Last Stand of Jericho?

[DDelaware2009]

Jericho returns next week, and I was thinking about his career as he turns 42 later this year. He seemingly bathes in the fountain of youth, though, as he still has a great look. For all the roles he has played, though, he has never had that mega-face run. And as he gets up in years, maybe this is FINALLY the chance for WWE to give Jericho his one last run before its too late. That fans surely want to cheer him, and Chris definitely has the promo skills to thrive even with the handcuffs of the PG era. This seems so logical to me, although I am also aware of the roadblocks (size, past history with H's, youth movement, etc.)...yet every time I think of what the WWE can do to make itself better with what it has to work with (roster, content constraints, etc.) i keep coming back to JERICHO - can he return once again and save us???

 

[DDelaware2009]

As a wrestler. And maybe I should clarify - by mega face I mean as the top face on a brand, with the world title. All of his title runs have been as a heel. The closest he was to a mega-face was during the Invasion when he was going after Stephanie a ton but once he got the belt he went heel and Triple H ate him up at WM18

 

[Jerichoholic8894]

I agree, especially seeing how stale his heel return was this year (Not his fault, but what would make Vince believe it would be any different on Monday)

Jericho could come out and say he took a month to think himself over, and realized it was time for a change, realized that the only way he could be world champion again was to dig deep into his roots and dig out the Y2J in him that he has long lost.

 

[Desyar]

No just no. He was a good face BACK then but he's a much better heel. Last time he was a face he just didn't stand out too much as a face. Just watch his fued with JBL and compare that to his heel runs.

Also, WWE already has 3 "mega" faces: Cena, Sheamus, Punk.
I fail to see the logic of having another face at this point.

 

[DDelaware2009]

None of them have tremendous star power- except Cena but he gets booed half the time, which is annoying - Sheamus is still maturing to the audience (hasn't had that breakout feud yet IMO, Trips put him over- sort of- on arrival and that's been it), and Punk is loved by the IWC but will never be the mainstream guy that Vince wants and loves (although he was on Fallon the other night- a step in the right direction) and i think WWE corporate will forever be wary of Punk...

Watch Jericho's return night in 2012, he has the crowd in the palm of his hand- alas it was a "JeriTroll" but if he stopped 2 minutes early and cut a face promo and went after a big heel it could have been classic. All the top guys with great longevity get to the point where the crowd WANTS to cheer them they just need to be given the chance.

I know Jericho's past record shows his best work is as a heel BUT that doesn't mean he COULDNT do this, and it truly is something new - an evolved, more mature Jericho as a face- one that is not still establishing himself with the WWE crowd but one that is decorated and adored by it. IF he was booked properly and allowed to do his thing, you'd have guaranteed great promos and very good matches. Isn't that what we all want?

 

[D2J2009]

People want to cheer Jericho and he would probably get a bigger reaction than Punk, which makes me want Y2J back as a face even more, and he could easily replace Orton as a top face, but the fact of the matter is that WWE has too many lackluster heels, the only heels that really appeal to me are Daniel Bryan and Cody Rhodes, and WWE only has one of those in the ME position so I believe they feel that Chris Jericho is best to fill that role, but it will be interesting to see what they decide to do

 

[Flip83]

I did LOVE Jericho as a Face. I had the original Jericholic Tshirt. He was funny and always had great matches. But when he turned heel, he has been better and better aaaa-aaaa aaaaand Better every week he was on. He became an evil prick and he got HEAT like no other. Let's face it, he's always been a prick, even as a face, but it was a laughable prick. But his heel turn has just made him into a much better performer all together. If he went Face, I would welcome it, but I prefer him as a Heel

 

[D2J2009]

I did LOVE Jericho as a Face. I had the original Jericholic Tshirt. He was funny and always had great matches. But when he turned heel, he has been better and better aaaa-aaaa aaaaand Better every week he was on. He became an evil prick and he got HEAT like no other. Let's face it, he's always been a prick, even as a face, but it was a laughable prick. But his heel turn has just made him into a much better performer all together. If he went Face, I would welcome it, but I prefer him as a Heel

I won't argue or disagree with you because he is flawless as a heel, but it has gotten to the point where the audience is having to struggle to boo this guy, he's just that good even when WWE books him so horribly like this last run, the only way he got real heat was cheap heat using sneak attacks and repeating phrases to try and become annoying, heck, he got suspended because he had to go over the edge and mess with the Brazilian flag to get heat, he just has that star power.

