Jey Uso, the well-known hotshot WWE star, earned his first singles title Monday night. During an intense bout against Bron Breakker, Uso pulled out all the stops to come out ahead. He had challenged for singles titles some four times in the past year, finally getting the win he’d battled so hard for. He was an underdog in each of those bouts.
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Notably, he became the first WWE contender to rack up ten tag-team titles before ever taking a singles win. Before Uso, the highest number of tag team championships won by a single wrestler before they earned their first singles title was held by Bubba Ray Dudley. This outs Uso in rare company, as Dudley is a Hall of Famer with a long and storied career in the world of pro wrestling.
Uso’s Work Ethic
Uso is well-regarded among fans for his hard work ethic and his captivating character work in and out of the ring. Some fans, notably, have actually taken some issue with his win coming when it did, arguing that he should have likely won at some point earlier this year. Some point to the moment when he challenged Damian Priest at Backlash France, while others pointed to a possible match against Gunther at WrestleMania.
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Other commentators have pointed out that Uso winning in a Monday Night Raw is perhaps a bit anticlimactic. Breakker only had one title defense in his short 50-day championship hold. Moreover, this Raw was primarily aimed at building hype for the upcoming Bad Blood event. As such, Uso’s special moment was somewhat undercut by the promos for the upcoming event.
Still, it’s a towering achievement for a genuinely hard-working and well-respected wrestler who’s more than earned it over his illustrious career. Time will tell how long Uso can hold that title before the WWE sends another new challenger his way.
Rhea Ripley’s Performance
That wasn’t the only exciting thing happening during the episode of Monday Night Raw, either.
Rhea Ripley, the beloved rising star in the women’s division, called out Dominik Mysterio ahead of their cage match at Bad Blood. According to Ripley, Mysterio will be spending the match tapped in a shark cage. This will likely lead to serious drama and high stakes in the upcoming match.
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Liv Morgan
Meanwhile, Ripley also wowed the crowd with her stunning performance against Liv Morgan, knocking her out of contention with a devastating headbutt. Her dominant and expressive wrestling style and flashy performances in the ring have made her a fast fan favorite and she’s now on a surging championship run. While she’s held the belt in the past, Liv Morgan could theoretically lose it to her during Bad Blood.
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Still, WWE might not be in a hurry to have Liv hand the belt back over. After all, she’s still establishing herself as a go-to wrestler in the newly-popular women’s league. While Ripley is a megastar, WWE might be interested in trying to promote their rising stars who don’t already have such massive fanbases as the beloved former champion.