In the opening bout of Night 1 of WrestleMania 41, "Main Event" Jey Uso captured his first World Championship in WWE by defeating "The Ring General" Gunther with a Sleeper Hold.

Jey Uso made his presence known with a grand entrance fit for a title contender. The Las Vegas Raiderettes were shown cheering in the crowd as flag bearers lined the ramp to create a striking visual. Jey descended the long stairs from high in the stands, soaking in the atmosphere as the audience rallied behind him. In contrast, Gunther’s entrance was restrained and intense, focused solely on business as he marched to the ring with purpose.

Once the bell rang, the two took their time sizing each other up before finally locking up. Early exchanges were evenly matched until Jey scored the first big moment, shoving Gunther to the mat and drawing a loud reaction. The champion responded with a side headlock takedown, initiating a slow and deliberate offense. Gunther controlled the pace with his trademark clinical approach, wearing Jey down with working holds and heavy strikes. The two traded shoulder tackles, and Gunther dropped Jey with a resounding chop, only for Uso to fire back with a step-up Enziguri that sent Gunther to the outside for a breather.

Gunther regained control upon reentering, keeping the tempo slow and punishing. Jey showed resilience, landing a body slam and a series of strikes before Gunther knocked him to the floor with a brutal throat chop from the top rope. The champion delivered more corner whips and thunderous chops, but Jey countered with a surprise Spear for a close near-fall. As Jey pressed forward in the corner, the referee stepped in, allowing Gunther to sneak in a cheap shot. Both men battled on the top turnbuckle, leading to a superplex from the champion. Gunther’s Powerbomb attempt fell flat, allowing Jey to mount a comeback with a headscissors takedown followed by a vicious Spear. He hit the Uso Splash from the top rope, but it only yielded a two-count.

Growing frustrated, Gunther tried to walk out of the match with his title in hand. As he argued with the referee, Jey launched himself with a Suicide Dive—only to be struck mid-air with the championship belt. The referee missed the incident, but Jey still managed to kick out. Gunther applied the Sleeper Hold, but the crowd rallied behind Jey, who fought to the ropes. Though Gunther rolled him back to the center, Jey managed to touch the rope with his toe to force the break.

The champion verbally taunted and physically assaulted Uso with stiff chops and knees in the corner, drawing boos from the crowd. Jey, however, rose defiantly and invited more punishment, laughing through Gunther's chops. Gunther kept knocking him down, but Jey kept getting back up, embodying pure defiance.

Back on their feet, both men exchanged hard-hitting blows in the center of the ring as the crowd yeeted in support. Jey dropped Gunther, dodged a Sleeper attempt, and countered with a German Suplex. As both recovered, Jey went for a Spear, but Gunther interrupted with a massive dropkick. The champion went for his signature Powerbomb, but Jey countered with a Powerbomb of his own, then fired off back-to-back Superkicks and hit a Spear.

With momentum fully in his corner, Jey went to the top and connected with one Uso Splash—then another—and then a third as the crowd roared. Gunther was reeling in pain. Jey locked in the Sleeper Hold, and the unthinkable happened: Gunther tapped out.

The crowd exploded as “Main Event” Jey Uso stood tall, finally achieving championship glory.

Winner and NEW World Heavyweight Champion: “Main Event” Jey Uso