Examining Chris Jericho's Current Role in the WWE Universe

Chris Jericho recently returned to WWE and began heat with The New Day of Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods.  It might seem like an odd combination to some, but the fact is Jericho can work with anyone and is likely having fun, as usual, since he came back.

But having fun does not always equate to success in pro wrestling's largest company.  Jericho's stock has dropped somewhat over the past couple of years, and now the nature of his current role is surely up for debate among much of the WWE faithful.

When he interrupted The New Day on Monday Night Raw, it should have been a big moment.  After all, Y2J is a six-time world champion and one of the most popular Superstars to ever perform in a WWE ring.

He's entertaining, fun and still has a great heart for the business.  He's a future WWE Hall of Fame inductee and any time he's on the card, it should unquestionably be the highlight of the night.

However, his reaction thus far on Raw has been lukewarm at best.  Instead of blowing the roof off the building whenever Jericho hits the ring, the crowd seems disinterested and anxious to move on to the next segment.

Y2J is still a babyface, so that should warrant a positive reaction from the crowd.  He's back to compete at the Royal Rumble, and considering many of WWE's top talents are on the shelf, his presence should be more than appreciated by fans right now.

But none of that really seems to be happening, and it likely has everything to do with how he's been booked lately.

One loss after another has greatly affected his character to the point he's at now.  Weak responses and poorly received promos are not common for Jericho, and had it not been for his willingness to put younger talents over in recent years, perhaps he would not be in the spot fans find him in now.

It sounds perfect in theory; giving back to the company that made him a star seemed like the best idea possible.  Y2J is very selfless in the ring, so making his opponent look good is just another day at the office for him.

But televised losses to Fandango, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, Bray Wyatt, Kevin Owens and others have not noticeably helped Jericho's cause.  Instead of being viewed as a first-class veteran that's just helping the next generation, he's seen as a guy who is heading for his next loss every time he comes back.  

Perhaps fans are too hard on him; it does seem to be a "what have you done for me lately" scenario. Or perhaps the booking itself is indeed to blame.  

Jericho has nothing to prove, so the only reason to come back is because he still loves the game and because he still has something to offer.  Fans surely understand why he does what he does and why he is now used to getting other talents over.  But understanding and accepting are two entirely different things.

Many fans surely want to see him come back full time.  It's not as though he would be taking a spot from someone else; there are several holes to fill on the main event scene, and the NXT stars are not being brought up that quickly to fill them.  Helping get other guys over is admirable but when he disappears right after he does so, it's obvious that's all he was there for to begin with.

However, Jericho's mainstream career is still there, and he seems very happy to still be touring with his band, Fozzy.  He can live his rockstar dreams and occasionally come back to WWE whenever the opportunity arises.  It's a good arrangement for him, and fans can certainly understand his point of view.

If being an in-ring Superstar is not enough, then Y2J could step up in other roles for WWE at any time.  He's known outside the company, and he could always be used as a pop culture ambassador—the guy who can work both sides and get not only himself, but the product over.

That would perhaps ease some of the criticism thrown WWE's way in terms of Jericho's booking and would be beneficial for him as well in terms of his overall popularity.  

Jericho is a legend and should be treated as such.  A win over him should not come easily for anyone on the roster, and though he's not necessarily in world title contention, he should not be that far from it either.  He should be in a position to help younger Superstars, but he should also be able to help himself.

If his booking does not change at some point, then neither will his pop, and WWE Creative is the only entity that can make that happen.

Tom's work can regularly be found on Bleacher Report, and his podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Windows Phone, Amazon Android and online here