Quick Links
Roman Reigns’ time as WWE Universal Champion has become something truly legendary. His reign with the gold has seen him become the longest-reigning champion in WWE for over three decades at nearly 900 days (as of this writing) with the belt around his waist. Over the last three years, Reigns has fought with some of the all-time greats, offering some brilliant matches, great storylines, and moments that will certainly last forever. However, there is a huge argument to be made that his very first real feud over the title was his very best, and that came against his own cousin, Jey Uso.
Roman Reigns Has Had Several Brilliant Moments And Matches During This Title Reign
To say that Jey Uso’s feud with Roman Reigns was his best doesn’t mean that everything that followed it was bad, as Reigns’ run with the Universal Championship has seen great feud after great feud. However, all it is saying is that the Jey Uso storyline was just so damn good that nothing else has quite reached those heights. It is a big claim to make when looking at some of Reigns’ other feuds throughout the last three years, with storylines involving the likes of Edge, Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, and many more all being out of the top draw.
In addition, Reigns has battled with some major names like Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, and John Cena, though these star-studded clashes didn’t have the same level of intensity and storytelling as the Jey Uso rivalry. Other fantastic matches involving names such as Matt Riddle, Cesaro, Logan Paul, and Finn Balor were all tremendous, and the in-ring story told was class on every occasion, but they still didn’t quite touch the quality of the masterclass between Reigns and his cousin.
The Storyline Between Roman Reigns And Jey Uso Helped Birth The “Tribal Chief” Gimmick
Roman Reigns’ storyline with Jey Uso was perhaps the most important one of this entire run. When he returned in 2020, Reigns moved towards being a heel, which had been a long time coming and something fans had been after for a while. His attitude and arrogance was immediately a hit, but he needed to find something that would take to the next level, and not just remain as a bog-standard and cliché heel who insults the people and cheats to win. In taking on someone in his own family, he developed the “Tribal Chief” persona, and became truly despicable.
In the absence of his tag team partner Jimmy Uso, Jey became the number one contender in a shocking development, but it was one that fans online were very supportive towards. Not only was it someone new in the title scene, but it also bucked the trend of tag team members getting forgotten about when one of the pair gets injured. WWE built up Jey as a valiant babyface, and he played the underdog perfectly. Additionally, he still saw good in Reigns, and this played into what would become a devastating tale.
As the weeks progressed, Jey’s faith in Reigns lessened, and his defiance to his cousin increased. Reigns wanted Jey to fall in line beside him, but Jey refused the autocratic rule that the champion wanted over both their family and WWE. This led to a hugely heated contest at Clash of Champions, and it was remarkable to witness. The lack of a crowd due to the pandemic allowed dialogues to take place in the ring, feeling more like a movie than a conventional match. Reigns’ descent into darkness continued as he was at conflict with himself as he dished out punishment, unsure whether or not to proceed into becoming a huge villain.
The Matches Between Roman Reigns And Jey Uso Were An Emotional Whirlwind
Reigns would win, but WWE wisely kept the storyline going until the next PPV. Reigns battled Jey inside Hell in a Cell, and it was once again a dramatic and emotional rollercoaster, and both this and the previous encounter were hugely acclaimed by fans, and their ratings on cagematch.net showcase just that. Jimmy’s involvement, coming to the aid of his brother and accepting that the pair would fall in line beside Reigns, were the first steps in The Bloodline becoming the most dominant act in professional wrestling.
The image of Reigns standing tall with elders of The Bloodline, looking on at The Usos in the ring who he had physically and mentally broken down to the point that they admitted defeat and settled as his lackeys, was fantastic. To date, none of Reigns’ other Universal Championship feuds have even come close to this, especially since the developments in The Bloodline are still ongoing over two years later, as Jey’s involvement in the Sami Zayn saga feels like a continuation of all the bad blood that existed back in 2020. Zayn’s story may very well overtake Jey’s when he challenges for the Universal Title, but as of right now, Roman Reigns vs Jey Uso is the number one feud of this historic run as champion.