Emotions ran high on this week’s “WWE Raw” with Jey Uso making his first appearance since winning the Royal Rumble.

“You deserve it," the crowd sang to him in unison. The man of the moment struggled to hold back the tears.

Who can blame him? Uso’s Rumble triumph was the crescendo of a spectacular singles run that has seen him emerge from the shadow of Roman Reigns to become the breakthrough babyface of the WWE universe.

How did our boy pull off such an impressive feat? Here are the moments that defined his rise to superstar status:

October 2020: Jey faces Roman at Hell in a Cell

While much of the Thunderdome era has long ceased to be relevant, this particular match stands out for planting the seeds of Uso’s current success.

Jey had already been beaten by his kayfabe cousin, Roman Reigns, one month earlier. But now, WWE’s Universal Champion had a bigger gambit on hand for the rematch. If he could make his cousin say “I quit,” then Jey would have to formally acknowledge Roman’s dominion as Tribal Chief.

Despite being bombarded with multiple spears and whipped with a leather strap, Uso refused to throw in the towel. It was only when Reigns turned his fury on Jimmy Uso that Jey uttered the fateful words, conceding defeat in order to save his brother’s skin.

It was the first major hint that Jey would be the conscience of The Bloodline, a theme that would return with a vengeance in the years to come.

November 2022: Jey finally embraces Sami Uso

For most of their time at the top, The Bloodline 1.0 stuck to a pretty straightforward heel playbook. They may have oozed star quality, but their mindset was simple: do whatever it takes to destroy the competition and maintain the gold.

In the second half of 2022, that dynamic began to shift with the entry of Sami Zayn. The former babyface’s desperate attempt to get in with the cool crowd struck a chord with the audience. This drew the suspicion of Jey Uso, who continued to regard Zayn as a dangerous interloper.

That changed at Survivor Series, when Zayn helped score a dominant victory for The Bloodline in the War Games match, earning him a long-awaited embrace from Jey Uso. Sensing the start of a beautiful friendship, the crowd gave the moment a roar of approval.

June 2023: Jey turns on Roman Reigns

Fast-forward six months, and things were on the slide for The Bloodline. After their defeat at WrestleMania, The Usos had officially lost their tag team titles — and with them, the favor of The Tribal Chief.

Following Night of Champions, Reigns would finally lose patience with Jimmy Uso, allowing Solo Sikoa to deliver a punishment beating. The twist would leave Jey Uso with quite the dilemma: would he stick with his brother or fall in line as Roman predicted?

The answer came two weeks later on “SmackDown,” after Jey launched into a heartfelt promo about always playing second fiddle to his brother. Just when it looked like The Usos were finished, Jey changed track and floored Roman Reigns with a superkick.

To say that the audience popped would be an understatement.

October 2023: Jey teams with Cody Rhodes

With Roman Reigns on hiatus after SummerSlam, WWE needed a new creative direction for Jey Uso.

After a brief flirtation with The Judgment Day, Uso ended up falling prey to Finn Bálor’s faction — only for an unlikely savior to come riding to the rescue. Cody Rhodes had helped bring Jey to “Raw,” but was he really ready to actively help him?

Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long to find out, as Adam Pearce booked the duo for a surprise tag title match against Bálor and Damian Priest at Fastlane. Then came an even bigger shock, when Uso and Rhodes won the match.

Their championship run may have been brief, but it still gave us one of the most memorable press conferences in modern WWE history, as an elated (and slightly tipsy) Jey Uso greeted well-wishers with a word that would soon become synonymous with his rise: Yeet.

September 2024: Jey wins the IC Title

By fall 2024, babyface Jey Uso was reliably shifting merch and getting the big entrances. But there was still one prize that remained stubbornly out of his reach: a singles title.

When the golden boy was booked for a rematch with Bron Breakker — a man whose Intercontinental title run was giving Gunther’s a run for its money — few expected the outcome to change.

Then one night on “Raw” the stars would finally align, as underdog Uso scored a solid victory against one of the WWE’s most fearsome competitors. “Main Event Jey” was finally a singles champion, and the crowd was happy to savor every second of it.