Is Chris Jericho truly a certified main eventer?

[CM Steel]

Ever since Chris Jericho made his return (his 2nd run) to the WWE. He has been in & out the WWE main event scene. He's won the WWE world title a couple of times in his WWF/E career. But he's won the WWE IC title a few more times than the world title. Jericho had an epic feud with Rey Mysterio for the IC championship a few years ago on the Smackdown brand. And was WWE tag team champion with Edge & the Big Show that same year.

But what if Chris Jericho had been in the main event scene the whole time? Chris Jericho is too unique to return to the mid-card scene. It's not the same thing as a Christian, Miz, or Jack Swagger. Jericho could have won as many world title's as Edge by now.

So really, is Chris Jericho truly a certified main eventer?

 

[IT Factor]

Looks like WWE doesn't think so. They've effectively ruined his 2012 return by killing any momentum he had. Of course, the suspension didn't help. Jericho should be main eventing on either brand at this point. It's a shame WWE ruined what credibility he had because they don't like him taking hiatuses. The problem is, Jericho has never had that one truly great title reign that he deserved. And if the trend continues, he never will. Which is a shame, really.

 

[Jerichoholic8894]

I really enjoy Chris Jericho, but I won't fool myself. He's the Hulk Hogan of upper-mid card.

He always comes through in the Main Event, yet I feel he is better overall in the mid card (Back when the IC title was relevant in 06ish he was awesome!)

 

[dtroppe]

The answer is no. At one time Jericho was close to the top. WWE even had SCSA and the Rock put him over. The problem was he never got over on the level that WWE wanted him to. Jericho has lot of fans and a lot of marks love the guy. At one point Jericho was innovative and ahead of his time. He was great on WCW and jumped ship in a memorable way.

Over the past few years Jericho has destroyed his legacy as a main eventer. He appeared on several D-list celebrity reality shows (why would an A-lister?) and constantly tries to promote a rock band that no-one except Jericho marks know or care about. He appears on G-4!

How can WWE make him look like a huge star and a face of the company when he makes himself look like he is anything but a big star. Mix that with the fact that Jericho's sense of humor comes of as corny now, and you have a certified mid carder. Its sad because Jericho was one of the best 12 years ago. He could have gone the route of other top WWE guys, but he went a route that he thought was logical for himself- and it tanked his name.

 

[DDelaware2009]

Jericho would be a great lead face on Smack Down with the World Title. Let him cut great promos, work along side his buddy Christian the IC champ, put on great matches, elevate young guys - mentor them, etc. - and have a year long run at the top. Then, he can go off into the sunset and do his band gig and so on. Not saying this will happen - probably won't - but it SHOULD! I think WWE could negotiate this with Y2J if they wanted, its realistic

 

[Jack-Hammer]

With Jericho going off on hiatus frequently and having said in a recent interivew that his music is his top priority, how can you fully expect WWE to get behind him at this point in time? C'mon people, use your heads a bit and actually look at things just a bit deeper than what's just at the surface. WWE can't push Jericho to be a truly serious thread to either WWE or World Champion right now because of the current deal worked with Jericho. How would it look if WWE pushed Jericho the way some are suggesting he should be pushed and have him as a true threat for the title but he soon has to take time off to do something with Fozzy rather than go for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam? You can't fully get behind someone that's only going to be there part of the time.

Also, exactly how has WWE ruined Jericho's credibility in any way, shape or form? Since 2001, Jericho is someone that's floated in & out of the main event picture frequently, has put other guys over and still come out smelling like a boquet of long stem roses & retaining his credibility. Personally, I think some of you guys have got a screwed up and unrealistic view as to what makes a main eventer. Not every guy can be Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold or Rock or Cena. You think guys with just the right mix of talent, ability, character & timing are just waiting out there to be plucked out of the ground like Cabbage Patch Kids? Guys of that level of star power come along a small handful of times in a generation. By using this standard, Ric Flair was never a main eventer because he didn't draw crowds like Hogan or ratings like Stone Cold & Rock despite being a 20+ time World Heavyweight Champion.

In my eyes, Jericho is a certified main eventer. He might not be a mega star like those I mentioned, but very very very few wrestlers ever can or ever will be. His talent, his longevity, his feuds, his accomplishments & continued relevance are all signs that Jericho is one of the top stars. The fact that he can effortlessly float in and out of the main event scene isn't a hindurance, it's a rare talent.