I'm not saying he's necissarily better as a face, I'm just saying it's what the audience seems to want right now

 

[IT Factor]

I think Jericho has pretty much done everything within the confines of a heel role that he is capable of. As was already mentioned, when Jericho returned in 2012, he was getting cheered pretty heavily. And although his trolling was kinda funny[though VERY predictable], it made no sense to do that. Jericho has been around so long and accomplished so much that fans will likely cheer him no matter what. I would love to see Jericho cut a massive promo addressing the whole flag deal and claiming he wants to make a stand and leave the legacy in WWE he wants, on his terms. He should be face and get an impressive run with a title before he decides to retire. If he's not around that long, then, save that idea for his future return after the next hiatus.....

 

[DJS92491]

More than anything, I would love for Chris Jericho to begin a rivalry with Dolph Ziggler.

It probably won't happen, but I want it to because they've never faced each other before. If you go on YouTube, there is actually a clip of Jericho as a special guest on FCW while Dolph was still in developmental. Jericho said that out of everybody in the back, the one guy who reminded him the most of himself (he was a heel at the time) was Dolph Ziggler. After that, Dolph came out and did a segment with Joe Hennig yadda yadda yadda.

Think about the classics these two could have! Dolph's not really doing anything now after ridding himself of Swagger, and as of late, he's just been used to enhance Sheamus.

You want Ziggler as a face? Jericho is the perfect heel to get the crowd behind Ziggler. Both men making each other look like a million bucks. It would be the closest to HBK vs. Jericho that you can get these days!

I'm not a big fan of fantasy booking so I'm not going to draw out any scenarios, but I really feel as if a rivalry between these two NEEDS to happen. I hope you all agree with my opinion!

 

[MrMojoRisin]

It's true that the fans want to cheer Jericho at this point... but the companies really not in a position to go with Jericho as a face right now.

And speaking for Jericho... but why would he want to be?

The face side has Cena, Punk and Sheamus at the top. Jericho wouldn't get the major face run like you envision. He'd be the #4 face on a roster lacking serious star power on the heel side. #5 if you consider part time Triple H on the face side of things. Jericho in the face ranks just gets lost in the shuffle right now.

On the heel side though, there's part time Lesner, Bryan and the Big Show. After that, it's wide open and Jericho definitely wouldn't be locked into the 4-5 spot on the heel side. He can easily keep working top programs as a heel, which he can't do as a face right now.

Besides, let's face it. Jericho is a far better heel than he is a face. Yes, he's great at both, but his focus just seems to be that much better when he's a heel. He's really a throwback heel, and uses so many subtle tactics to get heat that just aren't seen as often today. He understands that being a heel means making sure that the fans don't like you, and is willing to change up anything about himself when he's a heel to make that happen.

I say keep him as a heel until he's done for good, if for no other reason than he can keep showing the next generation exactly how it's supposed to be done... just like the generation before him showed Jericho how it's supposed to be done.

 

[D2J2009]

It's true that the fans want to cheer Jericho at this point... but the companies really not in a position to go with Jericho as a face right now.

And speaking for Jericho... but why would he want to be?

The face side has Cena, Punk and Sheamus at the top. Jericho wouldn't get the major face run like you envision. He'd be the #4 face on a roster lacking serious star power on the heel side. #5 if you consider part time Triple H on the face side of things. Jericho in the face ranks just gets lost in the shuffle right now.

On the heel side though, there's part time Lesner, Bryan and the Big Show. After that, it's wide open and Jericho definitely wouldn't be locked into the 4-5 spot on the heel side. He can easily keep working top programs as a heel, which he can't do as a face right now.

Besides, let's face it. Jericho is a far better heel than he is a face. Yes, he's great at both, but his focus just seems to be that much better when he's a heel. He's really a throwback heel, and uses so many subtle tactics to get heat that just aren't seen as often today. He understands that being a heel means making sure that the fans don't like you, and is willing to change up anything about himself when he's a heel to make that happen.

