Chris Jericho Returns to WWE: What Will Be the Key to This Comeback?

Chris Jericho tried to work us all and tell us that he was never coming back to the WWE. 

But we could see through Y2J’s shenanigans, and most of us knew all along that he was the man behind the “It Begins” videos. What we don’t know, however, is what’s been going on with Jericho since he returned. 

On the last two episodes of Monday Night Raw, we’ve seen a mixed bag of emotions from him: He’s smiled, he’s laughed, he’s looked sad, he’s looked confused, he’s cried. 

We are all anxious to see how Jericho’s silent treatment will play out and what it means for both Jericho and the WWE going forward. 

Right off the bat, we are all assuming that Jericho is headed for a possible Royal Rumble win and a definite WWE Championship against CM Punk at WrestleMania 28. I think that’s what will happen as well, but we haven’t really paid attention to what takes places after Mania. 

That is, we haven’t focused on the long-term key to Jericho’s comeback. And as much as his likely match with Punk means to us, it’s what Jericho does once that feud is over that will define the final chapter of his storied career. 

What I think will be the key to his comeback is whether or not he’s willing to take a backseat for the WWE’s younger talent. 

In 2011, it was Randy Orton who was willing to help the company’s rising main event talent get over with the crowd. But in 2012, most fans will expect Jericho to take over that role. 

After all, that is what Jericho is known for, especially during his most recent run from 2007 to 2010. 

Y2J has the incredibly rare ability to put over younger or up-and-coming talent over (by losing to them), and then instantly recover from the loss as if it almost never happened. It’s something that very few stars have done or are willing to do, but Jericho made a habit out of it during his last stint with the WWE. 

Right off the top of my head, I can remember Jericho losing to a totally unproven rookie by the name of Heath Slater on the first season of the WWE’s least-watched show. I can also recall him taking a clean loss to Evan Bourne on pay-per-view.

How many wrestlers would throw a fit if they were told to lose to someone who was yet to pay their dues or someone who hadn’t accomplished much in the WWE? 

Most probably would, but Jericho didn’t. And that’s precisely what separates Jericho from the vast majority of main event-caliber wrestlers. 

Y2J puts his ego to the side for the betterment of the company, and he does so, quite simply, because he can. Whereas a loss like the one to Slater might hurt another main event worker and make him look weak, it does virtually nothing to Jericho. 

He’s just so good at getting fans to invest into his character, cutting promos and actually wrestling in the ring that fans can overlook losses like this without any problem whatsoever. 

This is the Jericho we need to see during what should be his final WWE run. 

That’s not to say that he can’t be a main eventer or that he can’t compete for world titles. That’s just saying that his primary goal (and the WWE’s primary goal for him) shouldn’t be to add more gold to his already impressive résumé. 

It should be to have Jericho do what he does better than anyone in the pro wrestling business: Make others look good.

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