forget I'm wrestling. So with those guys, it was the first time the tag titles have ever been defended (inside Hell in a Cell). And then I'm in there with my cousin, Roman Reigns, at Hell in a Cell in singles competition and, you know, the New Day prepared me for that. My brother prepared me for that."
Uso said both Hell in a Cell matches have a special place in his heart, and he pleaded with any fans who haven't seen them to check them out.
"Obviously the Hell in the Cell was a dope tag match. Like come on bruh. And if you ain't watch it, you go to the [WWE] Network and check it out. You know what I'm saying? Like we put it in and then when you fast forward to, bruh 2020, and you know I'm in there with Roman Reigns Uce. Like, check that one out, bruh. You'll see it's two different types of matches, but they both lit. They both on fire bruh, and I was proud to be a part of that, man."
Make sure to check out part of SK Wrestling's conversation with Jey Uso in the video above, as he discusses his relationship with The New Day and what they have meant to him and his career.
Also keep an eye out for part two of the discussion on the SK Wrestling YouTube Channel. Don't forget to subscribe while you're there so you don't miss out on more exclusive interviews and other great content from the SK Wrestling staff.