WWE is a babyface company. It's long been built around stars like Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Roman Reigns, and now Cody Rhodes—dominant figures headlining shows and holding down the top of the card as the “it” guys. But there’s always been something less compelling about babyfaces running rampant with world titles than there is about them chasing one.
Case in point: Jey Uso holding the World Heavyweight Championship.
On the post–Money in the Bank episode of Raw, Jey Uso dropped his title to Gunther in the main event. It might seem like a surprising move, given that the former Bloodline member held the belt for only seven weeks. He was over with the crowd, consistently led the “Yeet” chants that took over every venue he entered, was a strong merchandise seller, and even won the Royal Rumble. This milestone often serves as a launching pad for Superstars looking to take the next step in their careers, so wouldn’t WWE want to invest more in that?
Triple H got the World Heavyweight Championship change right with Gunther
There’s no argument against Jey Uso winning the title at WrestleMania 41. Triple H rewarded someone who had put in over a decade of hard work as part of a tag team, and someone who organically became popular with the fans. Those fans had been along for his journey for years, from tag team standout to breakout star of The Bloodline. He earned his moment in front of a packed Allegiant Stadium, giving him a well-deserved platform to celebrate a major pro wrestling achievement.
But once Uso won the title, the story lost some of its edge. He was no longer the underdog on the rise, but the champion trying to hold off challengers like Logan Paul and Seth Rollins. That dynamic can lose steam quickly, and it did, as there’s only so much drama in a straightforward “bad guy chases good guy” setup. And if the creative isn’t careful, the crowd might end up siding with the heel, flipping the narrative unintentionally.
Uso also doesn’t have the elite in-ring pedigree of a modern-day champion. His charisma is off the charts, and he has a rare ability to connect with fans through his smile, athleticism, and catchphrases. But delivering consistently compelling matches as a singles star is another story.
On the other hand, Gunther has exactly that. He’s proven himself as a champion in NXT UK, with the Intercontinental Championship, and in his first run as World Heavyweight Champion. That’s why Triple H is placing him back in that role, and it’s hard to argue with the decision.
The Ring General looks like a world champion because he carries himself with unmatched intensity and presence. His physicality, no-nonsense persona, and hard-hitting in-ring style make him stand out in today’s WWE landscape. A historic Intercontinental Championship reign solidified his credibility, and WWE’s consistent booking of him as a top guy has only strengthened it. In an era that values realism and legitimacy, Gunther feels like a roster-building champion.
So it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that he’s held a title more often than not in WWE. Gunther makes every championship look better, which arguably makes him a safe, go-to option. In fact, he draws comparisons to Triple H during his heyday, a heel who was almost always holding a title or headlining pay-per-views, consistently dominating and providing a reliable presence in the main event scene.
Gunther also steps into an important summer for WWE, who's booking praise has cooled off since a highly criticized WrestleMania season that saw Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson set up John Cena's heel turn to set up the WrestleMania 41 main event, only to disappear and not have a proper decision given for Cena's turn to the dark side. They also haven't found a strong, stable story to lean on since The Bloodline story fizzled out and became a smaller story with Jacob Fatu in focus. Paul Heyman's new group is an ongoing attempt at rekindling some magic, but it's a wait-and-see for that to happen.
In other words, WWE is turning to a reliable figure to anchor a top spot during a busy summer stretch that includes Night of Champions, SummerSlam, and Clash in Paris. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Gunther still holding the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, and even at Clash in Paris—where the Austrian-born Superstar would be a fitting representative for the international fanbase if that's WWE's goal.
So while Uso rightfully got his moment, time ran out—and it was time for a change, returning to the more compelling story of a babyface chasing the heel, Gunther, for the title. It might not be the former tag team champion in that position, but someone else looking to find their own moment of glory. And with that, the storyline resets itself.