Jey Uso emerged victorious at the Royal Rumble and made a significant announcement on Monday night regarding which WWE championship he intends to pursue at WrestleMania 41, just over two months away. The WWE audience welcomed Uso with enthusiastic cheers, allowing him to celebrate and interact with them for several minutes until Gunther interrupted the festivities. Known as “The Ring General,” Gunther launched an attack on Uso while he was enjoying the moment with fans, aiming to assert his dominance.
As officials intervened to break up the confrontation, Uso grabbed the microphone and revealed his WrestleMania intentions. “Maybe I shouldn’t say this,” Uso said, recovering from the assault. “Me and you at WrestleMania!” The crowd erupted in excitement. Gunther returned to the ramp, attempting to land more blows, but Uso countered with a forearm strike that sent Gunther tumbling off the apron. Uso then sprang off the ropes, leaping over them to take Gunther down on the floor.
In a separate statement, Gunther vowed to make Uso’s life difficult, declaring, “10 weeks of hell.” He criticized Uso’s ambitions, stating, “What you saw out there was a selfish attempt from Jey Uso to tarnish my legacy as I prepare to compete at WrestleMania. He calls himself ‘Main Event,’ but in reality, he’s midcard. He’s a clown, merely there for the entertainment of the audience. He’s certainly not in my league.”
Gunther has held the world heavyweight title since August, following his victory over Damian Priest at SummerSlam. His rivalry with Uso has been building for several weeks. Uso previously challenged Gunther for the title at Saturday Night’s Main Event in January but was unsuccessful. To date, Uso has not secured a victory over Gunther in a singles match on live television. However, he was part of a six-man tag team match last year, where he, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods defeated Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci. Since then, Kingston and Woods have separated from Big E, while Gunther and Kaiser have parted ways with Vinci.
With one title match confirmed, the Elimination Chamber event in March will determine who will face Cody Rhodes for the undisputed WWE championship. The Elimination Chamber is scheduled for March 1, while WrestleMania 41 will take place on April 19-20.
