10. Y2J Was Wearing The Same Scarf He Tried To Give Braun Strowman
On the November 14 edition of Monday Night Raw, Chris Jericho tried to give both Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman some presents. Presenting a scarf to each man, the Canadian was horrified when Strowman turned down his gift and said he wanted Jericho's scarf instead. Then, the mountain of a man ripped it in front of Y2J.
On the latest edition of Raw, Jericho stood in the ring wearing an item of clothing some eagle-eyed viewers may have recognised. Complete with anchors and other symbols, Chris was wearing the exact same scarf he had tried to gift Braun Strowman several weeks prior.
Although it may not have been the exact same item, it was the same design. Little touches like this make Chris Jericho such an interesting character on Raw these days, he never misses an opportunity to play with fans and be subtle with his performances.
Hosting an edition of his Highlight Reel segment with Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns, Jericho didn't draw attention to the scarf. Therefore, some may have missed this one.
9. Kevin Owens Rolled With His Mistake
Joined by his 'best friend' Kevin Owens and then interrupted by Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho became a bit-part player on his own Highlight Reel skit. This was deliberate, Y2J was pushed into the background as Owens and Reigns discussed feuding against one another before the Roadblock: End Of The Line pay-per-view.
In order to build up to a match between the pair on Raw, Roman said he thought KO was a joke as WWE Universal Champion. Aiming to reply by repeating the statement Reigns had just made, Owens tripped over his own words and failed to properly say 'WWE Universal Champion'.
Instead of losing his bearings in the promo, KO was able to make the mistake work for him. Even Jericho got in on the act, saying that English wasn't even Kevin's first language so he was doing pretty well to begin with.
Kevin Owens played off the error incredibly well, even when Reigns decided to draw attention to it by encouraging him to take it easy. So smooth was KO's performance that fans would be forgiven for believing he stuttered on purpose.
8. Chris Jericho Looking Utterly Dejected
The beauty of Chris Jericho's current guise on WWE television is that he takes everything about his ridiculous character seriously. Existing in his own little bubble, the Canadian doesn't see what's silly about his mannerisms, catchphrases or the fact he wears a scarf with no shirt.
Best of all, Chris takes the 'List Of Jericho' seriously. His pride and joy, the list is something Jericho has been able to get over with fans to such a degree that he's barely even a heel these days. On Raw, Y2J sold the impact the list has on him. Specifically, he sold his disappointment over being cut off by Kevin Owens when he was about to put Roman Reigns on there.
Telling his buddy to shut up, KO wanted to address Reigns himself. Staring with wide eyes at his pal, Jericho looked crestfallen for the next few minutes. Almost until the end of the segment, he looked at the ground like a scolded child and didn't really interact much with Reigns or Owens.
Dejected at the way he had been treated, Jericho was excellent even when in the background.
7. Mick Foley's Protection Puts Sami Zayn Over Perfectly
It's hard not to be confused by Mick Foley's actions on Raw lately. After Survivor Series, he wanted to punish Sami Zayn for failing to bring the WWE Intercontinental Title from SmackDown Live to Monday Night Raw. Quickly, Foley put Zayn in a match against Braun Strowman.
Stopping that bout, Mick said he did so out of care for Sami's well-being. Then, after Braun had beaten R-Truth and been attacked by Zayn this week, Foley stopped the subsequent beat down from the big man again. That's when Sami decided to confront his General Manager in the middle of the ring and tell him he didn't need protection.
At one point, Foley got so excited during the promo with Zayn that his false teeth fell out. Somehow, that only added to the excitement, Mick was obviously enjoying the interaction.
In the midst of all this, Sami said he didn't like that Foley had become so corporate. This was subtle yet smart, Zayn is pointing out that Mick has started to do as Stephanie McMahon pleases without really questioning it.
Due to this, Sami has a great role on Raw going forward. He's akin to an anti-hero.
