WWE News: Chris Jericho May Be Leaving WWE Earlier Than Expected Due To Commitments For Fozzy

What Chris Jericho has accomplished over the last year on WWE programming is astonishing, but it has to end at some point. 2016 was almost a career resurgence for him considering how lukewarm his recent runs have been in WWE over the past couple of years. Originally, he was meant to return from the WWE Royal Rumble through WrestleMania 32 and feud with AJ Styles. Thankfully, Y2J’s run has lasted much longer.

His chemistry with Kevin Owens was clear the moment they shared the screen together, but their dynamic has grown into one of the best things going in WWE today. As a duo, Jericho and Owens have been keeping Raw‘s main event scene fresh essentially since the WWE Draft and brand extension back in July. Now, the rumor is that their on-screen friendship will culminate into a feud for the WWE Universal Championship soon.

There is a lot of speculation about when WWE officials will finally pull the trigger on the Jericho vs. Owens feud. Most people are assuming that Kevin Owens will drop the WWE Universal Championship to Roman Reigns at the WWE Royal Rumble. The belief is that Owens losing the title will either be at the fault of Jericho, or Owens will lash out at Y2J for losing. Either way, Jericho’s schedule could get in the way of their feud.

It was reported a little over a month ago that Chris Jericho’s commitments with his band Fozzy would soon take precedent over his current run with WWE. The timeline had Jericho being forced to leave WWE shortly after WrestleMania 33. On paper, that seemed like a good stopping point for Y2J to finish his current run, especially if he faced Kevin Owens. Now, it’s being questioned if Jericho will even make it to WrestleMania.

According to a new report, Fozzy already began working on their newest album earlier this week. Because of that, Jericho’s time with WWE is quickly winding down, and making it to WrestleMania may be too much to ask. It’s also been reported that Chris Jericho is on a month-to-month contract with WWE, so he’s under no obligation to continue his appearances with WWE. The bigger issue is ending his run on a high note.

At this point, the only logical conclusion to his current run would be a payoff match with Kevin Owens. If it can’t be at WrestleMania in April, then the best WWE can do will be WWE Fastlane in February. It’s only a matter of time before WWE officials pull the trigger, but Jericho’s schedule may force them to do it earlier than expected.

It’s likely, given all this information, that the feud between Owens and Jericho will begin at the WWE Royal Rumble PPV at the end of the month. As of this writing, Y2J is one of the top guys who could potentially win the Royal Rumble match. His feud with Kevin Owens doesn’t necessarily need the WWE Universal title. In fact, their rivalry may be better off without it, but the title would add even more momentum to their feud.

Ultimately, Kevin Owens retaining or losing the WWE Universal Championship at the WWE Royal Rumble will be an indication of what WWE officials have planned for WrestleMania. After the PPV, the rivalry with Jericho will be clearer. Not only that, but there will be more news on his schedule for WrestleMania season.

Jericho vs. Owens will culminate at the WWE Fastlane PPV or WrestleMania 33 in Orlando. In a perfect world, the latter would be the place, but a logical conclusion is better than Jericho disappearing without a payoff after months of buildup on WWE television. Right now, he’ll be around for the WWE Royal Rumble at least, so the rub will be to see what happens at the PPV and then play it by ear after that.

[Featured Image by WWE]