I don't really recall the reactions Jericho was getting before he left...

[Anybody Thrilla]

....and I know that the IWC has a huge hard on for him....but would the rest of the fans really give a fuck if he came back? Would he really be the savior of the WWE that so many people around here seem to think he would be? I'm a huge Jericho mark myself, but I'm really not sure if his return would really be that huge of a deal.

[Nowhere Man]

I don't think it'd cause a huge ratings spike like Rock or Stone Cold or (sigh) even Triple H coming back, but Jericho back on TV would mean an entertaining and versatile performer who puts on consistently good matches. Thus, the quality of the show improves a little (hopefully), and thus, the audience stops leaving in droves.

Would Jericho single-handedly save the WWE? Almost definitely not. But he'd at least make one aspect of the show watchable.

[Anybody Thrilla]

I just don't see where Jericho would fit into the fray at the moment and have it make sense. Not that I wouldn't love to see him back...I just don't really see it happening, I guess.

[The Naitch]

It wouldn't do anything for WWE.

[PepperCarrotMan]

Jericho countdowns start to appear on shows.

They gradually go lower and lower and the anticipation builds.

Finally they are at two and a huge curtain covers the stage.

The Jericho Countdown hits 0 and the curtain goes up.

It reveals Jericho tapping out to the STFU.

J.R : BAH GAWD WHAT A WELCOMING BY THE CHAMP!

[Dorkchop]

He wouldn't be the savior, but would help increase the overall quality of Raw (Like he'd be on Smackdown). If Jericho had some say in what his character does, he could help the ratings a little bit.

[The Naitch]

CarrotMan has it right :y:

[The Show Off]

As for your question, before he left Jericho was getting better pops then John Cena when they were feuding, and this was a few months before the crowd really turned on him and he got booed every night... At Summer Slam Chris Jericho was getting his name chanted drowning out the Cena chants.

Could Jerichio be the savior of wresting?

Short Answer: OF COURSE HE CAN!

Long Answer: Chris Jericho since his days back in 96 in WCW always got solid pops from the fans, the escalated when he joined WWF in Summer of 99, and creshendoed after Wrestlermania X-7 when he and Benoit feuded with Steve Austin. They were really building towards something big with him... And then at Vengeance 2001 he was the first ever Undisputed Champion.

After Jericho won the Undisputed Championship he then became the gate keeper to WWE main event scene, and proceeded to job every significant feud he had from Vengence of 2001 until Summer Slam 2005... He jobbed to Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Goldberg, Christian, John Cena, Shelton Benjamin, ect. He didn't simply job in matches he was made to look weak, by getting beaten over and over by Triple H, becoming his and Stehpnie's bitch. In a feud that should have been built to elevate Jericho, Jericho jobbed every time to Shawn Michaels. Then Goldberg shows up and destroys Jericho with ease. Christian, a guy that essentially played his lacky for a year, beat him, though t5his was a sound way of elevating Christian, it was once again done at the expense of Jericho.

You mix that with the fact that he became more of a staple with the Intercontinental Championship and the Tag Team Championship then witrh the World Championship, you can see that whether by design or by mistake the WWE buried Chris Jericho. Between Wrestlemania X-8 and Summer Slam 2005 Chris Jericho didn't didn't get one, one on one match for the either of the two World Championships...

You factor that against the fact that he always consistantly got top 3 pops of the night, or top 3 heat of the night every night for that stretch, and one has to wonder what Jericho could become if the make him the focal point of the show. If they did he could very well bring some fire back to Raw.

[The Naitch]

too bad they won't give him the full push. Let's be realistic here

[The Show Off]

too bad they won't give him the full push. Let's be realistic here

Agreed. I was just trying to point out that he could be the savior.

[Anybody Thrilla]

Right. So could, but won't.

[Innovator]

Half the crowd cheered Jericho, half for Cena

[Kane Knight]

He was outpopping Cena, as a prevailing heel. Never a good sign.

[Innovator]

I think that was the beginning of the anti-Cena fans (at least the vocal ones), cause after Jericho came the Angle feud.

[Mr. Nerfect]

His feud with Chris Jericho is when the WWE should have turned Cena heel. Summerslam was when the fans started to go for the guys with the greater talent, and boo Cena. The WWE made a lot of mistakes in 2005. Chris Jericho and Matt Hardy both could have been huge as babyfaces (by today's standards), but the WWE blew it.

Could Chris Jericho save the WWE? I highly doubt that, but as many have said, he would provide a shining point of each show, and give us a little hope. Jericho would no doubt be entertaining, and would provide us with at least one reason to watch.

Call me naive, but I actually believe that if the WWE managed to get Jericho back, he'd actually be pushed as the top guy. I think that would be the motivation behind signing him in the first place.

[Kane Knight]

I think that was the beginning of the anti-Cena fans (at least the vocal ones), cause after Jericho came the Angle feud.

Didn't Christian also outpop him about then?

[Innovator]

Yeah but then Christian got shipped to Smackdown

[Anybody Thrilla]

I do remember Christian getting great reactions.

[Kane Knight]

So basically, everyone was getting monster pops against Cena. Maybe Jericho wasn't over.

Nah. He was, and so was Christian. And both guys got it against multiple people. But still, I had to ake the joke. I mean, it IS Cena.

[Dorkchop]

Cena's feud with Jericho was the start of males 18-35 booing Cena's ass out of the arena. Sure, it didn't get nuts until he feuded with Angle on Raw, but it all started with Jericho.

I think provided Jericho doesn't come in as a complete joke and a mid carder, he'll help the ratings. Though just Jericho can't move the whole company forward. I really want Jericho back. Jericho on a bad day is still more entertaining than anyone else in the WWE currently... except Regal.

[Juan]

I think his time away from the ring is a blessing in disguise. When he comes back, there's no way they're gonna job him out and bury him like they did toward the end of his WWE tenure.

Same with RVD...

[Shadow]

Ahh yes Summerslam 2005. A Summerslam at which I was in attendence....AND I BOOED THE FUCK OUT OF CENA THAT NIGHT!

I also missed the Benoit/Orlando Jorden match...it was that damn quick.

[loosecollector]

Y2J - "Hey Coby, nice DDT you got there... Wanna see an armbar?"