WWE WrestleMania 33 preview: Chris Jericho vs Kevin Owens

Once friends, Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens’ feud comes to a bitter end at WWE WrestleMania 33—but who leaves walking tall?

The complaints of Goldberg being the WWE Universal Champion are certainly warranted. Perhaps the biggest issue that many fans have with is the fact that Kevin Owens won’t be coming into WWE WrestleMania 33 as the champ. While that’s a deserved qualm to have with the situation, it was necessary to get the point where he could have what might be the most anticipated match on the show: his bout with Chris Jericho.

From the moment that Owens and Jericho teamed up and became friends, it always seemed like they were destined to get to this point. What may have been unexpected, however, is how well it all ended up going over.

Despite Jericho being an absolute legend in WWE and in the industry in general in addition to Owens having been a success since he arrived on the main roster, this is among the best angles that either have ever worked. There is real emotional investment from the fans in this feud, which is a testament to each man’s ability. But now that they’re destined to clash on April 2 at WWE WrestleMania 33, what will transpire? Starting from the beginning, let’s break it down.

How Did We Get Here?

Formed essentially out of necessity, the pair of narcissistic heels got together and quickly formed a delightful bond. They had each others’ back while offering incredibly different ways to draw the ire of fans. Jericho developed “The List of Jericho” while Owens played along as the seemingly undeserving champion.

Along the way, their friendship became a tad one-sided. While Owens kept having the odds stacked against him, Jericho would always be there to make the same. However, this caused the veteran Y2J to get a bit too confident in his role in the two-man dynamic as he started writing checks for Owens to cash. Most notably, he got him into the match against Goldberg.

Whether he was feeling things turning or just was trying to be a good friend, their companionship culminated with the ill-fated Festival of Friendship on an episode of RAW. Jericho haplessly tried to appease Owens with gifts and entertainment, but it was to no avail. Instead, Owens’ “gift” in return was “The List of KO” that had Jericho’s name on it. He then brutally attacked his partner and left him to be stretchered out of the arena.

However, Jericho would soon have his revenge at WWE Fastlane during Owens’ match with Goldberg. Right before the bell, “Break Down The Walls” blared and Jericho came out. This caught KO’s attention, which then allowed the challenger to strike quickly and take hold of the strap.

As a result, Owens wants revenge—and Jericho’s United States Championship—to appease what his former friend cost him. That leads to this highly anticipated clash at WWE WrestleMania 33.

What to Expect

Considering how this feud has been built up over such a long period of time, no one should be expecting this to be a tepid or short-lived affair. Right from the start, these two are going to get after it and attack at a fast pace. There will be fists flying, likely some attempts and misses at early finishers, and the general attempt to inflict as much physical pain as possible.

Following that, however, it’s likely that we’re going to get Owens having the upper hand early. It’s possible that an early hope-spot for Jericho could precede this. But the more likely course of the match will be KO turning up the heelish behavior to 11 and getting a bit maniacal as he attacks his former best friend. What’s more, it wouldn’t be a shock to see a relatively early Apron Powerbomb to subdue Jericho for quite some time.

Owens should then control the action for quite some time. He’s one of the best in the company when it comes to angrily and methodically controlling a match and his opponent. Though some talents are often criticized for slowing the pace and resting too much, Owens has somehow mastered the art as it never totally feels like that’s what’s happening—even when it blatantly is.

That won’t be the story of the entire match, however. Instead, Jericho will get either another hope-spot or his first, and it should be prolonged. Him catching Owens with a Codebreaker for a near-fall and possibly even locking in the Walls of Jericho is a definite possibility. It won’t end cleanly there, though, or at least it shouldn’t.

Things will ultimately even out as the match nears its close. With both men having taken a fair amount of damage, we’ll likely get an exasperated and furious stare-down, which should lead to the finish.

Predicted Winner

Picking the winner in this match was once quite simple. The belief was that Chris Jericho’s current run within WWE was going to come to a close in Orlando, or at least it would effectively end there. However, there have been circling rumors since then that Y2J is sticking around further. Considering how over he is in the midst of what might be among the best runs of his illustrious career, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to keep the U.S. title around his waist.

What’s more, it’s a safe bet the majority of the time to say that the face is going to come out of WrestleMania victorious. As the culmination of the year in WWE, it’s often a time to reward fans with that triumphant moment. Subsequently, that’s another point for the Jericho-will-win side as he’s clearly the sympathetic figure in this feud and match.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that happy ending is coming.

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While there are reasons to justify Jericho leaving WWE WrestleMania 33 as the United States Champion, they don’t outweigh the reasons to give Owens the victory. Even if Y2J is sticking around longer than expected, his tenure still has an expiration date. Owens, however, is part of the foreseeable future of this company. As such, he’s much more valuable holding the belt and taking on all challengers—especially with new blood being added on the post-Mania RAW.

After the jockeying for control with the ending in question, Owens ultimately catching Jericho with a Pop-Up Powerbomb and then likely inflicting even further damage seems to be the way that this match comes to a close. KO is the best choice as for who should walk away the victor. It’s far from a certainty, but that’s where the “smart money” should likely fall.