WrestleMania XXVI: Should Chris Jericho vs. Edge Go on Last?

WrestleMania XXVI has too many main events. And not just “featured” main events, but three matches potentially worthy of going on last at the biggest wrestling event of the year.

They are: Chris Jericho vs. Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship, Batista vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship, and The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels. 

It’s a welcomed dilemma, but one that raises a lot of questions. The three top matches announced all have legitimate shots at going on last, but also at being overshadowed by one of the others.

Let’s take a look at the first, Chris Jericho vs. Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship.

 

Why It Should Go On Last

Edge was side-lined with a near career-ending injury, was chewed out by Jericho, his tag-team partner, for “selfishly” getting injured, returned after seven months of rehab by winning the Royal Rumble match, and a month later announced that he would challenge Jericho at WrestleMania for his newly won World Heavyweight Championship.

Both are Canadian-born wrestlers trained by Stu Hart, but have never wrestled each other as main-eventers or even in a one-on-one pay-per-view match. And if anyone can follow the Undertaker/Michaels rematch, it’d be Edge and Jericho.

Consider this as proof: Edge vs. The Undertaker, a match no one expected to go on last at WrestleMania XXIV, successfully followed Michaels/Flair, Orton/Triple H/Cena, as well as Mayweather/Big Show, and was somehow able to light up the crowd one more time.

Additionally, even though Edge is a nine-time world champion, he has never won the title as a fan favorite. Edge winning the main event of WrestleMania XXVI would certainly make a refreshing statement about the future of the company.

 

Why It Shouldn’t Go On Last

At this stage in his career, a win for Jericho in the main event of WrestleMania would be baffling, so the match going on last pretty much guarantees a feel-good victory for Edge.

This would make it less of a clash and more like a chase; less about Edge and Jericho, and more about just Edge. That scenario makes for a great co-main event, but not the last match of the night. 

More importantly, Jericho has gone on last at WrestleMania only once before, and that was against Triple H, a bigger name than Edge. And Edge has gone on last at WrestleMania only once before, and that was against The Undertaker, a bigger name than Jericho.

Chris Jericho vs. Edge simply doesn’t have the marquee value to main event the biggest wrestling show of the year.

 

Bottom Line

Much like Triple H’s comeback at WrestleMania X8 was eclipsed by The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan, Chris Jericho vs. Edge could very well be overshadowed by Batista/Cena, Undertaker/Michaels, and Hart/McMahon, even if it does turn out to be a great match.  

 

Do you think Chris Jericho vs. Edge should go on last at WrestleMania XXVI? Let me know.

Next time I’ll discuss the WWE Championship match between Batista and John Cena.