Why a Bloodline Member Winning the 2026 King of the Ring Is a Bad Choice
The 2026 King of the Ring tournament is down to its final four participants, as Oba Femi, Dominik Mysterio, Je’Von Evans, and Jey Uso compete to win the coveted crown. With the winner of the tournament also earning a world championship opportunity at SummerSlam 2026, every remaining superstar knows how important it is to survive until the very end. While three of the competitors have yet to win a world title on the main roster, one of them already knows what it feels like to hold one of the top titles. Uso is looking to challenge for another world title, but his connections with the Bloodline and crowd reception don’t really make him a popular pick against the other three, which is why he would be the worst choice to pick as the winner of the 2026 King of the Ring tournament.
‘Main Event’ Uso rose to popularity after splitting from the Bloodline in 2023, leaving behind his brother Jimmy Uso and the ‘Tribal Chief’ Roman Reigns. After walking away from his family, Uso found a plethora of success, winning the Undisputed Tag Team titles with Cody Rhodes, capturing the Intercontinental Championship against Bron Breakker, and winning the 2025 Royal Rumble match. His greatest achievement came at night one of WrestleMania 41, when he made ‘The Ring General’ Gunther tap out to capture the World Heavyweight Championship. Uso had finally stepped out of his cousin’s shadow and made a name for himself. However, the decision to have Uso defeat Gunther by submission was questioned by many people who believed that WWE had made ‘The Ring General’ look weak in defeat. A few months later, Uso would drop the title back to Gunther on an episode of Raw. After dropping the title, Uso has been unable to recapture the gold, losing multiple world title opportunities, including a loss to CM Punk for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Since then, WWE has struggled to push Uso in any direction, ultimately putting him back into a tag team with his brother Jimmy.
WWE spent years trying to get Uso out of the Bloodline story, but without any proper stories for him, they ended up putting him back into the Bloodline. Now, Uso has once again aligned himself with his brother alongside the ‘OTC’, receiving orders and doing whatever Reigns asks of him. Uso has been asked by Reigns to go after Rhodes and his Undisputed WWE Championship. With Uso now in the final four of the King of the Ring tournament, that challenge is close to being accomplished. Sure, Uso could be an interesting challenger to Rhodes’ title, considering their history, but with so many other options to choose from, having Rhodes be challenged once again by a member of the Bloodline feels like WWE is going backwards in their storytelling. The WWE Universe already witnessed Rhodes conquer the Bloodline en route to his first world title win in WWE, and having the Bloodline be the main focus on both shows would oversaturate their presence. Uso has also become one of the most disliked characters of the Bloodline, even being more disliked than Solo Sikoa. Other members of the Bloodline, such as his brother Jimmy and Jacob Fatu, have gotten over with the crowd, being chosen by the audience over Jey. Finally, Uso’s reign as world champion was pretty forgettable, and putting the world title back on him won’t move the needle in the business, especially with newcomers on the SmackDown brand aiming to make a name for themselves.
If Uso was chasing the title on his own, then he could easily be a fan-favorite to win the King of the Ring tournament. However, his connection with the Bloodline in this tournament does not help his stock with the WWE Universe, and it makes the tournament seem predictable and bland. WWE has three other superstars gunning to become a top talent in the business, and any one of them could benefit by winning the crown. This year’s tournament should be used as a way to push the newer talent and not to rub the Bloodline’s ego any more than it needs to be.
