Seth Rollins vs. Chris Jericho: Keys to Maximizing Promising WWE Raw Feud

WWE has a narrow window in which to harness the rivalry between Seth Rollins and Chris Jericho.

Both The Architect and Y2J have other enemies on the horizon. Before these two Raw Superstars go their separate ways, however, WWE must make full use of their existing animosity and the moving parts of this narrative.

Rollins is set to face Jericho at the Roadblock: End of the Line pay-per-view on Dec. 18.

It's a matchup of a bright, young star and a veteran having a tremendous run. It's a meeting of two top-flight performers, one that could propel Rollins in a major way.

On Raw, at Roadblock and beyond, here's how WWE can get the most from Rollins and Jericho's personal war. 

Create Pathos Through Payback

Before Rollins and Jericho clash at Roadblock: End of the Line, WWE would be smart to create a lasting image of the babyface suffering at the hands of his rival.

On the Nov. 28 Raw, Rollins pounced on Jericho in the arena parking lot. He throttled the scarf-wearing Superstar after Y2J interfered in his WWE Universal Championship match the week before. It was a thrilling, standout moment.

Former WWE and ECW wrestler Taz tweeted about the segment: "That's a good piece of business with Rollins and Jericho right there."

WWE needs to follow that up with another attack, this time with the opposite dynamic. Jericho should plot a sneak attack on the next Raw, blasting Rollins while he's warming up in the locker room. The Architect should end up limping and weakened afterward.

With this scene, the company can show off Jericho's smarts and viciousness while forcing the audience to sympathize with Rollins.

Heading into Roadblock, Rollins will be surging with anger, and their PPV meeting would be more intense as a result.

Infuse Triple H into the Narrative More

On the Dec. 5 edition of Raw, a long-missing element from this story re-emerged: Rollins called out Triple H.

The WWE COO and part-time wrestler attacked Rollins in August, clearing the path for Kevin Owens to win the Universal Championship. Too little has been made of this since. Fans still await an explanation for Triple H's actions.

Rollins then brought up The Game on the first Raw of December, announcing that he wanted to take him down. In The Architect's mind, though, he would have to get to Triple H by first taking out Jericho and then Owens.

WWE shouldn't just put off the next chapter that includes Triple H. The thought of getting revenge on his old father figure should distract and unsettle Rollins. The more we see him become unraveled by what happened in August, the more intriguing his story will become. 

Jericho can use that against Rollins, antagonizing his foe by bringing up how Triple H betrayed him.

This would not only help set up the inevitable Triple H-Rollins match, but it would also add a layer to the current rivalry. It's also a great chance to let Jericho work his magic on the mic.

Triple Threat at the Royal Rumble

A breakup appears to be imminent for best friends Owens and Jericho. The two have been at odds in the past few weeks, and Y2J doesn't look ready to reconcile. 

It's a no-brainer to infuse that development into the Rollins-Jericho feud. The Architect hates both Jericho and KO. A three-way rivalry would open all kinds of narrative doors for WWE.

Chair Shot Reality host Josh Isenberg tweeted that he'd like to see WWE book Owens vs. Jericho vs. Rollins as one of the Royal Rumble's top matches. That's a tremendous idea.

Rollins and Jericho's singles match at Roadblock promises to be good, as does the inevitable Owens-Jericho collision. Cramming in a Triple Threat encounter in between with all three men would just be good business.

The overlapping stories will make Raw more intriguing. 

And we know Rollins can tear the house down in Triple Threat matches at the Royal Rumble. At the 2015 event, he took on Brock Lesnar and John Cena in what some considered the year's best match.

Projections

Rollins vs. Jericho will be more of a short story than a novel. WWE will quickly move on from this feud as each wrestler moves on to different enemies. 

Owens and Jericho will clash on their own as Rollins focuses on Triple H. Those are both WrestleMania-worthy matches, and the company's focus will be building toward them early in 2017.

And WWE will struggle with the babyface-heel dynamic. Jericho's recent popularity, thanks in large part to The List of Jericho, has the audience treating him like a fan favorite despite his villainous ways. That promises to hurt this story, as the crowd won't want to root against either of these two likable figures.

Their match at Roadblock will be a fast-paced thriller, and fans should savor it. There might not be another big bout between these two.

Other adversaries await.