 

[theBec2101]

I think so. I just think the storyline and the fueds he has had are pointless or overruned. I mean Punk beat him that should of ended the feud. But no, they wanted it to continue. You cant blam the man for that. he still has it. He still great on the mic and in the ring.
Like I said when he came back he should of came back for both the titles stating he thinks both arent worthy of the belts and had a unfied champion or championship match at Mania between Jericho vs Punk vs Bryan. and you could even had Punk still win. Later down the road have another match the same and this time Punk get the Yes lock and the walls put on Punk taps the ref doesnt know how to decide the winner and boom we have two belts again.

 

[Miz_Mark]

Jericho is a 6 time World Champion who has headlined Wrestlemania and countless other Pay Per Views and had epic matches against some of the greatest of all times. Of course he's a main eventer.

He's not had much success thus far in his latest return, that's for certain, but that may well be because of the time commitment he's been able to make. It could also be Jericho's intent to help put people over. And it could be because Jericho is one of those very few special talents who can lose the first match of the night, and come back in the main event and win the World title and be absolutely believable doing it. He can carry a show on his back whenever needed, and work feuds in the lower, middle, and main event card simultaneously. One of the greatest of all time.

I certainly would like to see him get some big wins this time around, but if he doesn't, it's unnecessary. He already has a first ballot hall of fame career under his belt, and whatever he does he will make it entertaining.

 

[sXeB34ST]

Looks like WWE doesn't think so. They've effectively ruined his 2012 return by killing any momentum he had. Of course, the suspension didn't help. Jericho should be main eventing on either brand at this point. It's a shame WWE ruined what credibility he had because they don't like him taking hiatuses. The problem is, Jericho has never had that one truly great title reign that he deserved. And if the trend continues, he never will. Which is a shame, really.

WWE hardly misbooked Jericho. He doesn't care, and if you've ever listened to any interviews with the man, you'd know that if it isn't the best thing for him to go over, than he won't. He's the guy who whether he wins or loses, give him the mic for two minutes and he can reestablish his heat. He's so valuable because he is one of the few superstars who can lose matches without consequence. He's furthermore, accomplished everything there is to accomplish. This return, if you've ever truly observed how professional wrestling works, seems like his retirement tour. He comes back and makes others look good.

IWC idiots annoy me because the vast majority don't understand how professional wrestling actually works. Provided, that's what comes without having spent even a minute in the industry. With a few years of on again-off again training at All Pro in Hayward, CA with Roland Alexander; and my late uncle being Brian 'Crush' Adams, I feel as though I understand better than those who say "CODY RHODES IS THE FUTURE OF THE WWE! LUL!" Have any of you even heard of Al Snow's "7 Deadly Steps of Professional Wrestling?"

The #1 purpose for a heel is to make a babyface look good. Period. And if you think Jericho's come up short on that during his return, than you clearly have zero idea as to what professional wrestling entails.

 

[The Ghost of Benoit]

Over the past few years Jericho has destroyed his legacy as a main eventer. He appeared on several D-list celebrity reality shows (why would an A-lister?) and constantly tries to promote a rock band that no-one except Jericho marks know or care about. He appears on G-4!

How does it destroy his legacy as a main eventer when WWE mostly used D-list celebrities for the guest host of Raw. Whats wrong with promoting his band? WWE promotes shit that no cares about all the time. And im pretty sure he doesnt care that his rock band isnt that successful. At least he has something to do when he retires.

How can WWE make him look like a huge star and a face of the company when he makes himself look like he is anything but a big star. Mix that with the fact that Jericho's sense of humor comes of as corny now, and you have a certified mid carder. Its sad because Jericho was one of the best 12 years ago. He could have gone the route of other top WWE guys, but he went a route that he thought was logical for himself- and it tanked his name.

When is his sense of humor corny? You must have been thinking of Cena. As for him being the best 12 years ago, you must have missed his great work in 2008. He was the top heel and his feud with Shawn Michaels was the last great 1 on 1 non-title feud in recent years.

 

[justin71]

In 02' he was and they really dropped the ball since then and he had the momentum of the headline WM 18 over Hogan/Rock. When they split the brand he was either tagging with Christian or I-C champion lost in the mid-cards. Since then he's served as a transitional guy I wish he would have had 1 face run with the WWE/WHC just to see how it would have played out. In this last tenure it's obvious it's about a paycheck and not the love of wrestling had Jericho not shown up it would have been Punk/Miz or Punk/Ziggler at WM 28 Jericho is more of a household name thus giving the casual fan more familiarity to get more buy rates. The best part about Chris is he is a main event guy anytime he wants...

