Jey Uso feels WWE is an ‘easier hustle’ than it used to be
Jey Uso believes the life he’s living as a wrestler now is an easier existence than the generations that came before him had.
While joining Cody Rhodes on a new episode of “What Do You Wanna Talk About?,” Uso discussed how meaningful it is to have his father Rikishi so vocally supportive of his career. Becoming a wrestler has given Uso a greater level of appreciation for everything his family went through back in the day. Life as a wrestler can still be hard, but Uso feels the industry is an “easier hustle” than it used to be.
“Just being a wrestler now, and I know today it’s an easier hustle,” Uso said. “And I’m not saying that — this sh*t’s still hard. Being a wrestler, this life is hard. I think when my dad was coming up though, man, he went through the wringer. He’s still alive today. He’s healthy. I know like a lot of people, they’re up next. Everyone’s getting older. Our parents are getting older. We’re getting older, you know. My dad is our biggest fan, though. I cannot lie about that.”
Rhodes agreed that certain aspects of wrestling are easier today. The money is better and you don’t have to take as many bumps, but there are other obligations like personal appearances and media duties that didn’t exist before.
“It’s certainly not the bumping each night and the lighter envelopes, because the money and economy was different for wrestling then, Rhodes said. “But I mean, I watch you walk in here with someone from talent relations telling you what you need to do next and where you need to go. And what was house shows has been replaced by a lot of other things that are equal in an opportunity standpoint. There’s something of value to them. There’s something special. It’s just different. Like, we’re navigating a new hustle.”
Uso and his twin brother Jimmy are currently the World Tag Team Champions in WWE. They’ve reunited as a team after the singles success Jey had in 2025, which included a reign with the World Heavyweight Championship.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.