I say keep him as a heel until he's done for good, if for no other reason than he can keep showing the next generation exactly how it's supposed to be done... just like the generation before him showed Jericho how it's supposed to be done.

With Orton gone for right now and possibly for good, there would be a spot for him as a Face, and he is better as a heel, but the crowd just wants to cheer him and it would be stupid for WWE not to give him a Main Event role

 

[Waylon Mercy]

Face Jericho against heel Ziggler, with Flair in his corner. This would be just what Ziggler needs to be elevated to the main event. Hell, this would be the main event, if I were booking it. Jericho and Flair could go at it verbally, and it would be highly entertaining. In the ring, Jericho and Ziggler could make magic. It would be a win-win situation.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

With Orton gone for right now and possibly for good, there would be a spot for him as a Face, and he is better as a heel, but the crowd just wants to cheer him and it would be stupid for WWE not to give him a Main Event role

Of course there's space, but that doesn't mean it's a good spot for him right now.

Let's be honest. Before Orton's suspension, he was at one of the lower points in his career with that #4/5 face spot he had. While the faces ahead of him were getting marquee matches at WM, he got a throw away match with Kane. The fact that as the #4/5 face he worked with #3/4 face Sheamus for the World title shortly after just illustrated how the face side was too crowded already.

Going back to that dynamic just doesn't make sense, and if they did with Jericho... then I guess they'd be stupid, because he would be further away from the main event as a face.

Who's he climbing over? Cena? Triple H? Punk? Sheamus? Cena's at the top. Triple H is going to be working with their biggest heel. Punk and Sheamus hold the top two titles. Doesn't leave a lot of space for Jericho as a main event face, does it? Unless they do what they did with Orton/Sheamus, and force a Jericho/Sheamus program that just seems forced due to the fact that they're both babies.

Of course, they could do Jericho/Sheamus anyways with Jericho as the heel, and it would feel a lot more organic, and be a better program anyways.

No, even if it's what the fans want right now, the way they're set up, it's only to Jericho's benefit to remain a heel. That's the best possible position for him right now, and if you're a fan of his, it's where you should want him to be.

 

[DJS92491]

I'd rather Dolph going solo after Vickie is ditched. The whole Flair idea is enticing to some, but I'll have to disagree. Can he coach Dolph behind the scenes? Sure! But pairing Dolph with "the dirtiest player in the game" isn't really necessary.

Jericho and Dolph could even form a tag team at first, but really, I don't think that Jericho's tenure would be long enough for a whole storyline where a team turns into a rivalry.

Besides, you don't really need a mouthpiece when you're paired against Jericho. He'll get you over as a talker and a wrestler in just a matter of weeks.

----------------------

If not Dolph, then I'd love to see Jericho work with Daniel Bryan. Now THAT would steal a ton of shows!

 

[akathelaw]

I wouldn't count on it. Jericho prefers being a villain. He wants to go out with the crowd booing and throwing trash at him. I think Jericho is also satisfied that regardless of all his heel actions he still has fans at the shows who will bring a Jericho sign or buy his shirts. He has his supporters but his job is to make the crowd angry and make the face of the company get cheered.

 

[IT Factor]

It's true that the fans want to cheer Jericho at this point... but the companies really not in a position to go with Jericho as a face right now.

And speaking for Jericho... but why would he want to be?

The face side has Cena, Punk and Sheamus at the top. Jericho wouldn't get the major face run like you envision. He'd be the #4 face on a roster lacking serious star power on the heel side. #5 if you consider part time Triple H on the face side of things. Jericho in the face ranks just gets lost in the shuffle right now.

On the heel side though, there's part time Lesner, Bryan and the Big Show. After that, it's wide open and Jericho definitely wouldn't be locked into the 4-5 spot on the heel side. He can easily keep working top programs as a heel, which he can't do as a face right now.

Besides, let's face it. Jericho is a far better heel than he is a face. Yes, he's great at both, but his focus just seems to be that much better when he's a heel. He's really a throwback heel, and uses so many subtle tactics to get heat that just aren't seen as often today. He understands that being a heel means making sure that the fans don't like you, and is willing to change up anything about himself when he's a heel to make that happen.

I say keep him as a heel until he's done for good, if for no other reason than he can keep showing the next generation exactly how it's supposed to be done... just like the generation before him showed Jericho how it's supposed to be done.