 

[GrandSword]

A main eventer for me is someone who holds that top spot. Look at Triple H. When he became a main eventer, he stayed there, be it politics or whatever, the man stayed in the main event, he didn't float in and out of it. HHH was either the champion, or chasing the champion, or starting the show off with a big promo or having a headlining feud. The reason I'm using HHH as an example is because he isn't Hogan, Rock, Austin but he is a main eventer.

Jericho on the other hand curtain jerks Smackdown and gets clean beat by JTG. The guy is one of the most talented workers of his generation, but I don't think he has ever been in a postion where he is stayed in that main event spot.

The reasons could be a number of things and these are all hypothetical by the way:
1. He is a very unselfsh person and keeps wanting to put guys over.
2. He wasn't big enough to play in the land of the giants
3. He is more committed to his band
4. WWE politics kept him down (Triple H doesn't like him)
5. He doesn't want to be in the main event
6. He is outspoken backstage and doesn't tow the company line
7. He keeps going on "holiday"
8. WWE don't think he is a draw
9. He's not a draw
10. none of the above.

 

[ProudFlairMark]

Maybe it's me, but a "main eventer" is not necessarily someone who closes out the card or is embroiled in a feud over the championship title. A main eventer is someone who is over with the crowd; someone who draws money and heat alike. For the novice smart mark, "heat" is only applicable to heels - which is not true. Heat is how hot, whether it's as a face or heel, you can get the crowd. In the book "Drawing Heat the Hard Way" by famed St. Louis wrestling announcer Larry Matysik, he speaks at length about what it takes to be a "main eventer," with charisma leading the way. Does Jericho have charisma? Check. Ability to cut a promo? Check. Mr. Matysik talks quite a bit about the ability to get the crowd psychologically invested in not only the character they portray but the subsequent feud/match. Can Chris Jericho do all of those things? Check, check and check.

Chris Jericho is of the highest caliber of main eventer - one who need not be in the actual main event to enhance the overall product, BUT can make their feud appear as though it *belongs* in the main event. People like Chris Jericho are cut of the same cloth as Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, and Kurt Angle. Any one of these gentlemen didn't necessarily have to headline the card to enhance themselves, those with whom they worked and the product in general. That, in my own humble opinion, is what a main eventer is. Chris Jericho certainly is.

 

[Headman]

As much as I enjoy Jericho in the ring and a lot of what he does on the mic I'm not going to BS anyone. He's no where near the star some people around here make him out to be. He's not on Cena's level nor was he on the Rock or Austin's level. He was a utility player who could be plugged into any spot on the card for a serviceable match. He's never had a title reign where he was the main draw. His match with Triple H at WM 18 was a head scratcher at the time. Everyone expected him to drop the belt to the Rcok or Austin before WM because "Chris Jericho can't headline Wrestlemania.", but he didn't. And the main event seemed like anything but. Some people just have a bad case of selective memory when it comes to Jericho.

 

[RawIsJericho]

Jericho is amongst my absolute favourites of all time, that said, no, he isn't. He's certainly a guy who can work the main event at times, but he isn't on the level of the fully fledged main event stars over the years. He's not at the same level as the likes of Rock, Taker, Austin, HBK, Hogan, Taker, Cena, HHH and I could go on. That isn't to say he isn't as good at his job as those guys and in terms of a package of mic work and ring work he is as good if not better than most of those guys, but that isn't enough to be a main eventer.

That said, Jericho is still one of if not still the best in the world at what he does. The thing is with Jericho is that he doesn't need to be in the main event all the time, Jericho can be jobbing to JTG one week, working a match against Cena the next week and whatever he does he will make it work and without any backstage bullshit. He may not be a certified main eventer, but he will certainly help you establish another main eventer in your company and if needed, he'll step up to the main event for you.

 

[Mustang Sally]

With Jericho going off on hiatus frequently and having said in a recent interivew that his music is his top priority, how can you fully expect WWE to get behind him at this point in time?

It's a good point and it's indicative of the notion that if you're not totally committed to what you're doing, it will have a negative effect......no matter who you are. It seemed that from the moment he re-joined WWE, we were reading how he planned to stay around only a few months before taking time off to again tour with Fozzy.....and I was wondering how strongly WWE wanted to get behind him if this was the way he was going to play it.