6. Cedric Alexander & Alicia Fox Are Starting A Romantic Storyline
The new 205 Live show on the WWE Network can either be considered a new dawn for the Cruiserweight division or a sign that company management have lost faith in the league already. Still, one small nuance on the latest episode of Raw showed signs of encouragement for some of the performers in the division.
Cedric Alexander has been great since debuting on Raw and moving up to the main roster. Unfortunately, he's been a performer WWE haven't really developed from a character standpoint. Perhaps that is set to change, especially if he's about to become involved in a romance angle on the show.
As Alexander faced Tony Nese inside the ring, Alicia Fox was briefly shown watching the action from backstage on a monitor. On commentary, Michael Cole said that Cedric and Alicia had been flirting on the Raw pre-show last week, meaning they're surely about to hook up on screen.
Aside from Cole mentioning the angle quickly and Alicia watching for a few seconds, nothing else was said about the situation. In coming weeks, it's sure to develop further.
5. Enzo Amore Deserved Rusev's Treatment
Speaking of romance, Enzo Amore's interactions with Lana are a little different to the sugary-sweet dating angle Cedric Alexander and Alicia Fox are about to embark on. Stumbling upon a naked Enzo last week, Lana was saved by her husband Rusev. The 'Bulgarian Brute' then hammered Enzo in a short match.
This saga continued on the latest Raw broadcast, only this time Rusev lost by disqualification. Furious over Enzo's behaviour, Rusev cracked Amore with a low blow and gladly took the loss. Scrape just beneath the surface though, and the heel had every reason to be upset at the babyface on this occasion.
Before entering the ring, Enzo ran through some of his usual mic banter. Insulting the married couple, Amore said that he might even 'stuff Lana's turkey'. Naturally, this incensed Rusev, he was booked to look rabid upon hearing the remark.
The thing is, fans were booing Rusev. All he did was stick up for his wife, why should he let Enzo Amore use sexual innuendo right before a match and insult his bride? In other words, Enzo fully deserved the low blow.
4. KO Lost Cleanly Without Chris Jericho's Presence
After telling Chris Jericho to shut up, Kevin Owens argued with his so-called best friend behind the scenes. This led to Y2J leaving the building, meaning Owens had to go up against Roman Reigns without his Canadian cohort's help later in the show. That proved to be the WWE Universal Champ's undoing.
The stipulation heading into Owens vs. Reigns was that Roman would get a shot at the Universal Title if he managed to beat the current champion. That crack at the belt will come at Roadblock: End Of The Line on December 18, and it's now official.
Losing cleanly to Reigns, Kevin Owens looked as solemn as Jericho had earlier in the program. Although it wasn't said on commentary, it was implied that Owens had been unsuccessful due to the absence of Y2J around ringside. KO even hinted at this during a post-match rant backstage.
Clearly, WWE are keen to book Owens as a champion who can only get things done by cheating. He needs Chris Jericho to remain Universal Champ, that's the story being presented.
3. Paul Heyman's Tremendous Attention To Detail
It's been said many times that few can touch Paul Heyman when it comes to promos. One of the greatest talkers in WWE history, the manager really takes fans on a journey when speaking. Things were no different on Raw, even if this was an altogether different kind of Heyman speech.
After watching Brock Lesnar crumble in short order against Goldberg at Survivor Series, Heyman should have been melancholy. Going further, the guy should have been devastated. Heyman sold all of this in expert fashion during a sit down interview with Michael Cole on the show.
The attention to detail Paul Heyman showed is something every wrestling character can learn from. His eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep and crying, Heyman was also uncharacteristically unshaven and came across like a broken man.
At the end of the promo, he said that Lesnar would enter the 2017 Royal Rumble. Undoubtedly, many fans picked up on this. Those same people may not have noticed Heyman's eye for small details.
By looking so broken, he sold Brock's squash loss to Goldberg more than any WWE video package could.
