Jimmy Uso's Betrayal at WWE SummerSlam Opens Up New Doors In Bloodline Storyline

As Roman Reigns retained his unified titles by defeating Jey Uso in the main event at SummerSlam to etch the latest entry in the Bloodline saga, one lesson resonated: A predictable result in pro wrestling can still be peak entertainment.

So it went Saturday night, with challenger Jey appearing to have the upper hand in a brutal match, appearing oh-so-close to ending a reign of terror where other favorites had come up short.

Only to be betrayed by his own twin brother, Jimmy Uso.

Reigns winning seemed inevitable, but Jimmy betraying Jey certainly wasn't. Fans more plugged in than ever to the business in modern times understand WWE doesn't have much incentive to end The Tribal Chief's run at a non-WrestleMania event and especially not to Jey. There's too much meat left on the bone, be it a showdown with Solo Sikoa, The Rock or an eventual loss to Cody Rhodes.

But the storytelling curved in a fun way with Jimmy getting involved again. Fans could have reasonably expected he would be a non-factor in the equation of the main event.

And yet, for those paying close attention, the seeds have been there almost weekly. Paul Heyman's jabs and barbs blaming Jey for Jimmy's injury sure seem potent right now. His commentary about Jimmy losing everything if he happens to win seems worth bringing up, too.

The motive for Jimmy from a storytelling perspective doesn't have to be complicated. He's jealous of his brother in a match he could have had. As a tag team, they both beat Reigns recently, right? He's frustrated with another injury. Thinks he could've done the match better. Heck, maybe he even didn't want to see his twin brother become the Tribal Chief with a win, only to watch helplessly as it corrupted Jey next. As long as he doesn't pull out the Dolph Ziggler "it should have been me" whine, this has options and good legs.

Whatever the reason, this latest swerve opens a ton of fun doors. Suddenly, the twins can face off against one another with strong storyline justifications and heavy fan investment. Maybe that's at Payback on Sept. 2. Maybe they stretch it to a 'Mania. Fun pitstops along the way, such as a Triple Threat with Reigns or Sikoa at a PPV like Fastlane could entertain.

Ditto for the possibilities with Reigns. It feels like the goal is to string him along until the next 'Mania. Well, now he's got a mini-beef with Solo after accidentally hitting him with a spear Saturday night and disrupting their chemistry. That will need to be sorted out.

Maybe Jimmy gets a chance at a one-on-one too. And there's that pesky Heyman, who could always turn at any moment, too.

After all, the special counsel hit the post-match presser saying this thing is still in the early goings and it was the only viable option to ever top his run with Brock Lesnar:

Some fans might bemoan what feels like twist after twist after twist as WWE steers this ship toward an inevitable conclusion at WrestleMania 40 next year.

But here's the thing with angst about this: What's the alternative? Remember the days Brock Lesnar had a title and wouldn't even show up on a weekly show? Or when top titles wouldn't get defended? Or when Raw didn't even have one? This hits multiple long-requested boxes: It's entertaining, it's dripping with long-form storytelling and it's consistent in those things.

So, yes, this is filling programming between now and the next 'Mania, but it's fantastic. If it wasn't captivating fans, then some of the criticisms would have stronger footing. But the action is great. The storytelling throughout is a good example of the best pro wrestling has to offer.

A storyline like this, regardless of how long it is going, makes all involved better. Reigns is the star quarterback making his weapons look amazing. Jey and Jimmy just fading back into tag team purgatory would feel like a step down. Now they're main eventers with a long-term feud to unravel. Sikoa isn't just the green bodyguard, he'll have a prominent match with The Tribal Chief soon enough.

If nothing else, WWE and this Triple H era of creative booking have earned the trust that a shocking moment—like the Jimmy betrayal—will get sound storytelling follow-up.

But as other stops on this grand tale have shown, it might be best to reserve judgment in totality until every thread gets pulled and everything is laid out.

The Bloodline continues to be one of the best pro wrestling tales ever and the groundwork for more high points, wild as it sounds, is now made possible with the SummerSlam finish.