Honest Assessment of WWE's Road to WrestleMania, Defending Jey Uso, More Quick Takes

With less than three weeks to go until WrestleMania 41, the overall anticipation level among a majority of fans isn't quite where it should be despite the promising projected card on paper.

WWE has had nearly three months to generate excitement for the event emanating from Las Vegas on April 19 and 20 since Raw's premiere on Netflix, yet the creative effort has been inconsistent at times. The build for certain bouts have delivered, while others have left a lot to be desired.

That includes the less-than-stellar hype for the World Heavyweight Championship clash between Gunther and Jey Uso.

The crowd reaction to Uso winning the men's 2025 Royal Rumble win in Indianapolis was overwhelmingly positive, but the mixed response he's received online since then has been drastically different. His lackluster feud with Gunther and one-dimensional booking hasn't helped, but his standing as one of the most popular performers in the entire company has hardly been affected.

This installment of Quick Takes will delve into why the recent backlash for Uso shouldn't change his trajectory, what's next for AEW's Kyle Fletcher, Naomi doing the best work of her career right now, and more.

Everything Working for and Against WWE's Road to WrestleMania 41

In recent weeks, WWE fans have taken to social media to question whether it truly feels like the Road to WrestleMania en route to Las Vegas, not realizing that it's the same question asked year after year and rarely does the answer ever actually change.

The build to any pay-per-view is important in regards to selling viewers on the show, and with WrestleMania specifically, it's incredibly crucial. However, WWE has proven on countless occasions in the past that a weak build doesn't automatically translate to a weak WrestleMania.

In fact, more often than not, the event itself exceeds expectations, rendering the buildup irrelevant.

In the case of this year's Road to WrestleMania, the audience has every reason to be critical. The hype for most matches has been subpar, and even the John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes rivalry hasn't reached the heights it should.

WrestleMania 41 being significantly later than usual is undoubtedly a factor, but that's far from an excuse for lack of effort. The company has clearly phoned it in for the better part of the international tour, relying on rowdy crowds to get them through as opposed to producing meaningful content.

Thankfully, enough time remains for WWE to turn things around and create genuine interest and excitement for what's in store at The Show of Shows.

WWE Doesn't Need to Rush Into a Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes Rivalry

The idea of longtime Legacy cohorts Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes has been intriguing for fans from the moment Rhodes returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38. There just hasn't been an appropriate time for WWE to pull the trigger on the program.

Evidently, it won't be anytime soon, either.

That's despite the two once again interacting on the latest edition of SmackDown, where Orton confronted Rhodes to start the show and informed him that the Undisputed WWE Championship is in his sights.

Ideally, Rhodes won't walk out of WrestleMania 41 with the gold in his grasp, meaning that it would be Orton challenging John Cena for the prestigious prize in The Viper's hometown of St. Louis in the main-event of Backlash on May 10. Rhodes vs. Orton wouldn't work on that show unless one of them turns heel, and that also shouldn't be imminent.

Orton and Rhodes have plenty of time to rekindle their rivalry with Orton betraying Rhodes out of both jealousy and obsessions to be champion again. The story will write itself when the time comes, but that doesn't need to be until SummerSlam at the earliest, if not WrestleMania season next year.

Kyle Fletcher Can Bounce Back by Winning the AEW TNT Championship

Kyle Fletcher has proven himself as a very promising prospect for AEW in the last several months since breaking away from Will Ospreay and attempting to make a name for himself in singles competition.

From dominating the 2024 Continental Classic to upsetting Ospreay at Full Gear, he's had a fair amount of success in the singles ranks so far. He also looked fantastic in defeat following his standout Steel Cage clash with Ospreay at Revolution earlier this month.

The best way for him to bounce back will be by capturing the AEW TNT Championship in the not-too-distant future.

Daniel Garcia and Adam Cole having been at odds over the title for the better part of 2025 so far and will meet once more at Dynasty on April 6. Regardless of who wins, it's imperative Fletcher make his presence felt in the title scene soon after.

Fletcher's non-title win over Garcia during the Continental Classic late last year has yet to be revisited. He'll eventually work his way to the main-event level, but in the meantime, he'd be the perfect fit for the TNT title and could help give it the Dynamite exposure it desperately needs.

Naomi Is Doing the Best Work of Her WWE Career So Far as a Heel

Although the decision to turn Naomi heel may have been questionable at first, it's already led to her doing the strongest work of her career to date.

It was the only outcome to Jade Cargill's mystery attacker storyline that was both logical and compelling. However, it's been nearly a decade since Naomi was last in the heel role and there were no guarantees that she'd excel at it this time around, especially being the natural babyface that she is.

In the three weeks since she revealed herself as the one who indeed ambushed Cargill in the parking lot, she has shown an all-new side to herself that many fans didn't know existed. Her composure coupled with her intensity has been exceptional, particularly in her promos.

Cargill has been booked like an absolute force throughout her WWE run yet Naomi has very much felt like a threat. They're on a collision course for what's shaping up to be a heated WrestleMania match, marking one of the first times ever that the event will have hosted a non-title standard singles match for the women.

If Naomi can continue to build momentum and doesn't get derailed during her rivalry with Cargill, she could and should be in line for even bigger things post-WrestleMania.

Latest Jey Uso Online Backlash Shouldn't Alter His WrestleMania Fate

Any WWE fan who strictly watches the weekly programming is most likely unaware of the backlash he's been receiving online since his Royal Rumble win, even if only because it hasn't affected his raucous crowd reactions in the slightest.

WWE has undoubtedly dropped the ball in regards to making his upcoming championship clash with Gunther feel worthy of the WrestleMania main-event spot. The two haven't done much more than get the better of each other each week and rack up wins over midcard acts such as Alpha Academy and A-Town Down Under.

Uso failing to evolve as a character has been apparent, but the fickle fan response to Uso on social media continues to be overblown. It also should have little if any bearing on the outcome to his WrestleMania match with Gunther.

If his crowd reactions begin getting more polarizing, the company will be justified in pivoting, but that social media hostility may only reflect the smallest section of the audience and how they feel about Uso.

There's no need for him to hold the World Heavyweight Championship for long, but winning at WrestleMania remains a must. Another loss would reinforce the narrative that he can't reign supreme when it matters most, and for his immense popularity alone, the WrestleMania moment of him securing his first taste of world title gold will be worth it.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.