Chris Jericho Returns.... Again

[The Brain]

Nope, I didn't go back and dig up a thread from 2012. Nope, I didn't go back and dig up a thread from 2013. It's now 2014 and Chris Jericho has made his third comeback in as many years. I'm probably in the minority here but forgive me for not being excited this time. Hell, I wasn't excited last time. If WWE got a long term commitment out of Jericho maybe I would care more about his annual comeback, but my first thought is will he even make it to the end of the year.

I know we're in an era now where guys come and go after disappearing for months at a time. I don't mind it for bigger stars like The Rock, Brock Lesnar, and Triple H. Jericho doesn't belong in that group. I know what a lot of you are going to say. Jericho will help get some young talent over. Will he though? Chris Jericho has been “putting guys over” for so long a win over him doesn't mean anything. Just ask Evan Bourne, Fandango, and Ryback. I admit a feud with Bray Wyatt is intriguing but it's going to fall flat for me if Jericho skips town again as soon as it's over.

I know Chris Jericho is one of the guys that can do no wrong among the IWC. I'm not trying to hate on him. I like Jericho. I just don't like how he comes and goes. I'd be fine with Jericho sticking around full time for a couple years. I'd also be fine never seeing him again. Either way I wish he would make up his mind. In or out.

 

[Mudlup50]

Well he leaves to tour with his band? I see your point, but I think it's a good thing. Bray wasn't quite ready to main event after losing to Cena at 3...4 ppvs? Granted, I don't feel like it was built up at all which I guess is a good thing being as Jericho has done those like 6-7 times now at least.

Now here's what I want, make Miz relevant again ><

 

[J.J.]

Considering the overall lack of legitimate star power this Summer, what are you suggesting? John Cena, Randy Orton and it kinda falls off from there apart from our rising competitors.

There is a topic on what to do with Bray Wyatt seeing as our main event for the next PPV is a lock. My original suggestion was a program with Sheamus but a program with Jericho still gives him a legitimate star to work with while hovering right around the upper card.

I welcome back a Jericho run because at this point in his career he has nothing left to gain - so I'd rather see him for 3-4 months out the year working with talent.

So why doesn't Jericho belong in that group with The Rock and Lesnar?

 

[Anti-IWC-Marks]

Jericho was one of the OG's as far as being an IWC Mark god. The other was Shawn Michaels.

There's a difference between the IWC and IWC marks. And man, did Jericho have a following of marks.

Of course they'll probably come out of the woodwork and say how some mid-card Jericho job to Ambrose will be just SO AWESOME.. but Jericho is stale and I could care less if he's around.

 

[Aquaman6686]

I know we're in an era now where guys come and go after disappearing for months at a time. I don't mind it for bigger stars like The Rock, Brock Lesnar, and Triple H. Jericho doesn't belong in that group.

You consider Brock Lesnar a bigger star than Chris Jericho?

Jericho has done ten times more for wrestling than Brock Lesnar ever will, and could outwrestle Lesnar with one leg, while blindfolded.

 

[semshady85]

I like the Jericho/Wyatt fued for a few reasons.. Y2J will cut some great promos on Bray and hopeully Bray can himself improve his promos which lately have been becoming bland and boring.. Jericho can do wonders for Wyatt in the ring too but i hope they dont just feed Jericho to Wyatt at least make it worth while Jericho needs to win at least one match in the program.. I think inserting the Miz somehow into this fued would be good because with DB on the shelf could be a good chance for the Miz to become relavant again..

 

[LBGetBack]

So why doesn't Jericho belong in that group with The Rock and Lesnar?

Well, The Rock and Lesnar have been booked MUCH stronger than Jericho over the years. So there's that.

In terms of talent, Jericho surely belongs in that group and in fan support....well, he's certainly not far behind at all.

Jericho's in kind of a unique spot in that he's been coming and going for 6 months or so at a time, for a few years now.....and he's pretty much said numerous times, that that's how he plans on doing it from now on.

He's pretty much said he's NOT ever going to come back fulltime for years at a time, but that he'll continue to comeback when he can for as long as he feels he can still perform at a high level. He's made it clear he's got too many other things he's into to return fulltime.

He's also made the point that when he does return, he's all in.....meaning he's on Raw every week, doing the house shows, etc. just like the rest of the roster. Lesnar and Rock do not do that.

