Chris Jericho Proving His Worth to WWE with Latest Run as Egotistical Heel

With a flooded roster and a limited amount of television time up for grabs, it's little surprise that some WWE stars are struggling to make their presences felt.

But lately, Chris Jericho is doing a fine job of getting his latest gimmick across.

It's universally known and respected that Jericho is at his best when he's working as a heel. But his latest run—which, judging by his recent stints with the company, has been incredibly long, dating back to this year's Royal Rumble—struggled to have any sort of impact in its early months.

A disappointing feud with Dean Ambrose did little for Jericho on the face of it, but as the Money in the Bank pay-per-view and the marquee ladder match approached last month, a change in mentality signalled a change in momentum for the veteran.

The turning point actually seemed to be his Asylum match with Ambrose at Extreme Rules—when The Lunatic Fringe dropped Jericho on top of 69 tacks, as the latter so often reminds us.

Since then, Jericho has really come out of his shell, looking more like the old Y2J who has such unavoidable swagger about him. He's become more egotistical, more arrogant, and it's making him far more noticeable.

When on form, there are few who could pull off the arrogant-heel role like Jericho. He's been doing it so well lately that he's not only coming off as arrogant but is making himself entertaining and funny to boot.

A fine example of that was this past Monday on Raw, when Jericho hosted the Highlight Reel with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. There were some who complained that Jericho's presence was unnecessary in setting up another match between the two men, but he managed to exert his authority on the segment to great effect.

Scratch beneath the surface of that promo further, and there was a neat example of the value Jericho currently brings to an ever-changing WWE. With a brand split on the horizon in July, the merit of pushing some midcard guys to get them ready for more exposure is vital.

Jericho not only manages to make himself look good on-screen lately, but he also is helping to push some younger guys into prominence—with Owens being a fine example. 

There was the Highlight Reel on Monday, but there was also a segment backstage at Money in the Bank itself with KO and Alberto Del Rio in which Owens emerged looking strong after giving Y2J a verbal dressing-down—but not without a response or two from Jericho.

And it isn't just recent weeks in which Jericho has shown his worth to the company; consider his first feud back on this current run with AJ Styles—in which The Phenomenal One went over—as well as the Ambrose rivalry. Look where Ambrose is now—sitting right at the top of the company. 

WWE should give careful thought to where it positions an on-form Jericho when the brand split occurs. It may be that he'll decide to take another break and take some time off, but if he sticks around, he must be put in a position where he can keep this momentum going.

In recent years, Jericho's intermittent stints with the company have made little impact on both himself and those around him. He looks rejuvenated this time around, however, and now, well into his 40s, he shows no signs of slowing down.

On this form, Jericho could become one of the company's most valuable assets when the brand split happens. It's been a joy to watch him perform as he has been doing. Long may it continue.