10 Best WWE Storylines Of The Past 5 Years
3. Friendly Banter
Chris Jericho was readying himself to exit WWE yet again after passable feuds with AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose rendered his 2016 return underwhelming, but an unlikely alliance with Kevin Owens dramatically transformed the fortunes of both men.
A dynamite unit, Owens and Jericho's stream of non-sequiturs took centre stage in tag and singles matches throughout the summer. Complete rats when stationed together at ringside for each other, the pair were obnoxious sh*thouses to everybody else too. Tom Phillips was routinely the third man in their schtick, reflecting weekly the world's bewilderment towards the pair. Their fragile unity persistently carried the weight of a grand unravelling to the point at which heel 'Y2J' was subtly babyfaced by the cynicism of Owens' desperation to remain Universal Champion.
Miring Owens in comedy for the bulk of his reign wasn't to everybody's taste, but the laughs were required to make their sweet parting so sour. Jericho put in one of the performances of his career in the heartbreaking Festival Of Friendship, delivering a greatest hits package of the goofs and gags that made their union so wildly enjoyable for Raw's winter months. Original straight man Phillips was the only one missing from the screen before Owens callously launched his best friend through the one hanging in the ring.