 

[LBGetBack]

Jericho was one of the OG's as far as being an IWC Mark god. The other was Shawn Michaels.

There's a difference between the IWC and IWC marks. And man, did Jericho have a following of marks.

Of course they'll probably come out of the woodwork and say how some mid-card Jericho job to Ambrose will be just SO AWESOME.. but Jericho is stale and I could care less if he's around.

How DARE these marks enjoy the work of two of the greatest all around performers that the WWE has had. I mean....what are they thinking?

Jericho routinely puts on good matches and is a good talker, a longtime star who is popular with the fans......"stale" or not, I'm not seeing the problem. He's still better than most of the roster, and in my opinion the presence of another legitimate wrestling star is much needed right now......there's not a whole lot going on at the moment. Feels like we're just biding time until Lesnar and eventually Bryan return and until Rollins and Reigns are ready.

You see "stale", but to me it feels fresh. A fresh, out of nowhere surprise feud to liven things up a bit.

 

[J.J.]

Naturally Triple H and Lesnar are going to be booked the way they are because they're heels. The Rock booked even way he is because his shorelines only involved Cena(apart from R.Truth/Miz). He's not back even in a short term,consistently enough to build a meaningful feud.

 

[Navi]

I actually like Jericho and am glad to see him back. He is a great all round performer and is gold on the mic.

Would much rather see Jericho then Batista return. At least Jericho can make it down the ramp to the ring and not look blown up or gassed. I have no idea where this feud with Bray Wyatt will go, but he is known for putting people over and with the way the Wyatt/Cena feud went, Wyatt needs it.

 

[The Brain]

So why doesn't Jericho belong in that group with The Rock and Lesnar?

As mentioned Rock and Lesnar are booked much stronger than Jericho. When Rock and Lesnar are around there is a buzz, a feeling of excitement that makes you feel like you have to watch. Jericho is just another guy on the roster.

You consider Brock Lesnar a bigger star than Chris Jericho?

Jericho has done ten times more for wrestling than Brock Lesnar ever will, and could outwrestle Lesnar with one leg, while blindfolded.

I do consider Brock Lesnar a bigger star than Chris Jericho. I think people have more interest in seeing Lesnar than Jericho. Lesnar comes back and works with Cena, HHH, and ends Taker's mania streak. Jericho comes back and loses to Fandango and Ryback. Is there really a doubt who the bigger star is?

Jericho can outwrestle the former NCAA Division I Heavyweight Wrestling Champion with one leg while blindfolded? I think you have things reversed.

Like I said, I don't mind having Jericho back. I would prefer if he would make a commitment longer than a few months. I do respect that he works all the house shows and has the same schedule as everyone else while he is here.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Arrive. Put Over. Leave. That's all I really expect from Jericho in this point of the game- especially against Wyatt. We all need to come to terms that Jericho isn't really a big star anymore. Having lost to just about everyone not worth losing to does that. Brain was right to put Lesnar and the others over Y2J in this part of his career. And this is coming from a Jerichoholic.

I'm hoping Creative will make a huge deal of this. Maybe do something akin to the 2012 "It Begins" promos Jericho ran with before. That smacks of Bray. But I'm sure they'll go with some weird "fallen star" angle that pits Bray against what he believes is a fan favorite that lost a step. Either way, it'll be more entertaining than Bray beating Sheamus in a throwaway match at Battleground.

 

[Harthan]

If you're not fucking stoked for Chris Jericho being back, you're wrong. Match up Chris Jericho with any other remotely competent wrestler and you should expect greatness. In recent years, he's had awesome matches with CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus, Evan Bourne, Edge, and the list goes on. Jericho is an amazing wrestler who just keeps the hits coming, and now he's matched up with Bray Wyatt, arguably 2014's biggest breakout star? The same Bray Wyatt who's had classics with Daniel Bryan and John Cena already is now about to feud with a guy who's entire career is littered with a history of amazing matches.

If Jericho/Wyatt is given enough time I fully expect it to be a MOTYC and it's not often you can look at a match and say that well in advance of it even happening. I'm so excited for this.

 

[Pedigree1]

The Brain is sorta correct IMO in his opinion.. A win against Jericho still means a lot! Dont forget sir,he is a 9 time IC champion I believe 6 time WWE/WHC Champion,tag team champion,future HOF! First ever undisputed WWE Champion..

