Clarification About Whether Kevin Owens is On ‘Raw’ or ‘SmackDown’ After Losing the US Title to Chris Jericho
Last night at WWE Payback, Chris Jericho beat Kevin Owens to become the new U.S. Champion, which was a surprise for the WWE Universe and the win left a lot of people confused about Kevin Owens status. There are many people who don’t understand if Owens is back on Raw or if he’s still on SmackDown. The details were a little confusing for some casual fans to follow after the “Superstar Shakeup” complicated some of the matches at WWE Payback.
Chris Jericho is headed to SmackDown Live after winning the United States Title. He said goodbye to Raw’s General Manager Kurt Angle last night after his victory. In fact, the stipulation for Jericho vs. Owens at the WWE Payback PPV was only tied to the former. Kevin Owens was drafted to SmackDown during the recent “Superstar Shakeup” and took the U.S. Title with him, but now Jericho has joined him on “the blue brand.”
Just to make everything clear, Kevin Owens is still on SmackDown Live and won’t return to Raw. Jericho is the only one who has switched brands because WWE needs to keep the U.S. Title on SmackDown because the Intercontinental Championship is on Raw already. However, that only changes the questions the WWE fans are asking. There are still big questions surrounding Y2J because he seemed to be on his way out of WWE.
The reason why Chris Jericho’s U.S. Title win at WWE Payback was shocking was because it’s been rumored that Y2J run with WWE would finally come to an end after the PPV due to his commitments with Fozzy. For a least a month or a few months, Jericho is expected to be touring with his band. However, all those rumors are now in question after he regained the U.S. Title last night. Also, will the feud with Kevin Owens continue?
It’s now being reported that a big angle is expected to take place this week on SmackDown to write Jericho off WWE television. The expectation is that Y2J still needs to take some time off to tour with Fozzy, so a new deal has been workout out with WWE officials or the powers that be are okay with Jericho taking the United States Championship with him on his hiatus. Depending on the length of time, that may not be a big deal.
During tonight’s edition of Raw, it was announced that Kevin Owens will receive his rematch for the United States Championship with Chris Jericho on SmackDown Live tomorrow night. The most likely scenario is for Owens to regain the title from his rival and for Jericho to be written off WWE television. However, that’s not guaranteed, and WWE officials could decide to keep the U.S. Title on Chris Jericho’s shoulder for awhile.
Whenever he does return to WWE programming, Chris Jericho will return to SmackDown Live, and there is a lot for him to do as a part of “the blue brand.” The general consensus from most people is that Jericho has been on a career high over the past year. “The List of Jericho” is one of the most over things in WWE, which is a testament to the connection Y2J has with the WWE Universe and the creativity he brings to the show.
It’s likely that Chris Jericho will return before WWE Summerslam, but he may want some more time off. He has earned the time, especially since Y2J stuck around over a year longer than he anticipated. It will be sad to see him leave WWE for even a short hiatus, but the old saying is always to leave them wanting more.
[Featured Image by WWE]
