WWE has been teasing the start of a feud between Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens for months, but it turns out that their rivalry isn’t written in stone. Whatever WWE officials plans were for Wrestlemania are now in question because some matches that seemed to be imminent have been scrapped. It’s being said that Vince McMahon has a specific vision for the show, but Jericho vs. Owens may be another feud that is scrapped.
Chris Jericho won the United States Champion from Roman Reigns during last week’s edition of Raw. The belief is that WWE officials had Reigns drop the U.S. title to Jericho because he will be winning the WWE Universal Championship from Kevin Owens at the WWE Royal Rumble . After that, nothing would stand in the way of Jericho vs. Owens finally happening on WWE television, but that may not be the case anymore.
First and foremost, Chris Jericho is not confirmed for Wrestlemania 33 . In fact, it’s been reported that his commitments to Fozzy will force him to leave WWE sooner than expected, which may cause him to miss the grandest stage of them all. It’s likely WWE will still book Jericho vs. Owens, but their feud would culminate at WWE FastLane rather than Wrestlemania if Jericho can’t stay on WWE television through April.
Even if Jericho’s run is keeping him around through Wrestlemania 33 , a match with Kevin Owens during the grandest stage of them all isn’t a guarantee. Chris Jericho is considered a dark horse in the Royal Rumble match, and he is a favorite to win the match. On paper, Jericho vs. Reigns for the WWE Universal title and the U.S. Championship could be WWE’s plan to make Roman Reigns a double champion at Wrestlemania.
While there are still many possibilities for Chris Jericho’s Wrestlemania match, the main reason why Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens may be scrapped is because the latter may have an even bigger match planned for Wrestlemania. The WWE Universe thought that John Cena vs. The Undertaker was written in the stars for Orlando later this year, but many people think we’ll see Kevin Owens vs. The Undertaker instead.
The matchup has been rumored in the past. However, when the news broke that WWE had canceled Cena vs. Undertaker for Wrestlemania 33 , it was also revealed The Deadman would be facing a WWE Superstar from Raw . Finn Balor, Roman Reigns, and Owens appear to be the most likely opponents for Undertaker in Orlando, but Kevin Owens will be the strongest heel available, which is exactly what WWE may be thinking.
There are many different ways for Kevin Owens to start the feud with The Undertaker. He can be brash and likes to be abrasive, so taunting The Deadman could be enough. It may also be as simple as eliminating him from the Royal Rumble match, which brings on the torment of The Undertaker onto Owens. The payoff of the feud with Jericho would need to be the first priority, but Owens vs. Undertaker is a strong possibility.
At this point in his career, it would take a lot for The Undertaker to be a heel, so facing a top heel is an easier mountain to climb for WWE officials. Kevin Owens has been the WWE Universal Champion for roughly six months, and a Wrestlemania match with The Undertaker will cement him as a top guy in WWE.
It has been reported that WWE officials are extremely high on Kevin Owens based on the work he’s done as the WWE Universal Champion, so his reward could be wrestling The Undertaker on the grandest stage of them all. Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens is the most logical and natural rivalry for both men heading into the biggest show of the year. However, WWE may have some better matches on the card if they call an audible.
[Featured Image by WWE]