Yes,his coming and going while be a short time,is frustrating.. But i think Jericho has earned the right to dictate his comings and goings.. A feud against Bray Wyatt,will be huge IMO and just the Rub Bray needs..

Jericho is in it IMO for the love of the business,and to help out younger talent get over! A win still against him still means something! True guys like Fandango,and Evan didnt get much out of it but all it takes is one! And dont forget that one was Daniel Bryan

 

[Notorious718]

I like both Jericho and Wyatt so I'm actually on board with his return and their feud for the most part. At the very least, we can expect good promos out of both parties and I'd rather Wyatt feud with Jericho at this point than anyone else on the roster especially Cena again oh heavens oh God.

 

[Alastor]

Jericho's an asset but his star power is overrated in the IWC. He is firmly in the 2nd tier of superstars and there is no shame in that. I am curious about this recent return. Will he feud with Bray to put Bray over or will he feud with the Miz to start the building up of the Miz programme. Maybe Jericho will do both but time will tell.

I suspect a feud between the Miz and Bryan could be in the works if/when Bryan is healthy again. Maybe Y2J is the first step towards that angle at WM.

 

[TheICChampion]

What about this: What if Jericho and Wyatt both enter that IC title battle royal at Battleground? I know neither Jericho nor their feud necessarily needs that title, but Bray could definitely benefit from having at least one IC or US title reign before he steps up and starts going after the WWE World Champion. Have Jericho last eliminate Wyatt or vice-versa to win the IC title then they feud over it at SummerSlam and finally at Night Of Champions (or whatever the September PPV is) where Bray goes over and Jericho can leave again or they can both move on to something else.

 

[Reflection]

I'm not excited about it either. I guess we all know what's gonna happen- he and the commentators will build up the feud saying that he is a 9 time Intercontinental champion and xyz time world champion, "would you please shut the hell up?", "never ever gonna be the same again" etc., and then he will ultimately lose in an attempt to get the young star over.
His intention is noble, but at one point, its gonna stop working. People won't care anymore. For me personally, it has already happened.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Jericho v Wyatt is a great idea, one that will allow Bray to verbally spar with someone of his level. One thing that Jericho is good at is not so much putting people over in the ring but drawing greatness out of their mouths in the build as well. From Bray's perspective, he can work closely with Y2J and together they will build a great feud.

Why now? Arguably anyone lower than Orton would be a step down, but also Bray will need someone to actually be his match...and who can also draw Rowan and Harper into it at all... Jericho can work with Harper behing the scenes as well as on camera and this should help build him as they clearly want to.

I personally think however, this was plan B... that the original plan was for Jericho to be facing Bad News Barrett for the IC - and I think that the Battle Royal might see Jericho lift his 10th IC title... that way Bray is involved in a meaningful feud, Jericho can hold the IC title and if he can hold onto it until Barrett returns, there is a 2nd great feud for him

Barrett's injury, now Orton seemingly hurt as well as Bryan has left them seriously short of star power... Jericho will get a big push this time to match Wyatt, he'll knock over some bigger names than he normally gets to to get him back to "that level" quickly... the IC win is logical to do that, and have him upset Bray as the final guy to do it, perhaps even Bray AND Harper...

He comes back every now and then, but it's always for a reason... I am sure his role when signed this time was to get Barrett over as we hadn't seen that feud yet and the NXT connection was never fully exploited... but while it sucks for Barrett, Jericho v Wyatt for the IC at Summerslam is a strong match and will continue the job BNB was starting to do in rebuilding the title... that he would get his 10th IC to the bargain, hell if you don't get the big belt then that's gonna guarantee HOF.

 

[Blade]

Jericho's runs have become more and more predictable. He'll put over Bray Wyatt a couple of times, put over Rusev. He'll likely lose clean to Seth Rollins and Cesaro as well while he's around. Then he'll leave again.

Don't get me wrong, he'll have some great matches. But he's not going to do anything that actually matters.

 

[MisterRob]

The IWC is ridiculous.

Stop complaining for the sake of complaining, and just enjoy something for what it is. So many of you are a bunch of hypocrits, complaining about this guy not putting over talent, and yet when a superstar like Chris Jericho, who always wants to entertain the fans most of all, comes back to help elevate an up and coming young talent... then you complain about it, or mock him about coming back just to job. What the hell would you prefer?! You'd rather him come back as a part timer to take the spot of someone more deserving, and headline paper views like the Rock did or Batista attempted to do? Would you rather him come back bury younger talent and then leave? Or would you rather him just not come back, even though people want to see him (as his reaction last night clearly PROVES) and he is one person who can actually help improve a young talent and give them a beneficial rub.

