Evaluating Chris Jericho's Most Recent WWE Run

Chris Jericho's latest WWE run was over before it started. Seriously, fans knew he was short-timing it the second he came back. It wasn't a matter of if he was going to leave, but when.

Speculation on when Jericho is leaving goes hand-in-hand with the otherwise healthy buzz created by his surprise returns.

Shortly after his 2012 return, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com) reported that there was strong talk Jericho would only work through April or May of that year. WWE.com joined in on the fun a few months later, posting an article that teased Jericho would soon be leaving. Jericho would end his run in August of that year.

Jericho's surprise return at the 2013 Royal Rumble was also a precursor to a temporary run. This one would end in July.

Upon returning in July of 2014, it didn't take long for Jericho to field inquiries concerning his next departure. Jericho responded to these inquiries during an Ask Me Anything forum on Reddit, saying "my WWE stints will be more like rock tours now. And this tour ends Sept in Nashville."

Jericho's looming exits make it difficult to invest in his character past the token cheers he receives for being Chris Jericho.

It's one of the reasons his recent feud with Bray Wyatt seemed so routine. Few were surprised to see the two trade victories before Jericho lost the rubber match, fulfilling his newfound role as a veteran who puts younger WWE Superstars over.

Jericho's feuds over the years with the likes of CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler and Wyatt were much more intriguing on paper—probably because his name was spelled wrong.

Chris Jericho the wrestler would have rewritten history with those guys. Chris Jericho the rockstar just has good matches before his next concert.

In order for future rock stints to mean more than respectful cheers, Jericho aught to incorporate his departures into storylines months in advance.

Imagine a heel Jericho returning, yet every time he was on camera he initiates a countdown to his next rock tour, basically rubbing fans' noses in the fact that he'll be leaving them.

A babyface Jericho could announce a three-month goal to win a world championship under the condition that if he fails, he leaves.

There's nothing wrong with Jericho's sporadic stints in the WWE. In fact, there's more right with it than wrong. Not only is he able to preserve his body, but Jericho's schedule may be a glimpse into the future of pro wrestling, which has forever been in need of some type of offseason program. Assuming Jericho wasn't working Reddit, his offseason begins anew following Night of Champions.

If Jericho's latest WWE run was a rock tour, it played out like a greatest-hits tour. We sang songs, screamed catchphrases, had some innocent fun but nothing really changed. For things to remain the same while Jericho is an active wrestler misrepresents the value of one of the most innovative minds in professional wrestling history.

Jericho still has value to WWE, even in limited capacity. The key to capitalizing on that value is realistic storytelling.

Follow @ThisIsNasty