Last week on Raw Chris Jericho was punted in the head by Randy Orton and stretchered out of the arena. This was WWE effectively writing Jericho out of their TV storylines for the foreseeable future. As much of a loss as this is for WWE, it could be a very good thing.
Jericho’s character was getting a little tired. He has had one of the best heel runs in history in the last two years. The character reinvention that he underwent was amazing. That character has been watered down and defeated so many times in the last two years that it is unbelievable. Jericho has been used up.
On top of that, Jericho is a wrestler who works the full time house show schedule. This is grueling work, especially at Jericho’s age. With that he is also missing from his family while he is on the road. I’m sure this wears on him strongly.
Jericho’s legacy in this run will be that of the ultimate utility player. He moved from the top to the middle to the card seamlessly and could go back again with just one promo. No one has been as useful as he has in these last two years.
How will he come back? If I had to guess, it would be to thunderous applause. We all saw it a few months back when Jericho was against The Nexus. He was being cheered once again. Crowds were starting to get more and more in his favor. He will also be making a long awaited return, which usually leads to a large pop.
I don’t see him returning as a part of the Royal Rumble match. He will not win it and a return without a win is considered a disappointment. I could see him returning shortly after it though. Fans will cheer and Jericho will show us the true babyface side of his character. I do not believe that he will go back to being the “King of the World” character because he is better than that. Jericho will not pander, he will just be the jerk you know.
Jericho could light fans on fire in the World Championship scene, but I do not know if he will be quite that high on the card. He could be so useful as a man to elevate mid card heels. At the same time, he could also be the main event babyface that finally takes over Smackdown.
We’ll see what happens. How do you think Jericho will return?
To read more from Will, check out his blog itswilltime.wordpress.com, where his “Will Time” posts originate.