Instead of being negative how about we just be positive about his come back from last night.. because there was absolutely NOTHING but positives from what happened last night. His interaction with the Miz was good, and the fans were excited and happy to have Jericho back. Then there was a clear surprise with the arrival of the Wyatt Family, which NO ONE expected.. and the chants proved how awesome that scene was. They dominated a future hall of famer and they set up a potential feud that should be awesome. The promos, the matches, and the story Jericho can potentially tell with the Wyatt Family over two months or more is exciting.

People were questioning what Bray Wyatt would do now. They were complaining he had no one credible to work with. They were mocking him and predicting his push was over. Then the WWE throws a curve ball and reveals they have great plans ahead and they haven't dropped the ball with Bray Wyatt, giving the fans exactly what they want, and the IWC is now finding something else about it to complain about. No surprise there.

The casual fans, and the audience there on Monday Night RAW, ate up that segment last night and clearly want to see this feud play out and enjoy what's to come between Bray Wyatt and Chris Jericho. That's all that matters. I'm looking forward to enjoying it, too.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

You consider Brock Lesnar a bigger star than Chris Jericho?

Jericho has done ten times more for wrestling than Brock Lesnar ever will, and could outwrestle Lesnar with one leg, while blindfolded.

Wow, I really can't tell if that post was kayfabe or not.

Just in case...wrestling is scripted mmkay? The basis for stardom is not how well someone wrestles. If that were the case, Hulk Hogan would never have been a star.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

With Jericho returning I am just expecting to be entertained. I'm not looking for anyone to get buried or elevated, just entertaining and hopefully creative television. I expect this from Jericho, I'm not sure if we would get this right now from the other characters Wyatt may have faced like Reigns, Sheamus, Del Rio, or Cesaro.

And yes, despite once hosting a game show, Jericho is not on HHH, Lesnar, and especially not The Rock's level.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I'd be fine with Jericho sticking around full time for a couple years. I'd also be fine never seeing him again.

I feel the same. Jericho is one the pioneers in forcing Vince McMahon into a new way of doing business. In the past, a performer had to sign a contract that tied him exclusively to WWE and forced him to work the exhausting road schedule.....or they could ply their trade somewhere else. Jericho was one of the first to have built a legacy so strong that he could work when he wanted to.....and his contract was designed to reflect it. Now, it was the performer who called the shots instead of McMahon; in effect, telling the boss that if he wanted Jericho's services, he'd have to operate on Y2J's terms.....and if WWE didn't want him, that would be okay, too. Super!

Soon, guys like Brock Lesnar, Dave Bautista, the Rock and (soon to be, presumably) Sting took advantage of these new conditions. It was a good thing.....can you imagine having Rock back with us if McMahon hadn't changed with the times? Never would have happened.

The thing is, hardly anyone has this power at their disposal; Chris Jericho gained it by years of hard work. Let Kofi Kingston or Natalya try to tell McMahon they want to work part-time schedules and see what happens. Wouldn't be pretty.

But this change in the landscape has also brought changes in the fans' perceptions, and I agree with the OP: when Jericho returns, I'm happy to see him. Last night, I was taken completely by surprise, and that's always fun. Yet, when Chris isn't around, I don't find myself thinking about him or wishing he were here.

It's all good.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Wow, I really can't tell if that post was kayfabe or not.

Just in case...wrestling is scripted mmkay? The basis for stardom is not how well someone wrestles. If that were the case, Hulk Hogan would never have been a star.

Erm... not sure if you're being super ironic or a douche either...

Jericho is known for being a top worker who actually bested one of the "tough guys" of the business when it came down to shoot and has shown he is considered one of the top names in the business. It may be scripted but you have to be able to actually go to get anywhere... Hogan COULD just didn't, much like Cena today... Jericho does every chance he gets and that is why he can write his own ticket of when he comes back, for how long and to an extent what he does... How many guys can say they can turn down creative options offered to them? only the top top guys... so that makes him one of them. He's a star because he CAN wrestle rings round his opponents, back it up on the mic and bring mainstream interest.. the 3 "Must Haves" of WWE stardom... the 4th is size, and he'll never have that...which is why he isn't the big, big face...