Face it, WWE is different today. The company will sign a few wrestlers to contracts they wouldn't have agreed to before in a million years. Can you imagine the WWE of 10 years ago signing a Brock Lesnar-type deal? (Sure, it will be great when Brock is in the ring again.....but look at how unsatisfactory it is now. He uses a stand-in to make his appearances, for gosh sakes). How about the rumored negotiations with Sting in which they were allegedly discussing a "limited-dates" stipulation? How about Undertaker's "once-a-year" performance clause? Can you imagine the company agreeing to these things in the past? It was out of the question.

So, now we have Chris Jericho, who can come and go as he pleases, apparently.....and WWE is thrilled to have him back whenever he feels like working in the wrestling business. That's all fine for Chris, but it's also understandable that the fans and company take a risk in getting solidly invested in his doings at WWE, given he might not be here for long.

Obviously, the company has decided having him under these circumstances is preferable to not having him at all...... but spending tons of time and money promoting him is less of a sure-fire tactic than it used to be. Still, he looks great these days and I enjoy seeing him; I'm just hesitant to count on him.

 

[IT Factor]

WWE hardly misbooked Jericho. He doesn't care, and if you've ever listened to any interviews with the man, you'd know that if it isn't the best thing for him to go over, than he won't. He's the guy who whether he wins or loses, give him the mic for two minutes and he can reestablish his heat. He's so valuable because he is one of the few superstars who can lose matches without consequence. He's furthermore, accomplished everything there is to accomplish. This return, if you've ever truly observed how professional wrestling works, seems like his retirement tour. He comes back and makes others look good.

There's a difference between "misbooking" and pretty much ruining someone's cred to the point where everyone EXPECTS Jericho to lose. Anyone who compares Jericho's 2012 return to his past debuts/returns will notice that this last return wasn't nearly as great. It wasn't even good, really. Not until they paired Jericho with CM Punk. Of course, that storyline pretty much wrote itself with the whole back-and-forth Jericho did with Punk on Twitter before the storyline even happened. The problem is, I don't think neither WWE nor Chris Jericho knew what they really wanted to do with his return. It showed. I can appreciate Jericho putting others over. That's how pro wrestling/entertainment works. However, I don't think taking a big name star like Jericho and jobbing him out or leaving him without a major storyline makes any kind of sense. Maybe others don't agree. It's just a common sense observation.

IWC idiots annoy me because the vast majority don't understand how professional wrestling actually works. Provided, that's what comes without having spent even a minute in the industry. With a few years of on again-off again training at All Pro in Hayward, CA with Roland Alexander; and my late uncle being Brian 'Crush' Adams, I feel as though I understand better than those who say "CODY RHODES IS THE FUTURE OF THE WWE! LUL!" Have any of you even heard of Al Snow's "7 Deadly Steps of Professional Wrestling?"

I LOVE it when other casual wrestling fans somehow fancy themselves as knowing more about how pro wrestling "works" more than others. How does that work? You are the same as everyone else; a spectator & a fan. Nothing else. Getting illusions of grandeur won't change that. So, your uncle was Crush? That's great. So what? Last time I checked, no one here is an actual insider of pro wrestling. You may know some things that others don't, but, that obviously goes both ways. Sounds like someone may be bitter that Cody Rhodes has an actual future in WWE and they don't.......

The #1 purpose for a heel is to make a babyface look good. Period. And if you think Jericho's come up short on that during his return, than you clearly have zero idea as to what professional wrestling entails.

Wow! You just quoted rule number one from pro wrestling 101: A heel makes the babyface look good. Good for you!! While I don't dispute that Jericho has made anyone look good, I do think it's been too much at the expense of his own character. His return has been made less than top priority and that reflects in his standing in the company. And while I understand that Jericho has other "projects" and WWE doesn't wanna make him their champion, that still shouldn't change him being a great talent and being deserving of a storyline worthy of his talents. Instead, he is stuck doing practically nothing feud-wise. Who is he even feuding with now? That's abit unclear. And I don't think all of what you said in all those quotes even addressed the topic at hand: Is Chris Jericho truly a certified main eventer?

If you objectively look at how Jericho's character has been misused, I think the answer to that is no. He has been in main events, but, he's hardly booked as a top talent. Maybe a great mid-carder. That's about it.....