Jey Uso Is Better off Without Title, John Cena vs. CM Punk Misfire, More Quick Takes
Even without the World Heavyweight Championship, Jey Uso can and will still be one of WWE's most over acts.
His reign kicked off in grand fashion with a win over Gunther at WrestleMania 41 and ended last Monday on Raw at the hands of the same opponent. As WWE's ultimate underdog, Uso holding the gold for a mere seven weeks won't hurt him all that much in the long run.
In fact, a case can be made that he'll be better off without the title going forward.
That newsworthy Raw also featured the official announcement of CM Punk challenging John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship in what's being billed as their final match ever at Night of Champions on June 28.
As exciting of an attraction as that will be given their storied history, the abrupt nature of the build will do it no favors, especially with the outcome feeling like a foregone conclusion ahead of Cena's anticipated rematch with Cody Rhodes.
This installment of Quick Takes will discuss the questionable timing of the renewal of their rivalry, the true main event of AEW All In 2025, if a feud with Seth Rollins will be enough to elevate LA Knight, and more.
Fans Need Not Worry About Jey Uso's Booking
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Despite Jey Uso's Royal Rumble win earlier this year receiving a mixed reaction online, it was an admirable effort on WWE's part to not only create a new main eventer but also capitalize on the popularity he's organically generated in recent years.
Uso dethroning the dominant Gunther at WrestleMania 41 was the right call, as was having him hold the title for a seven-week period. While some fans may have preferred a longer reign, it wasn't necessary, nor would it have benefited him or Raw's main event scene.
Uso's push peaked at The Show of Shows. Everything that followed was largely solid, but the best story to tell was him succumbing to the pressure and dropping the belt back to Gunther, the superior Superstar, in clean fashion.
The leader of WWE's Yeet Movement will be just fine, and his standing with the fans won't suffer, either.
It was only ever important for him to win when it mattered most, and he did just that at 'Mania. He'll excel returning to chase mode and exploring other opportunities on the show, whether it be in the world title scene, the midcard mix or even alongside his brother, Jimmy, in the tag team ranks.
Jey could well be world champion again someday down the road, but considering his skills aren't up to par with a majority of today's roster, it's perfectly acceptable for him to not be utilized in a main event capacity for the foreseeable future and afford others the chance to occupy the top spot.
What Gunther Regaining the Gold Means for Goldberg's Final Match
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The stakes for the heavily rumored match between Gunther and Goldberg at the upcoming installment of Saturday Night's Main Event on July 12 just got significantly higher.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported this past week that the main reason The Ring General regained the gold from Jey Uso was so his outing against Goldberg could have the prestigious prize up for grabs.
Regardless of whether it's for the title or not, Goldberg winning what's believed to be his final farewell contest would have been egregious if the idea is for his opponent to be Gunther.
The Ring General squashing the WWE Hall of Famer in a matter of minutes is the only outcome that makes sense at this point, especially coming off Goldberg's comments on his CarCast podcast that he's hurt himself "a couple of times" while training for his requested retirement match and that his left knee is in "rough shape."
It doesn't need to be much more than Gunther being in control for a majority of it and Goldberg scoring some explosive offense before being put away decisively.
The focus should be on whatever awaits Gunther at SummerSlam and giving Goldberg one last moment in front of the fans without severely injuring himself in the process.
Determining the True Main Event of AEW All In 2025
3 of 5No matter what the undercard for All Elite Wrestling's All In on July 12 looks like, the top two main events alone should sell the show for most fans.
"Hangman" Adam Page is riding a wave of momentum heading into his AEW World Championship clash with Jon Moxley after knocking off Will Ospreay in an instant classic at Double or Nothing.
Meanwhile, Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada are set to renew hostilities for the first time in seven years, with both of their belts on the line in an unprecedented unification match.
Omega and Okada upped the anticipation level for the match with their heated contract signing that went awry on Wednesday's Dynamite. It's unknown how well they'll click in the ring and if their chemistry can measure up to their epics of years past, but it promises to be a must-see spectacle no matter what.
From a sheer storyline standpoint, however, Moxley vs. Page is the bigger contest.
Ideally, Hangman should be the one to finally take the title off Moxley, but it's entirely possible AEW intends to drag out the Death Riders angle even longer by waiting until Darby Allin is ready to return and have him do the honors.
If Moxley is planned to retain, Omega vs. Okada should headline All In and end the evening on a high note. If not, Moxley vs. Page should close the show.
Can a Seth Rollins Feud Salvage LA Knight's Main Event Potential?
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LA Knight has long belonged among the elite in WWE's main event scene, yet for whatever reason, the company has been hesitant to utilize him beyond the United States Championship picture on SmackDown.
The Megastar was a perfect fit for the star-spangled prize in the second half of 2024, but he's ready to be elevated to the next level. Winning the men's Money in the Bank ladder match would have accomplished that for him, but WWE instead opted to go with Seth Rollins in that role.
There's no clear next step for Knight aside from an apparent program with Rollins based on his interaction with his cronies, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed, on Raw and SmackDown last week.
It's a fresh feud that should see The Megastar move up the card in theory, but there's no reason to believe that will actually be the case.
Believers in the two-time U.S. champ's potential have been burned before and have all but given up on the idea he's earmarked for bigger and better things in WWE.
It's unrealistic to assume Rollins will ultimately put over Knight when all signs point to The Visionary cashing in his contract and winning the World Heavyweight Championship in the coming months.
Knight may be indefinitely doomed to midcard purgatory in WWE if this rivalry with Rollins doesn't pan out the way many hope it will.
WWE Isn't Maximizing the Magic of One Final John Cena vs. CM Punk Clash
5 of 5The final-ever outing between John Cena and CM Punk, a match many years in the making, should be as big of a deal as possible.
Even more excitement surrounded the eventual collision once The Last Real Champion turned heel earlier in the year, giving the feud a never-done-before dynamic.
When Punk confronted Cena on the June 9 edition of Raw to make their matchup official for Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia, it felt abrupt. The Second City Saint was previously working with Seth Rollins and that rivalry wasn't resolved, while Cena remains at odds with the returning Ron Killings and Cody Rhodes.
Rhodes pinning Cena in the tag team main event at Money in the Bank means their rematch for the Undisputed WWE Championship is imminent, making it all the more obvious that Punk isn't beating The GOAT come Night of Champions.
The quick turnaround between this month's premium live events also limits how much Cena and Punk will be able to do during the build, and Cena simultaneously working with Killings makes Punk a bit of a background player.
It's essentially a cash-grab of an attraction on a Saudi WWE PLE than it is a marquee main event marking the culmination of a months-long rivalry. It should be special regardless of the circumstances, but the company is doing the long-awaited rematch a disservice by rushing into it so haphazardly.
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.
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