WWE: Why Chris Jericho Will Be Able to Do What The Rock Couldn't

Since making his return to the WWE, Chris Jericho has literally bedazzled and beguiled the fans.

Tanner and more ripped than ever, Y2J has gleefully ambled to the ring the last two weeks to the tune of vociferous cheers. That same applause, however, has turned to confusion and even jeers when Jericho never bothered to utter a single word into the microphone.

Truth be told, there is no better heel in the wrestling marketplace than Jericho, who has always had his fingers on the pulse of what fans respond to.

He embodies the smarmy, oblivious smart ass in such a way that is both novel and effective. For instance, when was the last time you can say a wrestler's performance was both hilarious and annoying?

Last week on Raw, Y2J's satirical spin-off of Hulk Hogan's touching reaction to the appreciative Montreal crowd on the SmackDown after WrestleMania 18 was ingenious.

What makes it all the better is that the fans in attendance actually fed into Jericho's mock crying, chanting "Y2J" to the point where he was too "emotionally distraught" to speak. Finally, the live attendees got the hint and began to voice their displeasure with Jericho's pied piper act.

There's no telling, though, how long Jericho can keep up his mute gimmick, but if past precedence is any indication, you know that whatever he does will be worth watching.

The same can't be said for another superstar who made his return to the WWE after seven long years. Of course, I'm referring to The Rock, whose reintroduction to the WWE audience has been mostly done via satellite.

Don't get me wrong, I love The Rock. Pound for pound, there is no better all-around performer in the history of the WWE.

That being said, those days are over, as The Rock now prioritizes his film career over another serious go-around with the WWE.

Corroborating the fact that "The Great One" isn't the hot ticket he used to be is the recent Survivor Series 2011 buy rate. Specifically, the number came in at an extremely disappointing 260,000 buys, a paltry 14,000 more than the previous year.

That is precisely correct: The Rock's first match in over seven years cajoled just 14,000 more homes into watching him perform in his trademark tights.

Looking ahead, such a low number can't bode well for Dwayne Johnson's impact on the WrestleMania 28 buy-rate. Considering what Vince McMahon must be paying him, the expectations are probably more cautiously optimistic than ever before.

Consequently, to think WrestleMania 28 won't be the business bonanza many are expecting it to be isn't out of the realm of rationality.

Quite frankly, The Rock and John Cena have traded enough barbs to last a lifetime; there isn't anything else they can do or say to each other that we haven't seen or heard before. Not to mention, Cena's momentum has floundered in the last month since his farcical feud with Kane began

By the time March rolls around, The Rock and Cena's disputes will seem tiresome—a far cry from the anticipation fans had just one year ago.

On the other hand, Jericho is not only fresh, he has reinvented himself as a character who has no qualms about playing with the fans' emotions.

If Y2J can keep this up, the members of the WWE Universe will be frothing at the mouth to see someone—anyone—put the egotistical, attention-seeking conniver in his place.

In fact, the man who is slated to vindicate the fans for ever falling for Jericho's antics in the first place is CM Punk.

Eventually, when Jericho intones words into the microphone—and perhaps wins the Royal Rumble match to earn a WWE title shot against Punk at WrestleMania—he'll be the WWE's best heel since the last time he was an active wrestler in 2010.

And that's just when the intrigue and excitement will begin over who really is "the best in the world." Subsequently, when the "Straight Edge" superstar and Y2J trade engrossing viewpoints on the microphone, fans will discern first-hand why those two really are the best at what they do.

Therefore, don't be surprised if, in just a few months, online polls indicate that viewers are looking forward more to Jericho vs. Punk than Cena vs. The Rock.

Afterwards, when the dust has settled—and the WrestleMania 28 buy-rate comes trickling in—Chris Jericho might just be recognized as the event's top draw.

It may sound crazy now, but don't doubt the individual whose creative leeway gave us the best feud of 2008 (Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels).