10 Times WWE Failed To Pass The Torch
8. Chris Jericho To Kevin Owens (WrestleMania 33)
Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens' tremendous best friends turned bitter enemies storyline had the potential to end with one of the greatest passing of the torch matches in WWE history at WrestleMania 33.
In a move that was clearly designed to get Owens permanently over as one of the top stars in the company, 'KO' turned on his devoted chum after he confessed to never actually being 'Y2J's pal in the first place. Owens felt that Jericho was trying to get close to him in order to obtain his Universal title, which he would lose to Goldberg due to a 'Y2J' distraction at Fastlane in 2017.
So, the stage was set for Owens to put down the charismatic veteran on the Grandest Stage of Them All for the United States Championship and thus become the new standout entertainer/heel that Jericho himself had long been inside of WWE.
Yet, despite Owens winning the gold at 'Mania 33, fans didn't quite react in the way that the company had hoped and even Vince McMahon was underwhelmed by the end product which Owens and Jericho strung together on the night.
It proved to be a backwards step for Owens and instead of catapulting him into the upper echelon of the company, the failed passing of the torch moment saw him relegated to the mid-card for the coming months.