Backstage Update On WWE's Jey Uso Trade Storyline
Update 10/13/23, 5:35pm EST — PWInsider is reporting that Kevin Owens is at "SmackDown" tonight and will "soon be announced" as the person "Raw" traded for Jey Uso.
For those who have been wondering what's happening with "WWE Raw" supposedly "trading" someone to "WWE SmackDown" in exchange for Jey Uso, a conclusion to that storyline is reportedly on the way and could be coming as early as tonight's offering from the blue brand, per a new report from Fightful Select. While Fightful was careful to note that plans can always change, the person switching brands will be supposedly be "someone at least on Uso's level." In a later update, Fightful said moving Cody Rhodes to "SmackDown" is not the current plan.
It's difficult to determine what exactly is meant by "someone at least on Uso's level." Since Jey officially left The Bloodline back in June and challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam in August, he's been one of WWE's biggest stars, and more so than ever since Rhodes brought him back to WWE TV in September at the Payback premium live event after Jey (in storyline) quit the company following his loss to Reigns. Since Jey's arrival on "Raw," it's been repeatedly intimated that someone from "Raw" is going over to "SmackDown" as part of the deal, but it's now been over a month with no indication of who that might be. Aside from Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, who doesn't seem likely to switch brands, "Raw's" most consistent main-eventers have been Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and The Judgment Day.
Fightful mentions in their report that despite all these arrangements, Jey is currently eligible to appear on both shows after he and Rhodes won the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship at Fastlane. It should also be noted that WWE has been far from consistent when it comes to keeping talent on the brands that drafted them, with the most recent example also being the most high-profile, as Rhodes, John Cena, Paul Heyman, Asuka, LA Knight, Dominik Mysterio and other "Raw" and "SmackDown" talents all appeared on this past Tuesday's episode of "WWE NXT."