On Monday night, Jey Uso etched his name in WWE history by winning the Intercontinental Championship. The thrilling result was the culmination of a long campaign to establish himself as a top singles competitor. He’s cemented his legacy not just as a decorated tag wrestler who achieved success independently, but as part of an exclusive club of father-son duos to hold the Intercontinental title.
Jey’s victory marks a historic moment in WWE, as he becomes only the second man in the company’s history to win the Intercontinental Championship after his father, Rikishi, held the title. This rare distinction places Jey Uso and Rikishi alongside another iconic father-son duo, the late Curt Hennig (known as Mr. Perfect) and his son, Curtis Axel, as the only two pairs to share this unique achievement.
A Rare and Exclusive Club
Before Jey Uso and Rikishi, the only other father-son pair to achieve this feat were Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig and his son, Curtis Axel (Joseph Hennig). Perfect held the IC title twice, first winning it on May 19, 1990, after defeating Tito Santana in a tournament final. His second reign later that year solidified him as being synonymous with the title to this day.
Mr. Pefect’s son Curtis Axel won the Intercontinental Championship in 2013, on WWE’s Payback pay-per-view. His victory came on the same night as Father’s Day, a symbolic tribute to his late father, Mr. Perfect, making the moment even more special for wrestling fans who appreciated their family’s contribution to the business.
We’ve seen many father-son combinations rise to prominence—most recently Rey and Dominik Mysterio, who became the first father-son pair to win the tag team titles. However, only Curtis Axel and Jey Uso can say they’ve held the prestigious Intercontinental Championship just like their fathers.
As Jey Uso carves out his own path, the bond between generations of superstars continues to be a rewarding aspect of of wrestling for longtime fans.
