4 Reasons why Jey Uso dethroned Gunther for WWE World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania 41

WWE Superstar Jey Uso has defeated Gunther to become the new World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania 41. The OG Bloodline member finally overcame his nemesis at the Show of Shows.

Here are four reasons why Mr. Yeet dethroned Gunther in Las Vegas.

#4 Another loss would have been detrimental for Jey Uso’s career

Jey Uso won the 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble match to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. This was a big win for The Yeet Master, who was hot with the crowd ever since he shifted his focus to his singles career, especially after the conception of The Yeet Movement.

Main Event Jey chose to compete against Gunther instead of Cody Rhodes despite The Ring General warning him not to do so. However, despite having a 0-3 record against the Imperium leader, Uso chose to clash against him. While the Austrian wrestler said he had everything to lose against Mr. Yeet, the same was true for his challenger.

A loss for The Uce after receiving such a big push and fan support would have been fatal for his career. The Yeet Nation had already seen their beloved superstar take several losses throughout the year, including losing his Intercontinental Championship within a month. Thus, this final push at WrestleMania 41 was a must-win match for Mr. Yeet.

#3 Jey Uso was fighting to avenge Jimmy Uso

Jimmy Uso was furious at his brother for botching his moves against Austin Theory and Grayson Waller for two consecutive episodes of RAW a few weeks ago. After psyching Main Event Jey, Big Jim slapped Gunther for disrespecting his brother. Next week, however, The Ring General made Jim pay in a singles match.

The Austrian superstar locked Jimmy Uso in a Sleeper Hold even after winning the match. When Jey Uso came to his rescue, Gunther ziptied his hands to the ropes and proceeded to assault his brother, leaving him bloodied in the ring. Following this, an angry Mr. Yeet said he would beat The Ring General to avenge his brother.

The WrestleMania confrontation for the World Heavyweight Championship saw Main Event Jey put Gunther in a Sleeper Hold. This was an unusual tactic from Mr. Yeet, who usually goes for pinfalls, and the Austrian was forced to tap out. Thus, this was more than a dethroning for Jey Uso.

#2 WWE needed a new World Heavyweight Champion

Gunther had been holding the World Heavyweight Champion for 265 days. While The Ring General was a dominant champion, he didn’t have much going for his character without the championship belt. While the Austrian takes pride in being a titleholder for almost 80 percent of his career, his gimmick doesn’t incorporate other elements that could connect him with fans.

Thus, Gunther’s character slowly becomes stale over time. On the other hand, Jey Uso is one of WWE’s most popular and hot with the crowd superstars in the company right now. Thus, there was a need for a new champion, and The Uce was ready to take the spot.

#1 Finishing the story moment

After Jey Uso won the match against Gunther, commentator Michael Cole noted that his father, Rikishi, was in the crowd, watching his son’s match. Notably, while the Hall of Famer had been very vocal about Mr. Yeet winning the World Heavyweight Championship, he never won the singles gold during his career.

A one-time Intercontinental Championship win was as far as The Samoan Stinker went in his singles career. Thus, by winning the World Heavyweight Championship, Uso also finished the story for his family, just like his former tag team partner Cody Rhodes. It would be interesting to see what lies ahead for the newly crowned champ.