10 Hilarious Times Wrestling Didn't Take Itself Too Seriously
1. The Festival Of Friendship
This incredible Raw segment couldn’t have been achieved anywhere other than wrestling. It requires the patience to build up a storyline over many months, the freedom allotted to performers of Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens’ calibre, and an eye to the future for the angle going forward.
The premise was simply delightful: Chris Jericho, wanting to pay tribute to his buddy Owens, had taken over Raw for the all singing, all dancing Festival of Friendship. There were showgirls, gifts, priceless works of art.
WWE’s long term storytelling has been lacking of late, as they often run out of patience, but here they played their hand perfectly. Owens had been showing increasing frustration with his overzealous pal Jericho, and it all came to a head after Jericho laid it on too thick, presenting Owens with inappropriate artwork and a chance to beat up Gillberg.
Owens and Jericho are so good that they can switch on a dime from ridiculous comedy to an intense heel turn for the former. The joking and the fighting are given equal weight; instead of a funny punchline, there’s a violent one.