Jey Uso's Fanatics Fest NYC appearance sells out amid online backlash

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LONDON, ENGLAND: Jason Statham meets Jey Uso backstage during Monday Night RAW at The O2 Arena on June 22, 2026 in London, England. | (Photo: Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images) Jey Uso remains one of WWE’s most popular performers despite persistent online criticism. Autograph and photo-op packages with Uso at July’s Fanatics Fest NYC are sold out. More than 30 WWE superstars are scheduled to appear at the annual sports fan festival. Yet, only packages featuring Uso, Rhea Ripley, Cody Rhodes, Liv Morgan, and Randy Orton have sold out. Uso is scheduled to appear on Sunday, July 19. His photo-op and autograph packages sold for $136.25 and $130.80, respectively, and do not include admission to the four-day event. Among the five superstars, only Morgan’s packages were priced lower than Uso’s, with all five carrying three-figure price tags. Ahead of Saturday’s Night of Champions, fans have voiced displeasure at the possibility of Uso becoming the next King of the Ring. The latest backlash is similar to what he faced after winning the 2025 Royal Rumble and the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. Many of the complaints center on Uso’s extended entrance, his conditioning, and his overall wrestling ability. The internet community was especially critical of Uso following a failed neck breaker spot in a match against CM Punk on Saturday Night’s Main Event last November. Amid increased scrutiny, Punk stood up for his colleague. “Jey Uso is f***ing phenomenal, he is — 100%,” Punk told Busted Open in January, while pointing to Uso’s merchandise sales and reactions to his over-the-top entrance as proof of his popularity. Uso’s last match, a win over Je’Von Evans in the semifinals of the King of the Ring on SmackDown, also drew mostly positive reviews. Brian Last, co-host of the Jim Cornette Experience, called it “really good,” and it received a 6.97 rating out of 10 on Cagematch. “…to Jey’s credit he stepped up and had his best singles performance in a long time,” one fan wrote. Uso faces Oba Femi during the King of the Ring finals Saturday at Night of Champions, with the winner advancing to a world title match at SummerSlam.