5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE Raw (29 Aug)
4. Winner: Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho has quietly rebuilt himself as one of the most consistently entertaining performers in WWE.
His initial babyface return was nothing to write home about thanks to bland ring work and oddly uninspired promos, but Y2J has caught fire since turning heel again. Jericho’s friendship and incredible on-screen chemistry with Kevin Owens has helped, but his subtle character tweaks have been just as important, and his matches are impressing once more.
He wrestled Neville last night, and both wrestlers put forth an excellent effort to jump-start Raw’s first hour. Neville continues to impress when given the chance and Jericho looks increasingly motivated every time he steps into the ring, even breaking-out an old-school Liontamer to tap Neville out and secure the victory.
It’s hard to tell where Jericho goes from here, particularly with Owens winning the Universal Title. WWE would do well to maintain their alliance, but if they don’t, Jericho is perfect as a midcard gatekeeper. He’s a genuine WWE legend and one of the most charismatic wrestlers the sport has ever seen: a clean win over Jericho still means something, and there are countless members of Raw’s roster who’d benefit from working with him.