Chris Jericho’s history of “working the Internet” and keeping surprises close to the vest made it hard for the wrestler to fool fans ahead of Monday’s RAW–he was the odds-on favorite to return as the “It Begins” mystery man.
Sure enough, when the young boy in the video confirmed it was time for the world to end as we know it, it was Chris Jericho, with a glowing jacket, who entered the arena to a strong reaction from the crowd.
Jericho’s return came during halftime of the Fiesta Bowl, a smart, strategic play for a show that has faced some disappointing ratings trends in recent months.
Jericho milked the crowd reaction and actually left the ring at multiple points to shake hands and celebrate with the fans in attendance. The crowd initially loved him, chanting “Y2J” far louder than it had anything else on the show. But as Jericho went on milking it (sarcastically, perhaps as a commentary on some WWE babyfaces getting shoved down the fans’ throats), boos started to make their way into the sound mix.
As he finally receded into the back, the boos actually seemed louder than the cheers.