Why Doesn't Jericho's Return Generate the Same Grumblings as the Rock?

[Next Big Thing]

Don't get me wrong, Jericho is my favorite wrestler in WWE and I'm glad he's back. No one in the company can match him in terms of character, mic skills and in ring ability. (Not even CM Punk and all his pipe bombs).

BUT, Jericho's left for good chunks of time and come back to much hype and fanfare just like the Rock. They devote more time and creative effort into his cryptic return vignettes than they do for the matches and promos of some of the midcarders on the main roster. And when he does return, it's not like he's doing so to have programs with and put over young midcarders either.

It's not like Jericho left because he wanted to heel his body and come back stronger either. He's been chasing fame just like the Rock (movies, reality shows on ABC and Fox, game show hosting on ABC... Fozzy ).

The only difference is that Rock is successful, whereas Jericho has come up short. You'd have to be a fool to believe that Jericho would come back to wrestling if Fozzy went platinum or ABC never cancelled Downfall.

So why do the people who say dumb shit like Rock is only back because he needs to promote movies or needs the money, not make the same argument about Jericho? Shouldn't "the boys" be just as pissed at Jericho getting weeks of hype and build up that he doesn't really need (because you could have Jericho read the phone book and people would cheer) and being put immediately into one of the Mania main events without "making" someone else?

If Jericho leaves again shortly after mania, do you think people might start looking at him the way they look at the Rock?