Chris Jericho, Credit: WWE.com
After last Monday’s Festival of Friendship went down in flames for Chris Jericho, how should his return be booked?
The potential Chris Jericho-Kevin Owens feud has been building for quite some time, we all expected they would part ways and the pair would eventually face off in the ring. While it does seem highly likely they will face each other at Wrestlemania, how does Chris Jericho come back to get his revenge?
The Festival of Friendship was Chris Jericho’s gift to Kevin Owens, however Owens didn’t want a bar of it and turned on his “best friend” in a turn we didn’t think would happen so soon. Jericho was taken away in an ambulance, and he hasn’t yet been seen back. Owens did deliver a powerful promo on Raw, as he prepares to take on Goldberg at Fastlane, a match that Jericho did make some weeks ago without Owens’ approval.
This would seem to be the big reason for Owens turning on his former best friend, but after everything that Jericho has done for him it seems quite dire. As great as these two have been together, a pending feud could be even better. These two have some of the best chemistry any two people can have, and both men have had an amazing run these past few months.
How can Jericho come back into the picture? The man needs to make a big impact on his return and attempt to get some kind of revenge after that savage beating. There are several possibilities, so let us take a look at 3 possibly ways WWE can book his return.
WWE.com
3. Chris Jericho Returns Next Week on Raw and Attacks Kevin Owens
Perhaps coming back next week would be too soon, however it is a strong possibility. Jericho would need to sneak attack Owens, and it is an attack that needs to happen in the ring when he is least expecting it. It could be after a match or on commentary or even in the ring for a promo, jumping him when he isn’t looking is a good piece of revenge.
The question is are we ready for Jericho to come back next week? Is it the smart move? It might be, and it would give Owens something extra to worry about heading into Fastlane against Goldberg. Stephanie McMahon could try and bar Jericho from ringside for that match, but as we have seen Jericho can find a way out of that scenario.
A huge brawl between these two on the Raw before Fastlane would be highly entertaining and it would definitely add a lot of excitement heading into the last PPV before Wrestlemania. It could start the show or it could end the show, the WWE universe will likely not expect it to happen and it’ll make exciting television.
WWE.com
2. Chris Jericho Returns After Fastlane, Challenges Kevin Owens to a WrestleMania Match
Another potential return option for Chris Jericho is his return on the Raw after Fastlane and straight out challenging his former best friend Kevin Owens to a U.S. Title match at Wrestlemania. Don’t forget that Jericho does hold the U.S. Title, and putting that up against Kevin Owens makes that match even more of a must-win for both men.
It might be seen as a step down from the WWE Universal Title for Kevin Owens, but holding a title means a lot to him and he loves to be a Champion. Unfortunately for many Owens fans, it does seem likely that he will not walk out of Fastlane with the WWE Universal Title, and Jericho putting his up for grabs gets him back into a title picture.
Without having a sneak attack and just straight up calling him out and giving him a challenge would be unexpected, and it could be a chance for both these men to have an amazing mic off against each other. I am sure that would end up in a fight anyway, but not starting it that way is a smart move and it’ll keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
Credit: WWE.com
1. Chris Jericho Costs Kevin Owens the WWE Universal Title Against Goldberg at Fastlane
This is the option that makes the most sense and it would be a pretty huge deal, considering Chris Jericho has a lot of history with Goldberg. If he does come back at Fastlane and helps Goldberg win by costing Kevin Owens the match, it sends a pretty big message. Not only does it send a message but perhaps Owens won’t completely be demolished at the event by Goldberg.
The ultimate revenge for Jericho would be costing Owens the thing he treasures the most, and to someone like Goldberg at that. As we saw on Raw, Owens gave a hell of a promo about his upcoming match with Goldberg, he sees this as a can’t lose situation and Jericho making him lose would add so much more fuel to this fire.
The crowd would not only go nuts, but it would deflate Owens and given Jericho the upper hand after the big attack during the Festival of Friendship. This scenario makes Fastlane a must watch event, if this is the road they decide to go down with booking Jericho’s return
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Whatever happens, though, the real winners are us the fans because these two are going to have a memorial feud that will lead to a Wrestlemania match that is going to be remembered for years to come.