WWE: Was Festival of Friendship One of the Greatest Segments Ever?
Was the Festival of Friendship with Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens one of the greatest segments WWE had ever done?
Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho opened the 10:00 p.m. ET hour of WWE Raw with the “Festival of Friendship”. It would celebrate all the months that these two had been friends, including WWE showing clips of these two’s brightest moments from the past six months.
The segment began with Jericho having a grand entrance to the ring, being accompanied by glamoured up women. Owens entered the arena a few moments later and didn’t seem pleased with what was transpiring.
That led us to the ring, which had Y2J present his best friend with a painting, a sculpture, and the love he had for their bond. However, this didn’t last long, as Owens gave him his own gift — a new list. Seconds later, Jericho realized his name was on the list, leading to KO turning on and attacking his fellow Canadian.
.@FightOwensFight and @IAmJericho's partnership was blown to smithereens at the #FestivalOfFriendship. #RAW pic.twitter.com/fKa1XS90fx
— WWE (@WWE) February 14, 2017
The Festival of Friendship received a wide-ranging response from fans, who were either upset that Owens turned on Jericho, or, most notably, saying this was one of the “best segments ever.”
Top to bottom. Beginning to End. Yes. And I have watched #RAW from the first-ever episode in ’93 (yes I am old) https://t.co/BjhKFOQfca
— Jack Crosby (@JCrosbyCBS) February 14, 2017
Dead ass serious that was one of the best segments in the history of Monday Night Raw
— Cageside Seats (@cagesideseats) February 14, 2017
"Hi boss, I can't come into work today. Why you ask? #FestivalOfFriendship." #WWE #Raw
— Scott Fishman (@smFISHMAN) February 14, 2017
So was the Festival of Friendship one of the best segments ever? Well, there’s plenty to take into account here before making that assessment.
“This is Your Life” from the Rock and Mick Foley, and the famous CM Punk “Pipebomb” are ones that will come to mind when fans think of the greatest WWE segments. These are ones that fans still tune into today, as they’re polarizing or just beautifully put-together moments in WWE’s history. “This is Your Life” would be something unlike anything fans had witnessed, while the “Pipebomb” may have been one of the greatest promos ever.
Another one is the famous barbershop segment when Shawn Michaels turned on Marty Jannetty. Fans still discuss this over 20 years later.
Comparing the Festival of Friendship to any of these segments is difficult, as they all stand alone for being entertaining in their own ways. From the moment of Michaels superkicking Jannetty, Punk’s verbal, and Rock and Foley’s comedy, each one is significant. The Festival of Friendship actually takes a bit of each of these, with a solid promo from Jericho and the unique humor used with the painting.
Next: Reaction to the Friendship Segment with Jericho and Owens
So would you consider the Festival of Friendship one of WWE’s greatest segments ever?