Secret deal with Roman Reigns, heel turn for dream match? 5 reasons why Jimmy Uso betrayed his brother Jey Uso at SummerSlam 2023
The WWE Universe is still in shock after what transpired at SummerSlam 2023, where Jimmy Uso betrayed his brother Jey Uso during the latter's Tribal Combat against Roman Reigns.
An extended storyline of brotherhood and betrayal culminated in a huge match at SummerSlam when Jey challenged Roman Reigns to a title match. Reigns put his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and Tribal Chiefdom on the line.
Jey came close to winning on several occasions, despite Solo Sikoa 's repeated interferences. While Reigns had help from Solo Sikoa, Jimmy's dagger defeated Jey tonight at SummerSlam.
The show is over, but it has left WWE fans with the biggest question of the year:
"Why did Jimmy Uso betray his brother?"
Here, let's look at five potential reasons why Jimmy turned on his brother Jey and stopped him from defeating Roman Reigns at SummerSlam.
#1. Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman's actual masterplan before title match at SummerSlam
The last few weeks have seen Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman repeatedly blame Jey Uso for everything that happened to Jimmy Uso. While the former Right Hand Man never fell victim to the mind games, fans now know that he was never the real target. Instead, The Tribal Chief and his Wise Man were secretly aiming their manipulation toward Jimmy, who was away from television, recovering.
Reigns and Heyman insisted that everything Jey has achieved comes down to his brother being injured. The reigning Undisputed WWE Universal Champion knew the only way to beat Jey Uso was to use an external factor. In this case, Jey Uso had already taken care of Solo Sikoa, but nothing could have prepared him for Jimmy's betrayal at SummerSlam.
#2. Is Jimmy Uso the new Right Hand Man?
Roman Reigns tried to prevent this match from happening by offering to make Jey Uso the next Tribal Chief. The role didn't convince him, but he could have made an equally exciting offer to Jimmy Uso. Reigns openly said that he only picked Jey Uso because Jimmy was hurt.
Another thing to note is that Jey had said, "You got hurt; I stepped up" to his brother before he chose Jimmy over Roman Reigns. Paul Heyman could have convinced Jimmy Uso that he would be the Right Hand Man and replicate main-event Jey Uso's success. Solo Sikoa has shown subtle hints of personal ambitions; who's to say the same won't be the case for Jimmy Uso?
#3. Sets up massive dream match at WrestleMania
Jey Uso has previously confessed that his dream match is to face his brother Jimmy Uso at WrestleMania. Seeing one of The Usos betray the other was unthinkable, but now, it all changes at SummerSlam 2023. Their feud will likely see several matches, building to a final encounter at WrestleMania next year.
WWE will play the angle that Jimmy Uso was jealous of Jey, holding him responsible for everything that happened to him. Jey would likely be pushed as the biggest babyface against his brother in an intense rivalry post-SummerSlam.
#4. Protect Jey Uso in loss at SummerSlam
In an ideal scenario, Jey Uso should have been the one to dethrone Roman Reigns as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and The Tribal Chief. But Reigns has held the title for over three years, and his historic title reign seemingly has more milestones left to conquer. If WWE needed Reigns to win at SummerSlam, they had to protect Jey in a defeat.
Solo Sikoa was always a factor in a match between Roman Reigns and Jey Uso. But the introduction of Jimmy Uso into the equation allowed WWE to show Jey fall victim to a legitimate unexpected threat. Once again, Reigns didn't get a clean win over his former Right Hand Man, whereas Jey Uso has a rightful claim to a potential rematch in the future.
#5. Jey Uso's journey as the new Tribal Chief
Roman Reigns had to punish The Usos into joining his side when The Bloodline was formed. Sure, he declared himself The Tribal Chief at first but has since squashed anyone standing in his way to retain his position as the Head of the Table.
Jey Uso played an instrumental role in helping Reigns stay at the top by squashing everyone who stood in the latter's way, but he has not done it for himself.
Before Jey Uso could become The Tribal Chief in WWE, he will have to prove himself to be better than the rest of his family members competing next to him. He must earn credibility to live up to the prestigious title, even as a top babyface. WWE has struck gold with Roman Reigns' "Tribal Chief" gimmick and would like to capitalize on it for a long time.
Hence, anyone, including Jey Uso, will have to prove similar dominance before acquiring the title. Jey will have a better claim as the Head of the Table if he gets there after a win over his brothers, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa.