10 Reasons Why Chris Jericho’s Last Run Was His Best Ever
3. Jeri-KO
Unquestionably the standout story from his 2016 return, Chris Jericho's friendship and eventual feud with Kevin Owens was a weekly highlight of WWE television for the better part of a year.
Unity as a tag team kept them together on screen through summer months following the 2016 Draft, but the relationship ascended to greater heights when the vicious Owens became Universal Champion at the end of August.
From that point, Jericho became the able sidekick willing to do anything to keep the title on his 'best friend', whilst fans clued into the increasingly clear one-sided relationship.
It was masterful storytelling, with Owens playing the true heel alongside the comedic and entertaining Jericho with only gentle unease over an eventual Universal Title scrap ever sneaking in to their quietly delicate connection.
Ignorant to their own fragility, the duo engaged in weekly comedic routines with one another, consistently acting as a punching bag for the babyfaces that queued up in failed efforts to dethrone Owens.
Their eventual break up (more on that later) housed a genuinely sweet moment in which Jericho blurred the lines between kayfabe and reality, describing how much fun he'd had working with Owens during their time together. The chemistry was instantly apparent.