In a surprising twist for fans of WWE RAW, the audience in Albany, New York, witnessed an unexpected change pertaining to one of the show’s prominent wrestlers. Notably, Jey Uso’s catchphrase “Yeet” which had quickly resonated with the WWE Universe, came under scrutiny, prompting WWE to take swift action.
The shift was initially noticed when Uso’s “Yeet” shirt was conspicuously blurred out during a video package. The change sparked inquiries, leading to WrestleVotes sharing insights from their sources which illuminated the underlying cause: WWE found themselves entangled in trademark-related legal complexities, leading to the abrupt discontinuation of Jey Uso’s “Yeet” phrase and the pulling of any merchandise brandishing the term.
The legal entanglement revolves around trademarks for “Yeet” and “Yeet Movement,” claimed by independent wrestler Kassey Huffman in 2021 for wrestling and entertainment purposes. According to Jeremy Lambert from Fightful, Huffman’s claim to “Yeet” is currently in a state of suspension since October 2022. A response from the applicant to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) led to a maintenance of the refusal based on specimen issues, essentially disallowing the association of “Yeet” with the services initially proposed.
WWE seemingly did not anticipate such a hurdle, with Lambert noting that they neglected to secure a trademark for “Yeet” themselves. This oversight has effectively forced WWE to detach the “Yeet” branding from Jey Uso’s persona going forward. Such an abrupt pivot serves as a lesson in the importance of securing trademark rights in the intricately branded world of professional wrestling.
As the story continues to unfold, fans are left to wonder how this will impact Jey Uso’s character and merchandise strategy. It is a stark reminder of the complexities behind the scenes of the wrestling world, where the battle for intellectual property rights can be as fierce as the action in the ring.
In conclusion, while fans adjust to the absence of Jey Uso’s “Yeet” from WWE programming, the wrestling promotion will undoubtedly recalibrate and rebrand where necessary. Although tensions arise with trademark disputes, the spectacle of WWE continues, and the show, as they say, must go on.
