Dolph Ziggler kicking off the 2013 Royal Rumble was no real surprise. One of the best workers on the roster, it made perfect sense that WWE would tap the Showoff to be the long-lasting backbone of that year's match. That he was coming off a feud with John Cena that saw him regularly main event Raw, and even a pay-per-view, only solidified the choice as an excellent one. The question was, who would Ziggler start the match off with, thus setting the pace for the remainder of the contest? Fans got their answer in a major way as the lights dimmed, pyro exploded at the top of the entrance and Chris Jericho made his completely unexpected return to WWE. After fooling fans with cryptic Tweets about never returning to the company following his disappointing run in a year earlier, Jericho proved to be as master manipulator, sauntering his way to the squared circle with a s***-eating grin plastered across his face. Better yet was the fact that it was not a short night for Jericho. Instead, Y2J proved that he was there to stay, lasting over 47 minutes. His elimination came at the hands of the man he started the bout with. To this day, the pop Jericho received upon his entrance into the contest rivals any the show has ever seen, thanks in large part to the fact that the typically "on it" Internet crowd had no clue that he would be returning.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
