Hmm, I would say you are in the minority there lol, at least as far as the wrestling fans on here go anyway. Jericho's new character (though it's not massively different from the old one imo) has taken him to an entirely new level of credibility. He is lightyears ahead of most others in the industry, both in the ring and on the mic. And with Cena out of the picture and Orton only playing a minor role at the moment, RAW is really being carried by Jericho.
Agreed. The way Jericho has reinvented himself is amazing. He was always known for his showmanship, his arrogance and his flamboyant, outlandish persona but to do a complete 180 and do so well with this new 'serious' and 'legitimate' character just speaks volumes of the man's talent. I think the work he has been doing as part of this new character is some of the best work he's ever done in his career.
Seconded on both counts. For pretty much the first time ever, we can say with genuine conviction that
RAW is Jericho. It's ironic that as soon as he drops that catchphrase, it becomes true.
I can't wait for the return of Cena if Jericho is still champ by then. I know the company are pushing Cena vs Batista II or III for WrestleMania XXV with the title on the line, but who'd want to derail Jericho's momentum as it is now? Difficult decisions and tricky booking choices ahead, IMO. They'll probably stick to the plan, though. If I were them, this is what I'd go with for WMXXV out of the matches that we can be sure are gonna be on the card:
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Batista (c) vs John Cena - goes without saying, really. We can dream about this not happening, but it's going to, and it'll be good - their SummerSlam encounter surprised a lot of people.
Two Out Of Three Falls Match for the WWE Championship
Triple H (c) vs Jeff Hardy - if Jeff can prove himself in time, I think he'll be rewarded. He's always one of the most over guys in the company and him getting a title shot at WrestleMania would get a lot of buys.
Street Fight
CM Punk vs Randy Orton - hope they drag this feud out, Orton will need to be on the WM card and I'm not convinced there's many options for his opponent.
The Undertaker vs Chris Jericho - think about it. Undertaker will need an opponent who doesn't have the same injury problems he does. Jericho will be way over and people will speculate about him ending the streak, but when he doesn't everyone will be happy anyway because it'll be an awesome match. Could be a decent bet, especially if they decide not to pull the trigger on HBK vs Undertaker because of Shawn's physical condition.
ECW Championship
Rey Mysterio (c) vs Evan Bourne - this one came out of nowhere in my head, but think about it - RAW/ECW Talent Exchange going on, Rey has ECW history and not much to do on RAW, there aren't many good heels on ECW anyway - a face vs face high-flying cruiserweight encounter between these two would be gold. Could lead to a Bourne heel turn as well. Or they could have the two of them challenge Priceless for the Tag Titles, but that'd be less interesting.
Edge vs Hulk Hogan - rumours abound that Hogan is training to get in the ring again, and if it's not for Eric Bischoff's ridiculous rumoured match against Goldberg, then it'll be in preparation for one big final payday at WMXXV. Edge is as good a candidate as any, the two have history and he'll be able to carry the match, plus he's obviously way over, and probably won't have much to do with the title scene while Triple H is around, and while he needs to be kept away from Undertaker.