Pros and Cons of Kevin Owens Befriending Chris Jericho Leading Up to SummerSlam

This week's Monday Night Raw brought with it a host of new rivalries heading into WWE SummerSlam 2016. One of the most noteworthy moments of the show was the briefly announced new partnership between Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens to combat the most popular babyface team in WWE, Enzo Amore and Big Cass.

At first, it seemed like an odd turn of events for two wrestlers who were recently on the edge of main event contention, but WWE has been teasing this alliance for months. Owens and Jericho have had a friendly animosity toward each other whenever they have crossed paths, with Owens constantly making fun of Y2J but still having his back.

Now with Enzo and Cass getting under both men's skin, it seems only right that these two have finally become true allies with a common goal: to shut up Enzo and Cass. Still, this partnership is complicated, bringing with it a dramatic shift in direction for both wrestlers that could affect their positions on the card.

Let's discuss what makes this new team of Y2J and KO such a polarizing move for the company. Here are just a few of the pros and cons that come with Jericho and Owens' foray into tag team wrestling.

Pro: Pairs two of the most entertaining performers in WWE

Owens came into WWE as a destructive, remorseless monster and made a big impact in the ring right off the bat, but he quickly showed himself to be far more dynamic than that. His constant ventures onto the commentary table and sharp, self-indulgent promos have often raised the quality of the show he's been on, regardless of how seriously he took the situation.

Meanwhile, Jericho's 2016 run has been one of his best campaigns in recent memory. He has reinvented himself once again as a heel who is enamored with his own self-image. His androgynous fashion sense, poor improvisational attempts to rewrite his own career history and need to grant everyone the gift of Jericho make him one of the funniest characters on the show while still being a threat.

Together, Owens and Jericho are even better, with KO constantly pointing out Jericho's made-up accomplishments while being unafraid to talk down or even knock out his friend when he gets too full of himself. The two have often shined even more brightly working off each other than they have on their own.

While most big-star tag team pairings feel randomly smashed together, this new team, Y2KO, is a perfect blend of style and character that has quietly been a long time coming, and it could be the most entertaining part of Raw for weeks—or even months—to come.

Con: Keeps Owens out of the main event scene

It is hard to say how long Jericho and Owens will be distracted by working together, but it is unlikely that Owens will jump right from this feud with Enzo and Cass back into the main event scene. This rivalry will mostly be the comedy section of weekly Raw episodes, and WWE rarely puts comedy segments high on the card.

This is a shame, as Raw is in need of top-level performers, and Owens is ready to take a top spot. However, Finn Balor's impressive debut dashed Owens' opportunity, leaving him scrambling to just find a rivalry to build toward SummerSlam. He found one, but it is not against anyone near the championship scene.

With Enzo and Cass still being rookies in WWE, Owens and Jericho will most likely boost their rise to prominence. Jericho has been taking on this role for years, but Owens is young to be in a feud with the purpose of pushing his opposition toward future championships. Even at the end of the rivalry, it may take a while for Owens to regain the ground he lost while putting over Enzo and Cass.

Pro: Helps Enzo and Cass stay relevant outside of the title scene

No act in WWE is hotter right now than Enzo and Cass. It is almost a shock they haven't already won the WWE Tag Team Championships. Just this last month at WWE Battleground, Amore seemed to be the most over performer in the ring when standing next to John Cena. Enzo and Cass have infectious energy and undeniable charisma that will get them far.

That is why it is imperative that they remain relevant in WWE at all times. While The New Day battles Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, Enzo and Cass lack real competition. Jericho and Owens give them relevant, dangerous rivals to work with.

Pairing four entertaining performers together like this seems obvious. It would be a waste not to have Enzo and Cass square off with Owens and Jericho at SummerSlam, and they could well steal the show from the tag team champions with a feud not purely driven by championship gold.

Con: Means more losses for Owens

Owens and Sami Zayn stole the show together at Battleground, but there had to be a winner and a loser. While Owens can handle the losses due to how impressive a performer he is, top wrestlers need to rack up wins in order to move into title contention.

Entertainment value only goes so far.

While Owens has competed at every pay-per-view so far this year, he holds a record of 2-6. On Raw and SmackDown this year, he has a 17-23-3 record, per the Internet Wrestling Database. Owens is the type of dominant heavyweight who should be difficult to defeat; he shouldn't be struggling to hit a 50 percent win rate.

With Enzo and Cass on the rise and close to title contention, it is unlikely they'll lose a feud with Jericho and Owens, even if the two veterans plan to remain a team beyond this angle. Owens can't afford more feuds where his mouth has to cover for his lackluster results.

Pro: Improves the depth of Raw's tag team division

It is hard to say how long WWE will pair Owens and Jericho together, but the Raw tag team division could use top heels right now. Owens and Jericho bring a dominant heel element to the tag team division reminiscent of Edge and Randy Orton's Rated-RKO run in 2006. Y2KO is a pairing that could potentially rule the tag team roster in a similar way.

What is more important, though, is that Owens and Jericho add depth. Right now, Raw has three serious tag teams: The New Day, Enzo and Cass and Gallows and Anderson. Jericho and Owens add a new element to the mix, potentially playing No. 2 heels for the division—at least until The Dudley Boyz or The Shining Stars gain more momentum.

In the short term, Owens and Jericho will make the tag team division feel more relevant, putting over Enzo and Cass and giving them worthy rivals. If they click as an in-ring unit, Jericho and Owens could move up to challenge The New Day as well, putting both top face teams over as credible performers.

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It is often a dangerous proposition to pair two credible performers together just to compete in the tag team division, but we are supposed to be in a New Era now. That means WWE has a chance to change the way the individual divisions are perceived.

Y2KO could represent one more step toward the tag team division becoming more than a midcard segment on WWE's agenda, particularly paired with the talented Enzo and Cass. Still, it is up to WWE to make the most of these performers rather than let them fall into the background.

Owens can be one of WWE's best wrestlers going forward, and he cannot simply be forgotten until the main event scene clears up. With Jericho, there is no doubt Owens can steal the show, but how much will it cost him as a top-level, credible worker? That has yet to be seen.