What's the story?
According to a report from Wrestling Observer, there has been a lot of speculation about Chris Jericho leaving WWE after WrestleMania 33. It was mentioned on Raw that he would get his rematch for the United States Championship with Kevin Owens at Payback in a few weeks. However, it’s possible that Y2J’s run may have come to an end during last night’s edition of Raw.
In case you didn't know...
Jericho is about to wrap up his WWE run to fulfil his Fozzy commitments, which means he'll be gone for most of the summer if not for longer. Y2J said the following during a recent interview with Forbes:
“We’re getting ready to put out a new Fozzy record, and I can’t do wrestling and music at the same time. So I think this [wrestling] run is pretty much winding down at this point. It’s time to take a break from wrestling and work on some of these other things that have been on the back burner and are starting to come to fruition.”
Also read: WWE News: Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho confirmed for WWE Payback
The heart of the matter
Last night on Raw, Chris Jericho was attacked by Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe during a backstage segment that forced him to be replaced by Finn Balor in the main event. It's now being speculated that WWE officials may be using the attack as a way to write Jericho off WWE television for the foreseeable future. On paper, it means that Balor vs. Owens will be the match for the US Title at Payback, not a rematch between Jericho and Owens.
What's next?
Chris Jericho's status with WWE isn't written in stone, but his current run could be over. If that's the case, he won't be back on Raw for some time.
Author's take
Honestly, Jericho's promo didn't show me much emotion about losing the United States Title to Owens at WrestleMania 33. The attack by Joe and Owens could be the end of his run because Balor has returned and needs a feud. Balor vs. Owens was excellent in NXT, so seeing them feud over the US Title could be ideal for both men.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