Although I do agree that Jericho is better as a heel than a face, his material is seriously lacking lately. I dunno if it's because his entire focus isn't in wrestling or if the heel thing has run its course. Whatever the situation may be, I think you are discounting just how great Jericho is. Just based off of what he has done, I believe WWE would make him a top face.

Face it, people are getting tired of Cena. Fans aren't as bandwagon on CM Punk as they were last year. Orton may not recover from his suspension enough so to remain on top for long. And it seems like WWE are not fully behind Sheamus as a company face quite yet. The way I see it, Jericho has nothing to lose and everything to gain from a face turn. Guess some fans just see things differently......

 

[Undisputed]

On a personal level I really really want Jericho to turn face and entertain us with his classic 90s charm. But being the realist I am, I dont think it will ever happen because

1. WWE lacks proper heels, its a sad situation when the loudest boos are for people who dont even wrestle ( vickie, cole). They desperately need classy heels. Alberto Del Rio is one, but unfortunately he isn't a long term asset for the company.

2. Jericho himself never sees himself as a "face". His idea of a perfect character is a sarcastic, slow-talking, cold-eyed, vicious heel, who can wrestle as well as get a great reaction from the crowd.

3. As someone earlier stated, Jericho and Ziggler or Barrett (provided he returns in time), have a fued with Y2J and turn face. that'd put them over, and jericho's status as heel would be intact.


as he himself has said, he wants no big farewells or goodbyes, and the perfect end to his career is "kicking and screaming, being carried away into the sunset, and never to be seen or heard of again".

 

[MrMojoRisin]

Although I do agree that Jericho is better as a heel than a face, his material is seriously lacking lately. I dunno if it's because his entire focus isn't in wrestling or if the heel thing has run its course. Whatever the situation may be, I think you are discounting just how great Jericho is. Just based off of what he has done, I believe WWE would make him a top face.

Face it, people are getting tired of Cena. Fans aren't as bandwagon on CM Punk as they were last year. Orton may not recover from his suspension enough so to remain on top for long. And it seems like WWE are not fully behind Sheamus as a company face quite yet. The way I see it, Jericho has nothing to lose and everything to gain from a face turn. Guess some fans just see things differently......

No, I'm not discounting how great Jericho is. Quite the opposite really.

I'm just also looking at the landscape, and seeing where Jericho is the best fit, and I don't see it on the face side of the roster.

Cena - It doesn't matter how tired the fans are of Cena (and it seems to be less recently). WWE will not turn him, and they will continue to push him as the top face. I can see the logic creatively behind a Cena turn as well as anyone, but that doesn't mean the WWE will do it. They simply get too much mileage out of face John Cena outside the ring to ever consider it (the Make a Wish thing is a good example of that).

Punk - Yeah he's been muted somewhat since last summer, but he's also been turned into the stereotypical WWE babyface at the same time. With the extended title run, and the second biggest angle in the WWE right now, the WWE seems invested in his face run at the moment. He's a better heel, and I think he's an easy turn based on his current angle (they could do a wicked double switch between Punk and Bryan right now), but they're going with Punk as a top face.

Sheamus - It seems to be an IWC meme lately to say that the WWE isn't behind Sheamus as a face. I simply don't see it. In fact, I think that they want Sheamus to eventually be the guy that replaces Cena at the top of the food chain, and that's what they're working on right now. Maybe he'll be the guy to do that, maybe he won't. It makes sense though, because Cena probably only has a few real good years left at best and the time to build the next guy is now.

Just looking at that heirarchy, it's tough for anyone to crack it. Jericho could, IMO, replace Punk if Punk is turned, but otherwise he's left picking up the scraps after the big three so to speak.

Also, consider that this run for Jericho is mainly about him giving back and putting people over. I think that in part is why his run seems a little 'off'. He's not being booked as a strong heel, because everyone is going over on him. But keeping that in mind, it makes less sense to have Jericho as a top face. He's in a better position to give the rub to the next generation of top guys by being a heel.

Could he turn face? Of course. Could he get over huge as a face? Absolutely. Could he get over enough to change the hierarchy of the face side? Very possibly... but it would be at the expense of him not being in as good a spot to put people over, and ironically, not being as benefitial to the WWE long term as he can be.