WWE Rumor Roundup - Big idea for Becky Lynch's return, 49-year-old legend coming out of retirement, Vince McMahon's WrestleMania change - 6th April 2021

#3. Chris Jericho on why he left WWE, Vince McMahon changing world title plans

Chris Jericho sat down for an interview with Inside The Ropes, and the former AEW World Champion discussed the circumstances leading up to his WWE departure.

Jericho revealed that the original plans for his feud with Kevin Owens included a WWE Universal Championship main event between the two at WrestleMania 33.

Y2J had never been a babyface world champion, and the idea was for him to win the Universal title at WrestleMania 33. Chris Jericho's storyline with Kevin Owens was one of the best angles for months in WWE leading up to that year's WrestleMania, and Jericho's face turn was a big moment.

"One of the original plans from Vince's (McMahon) mouth to my ears directly was the main event of WrestleMania, was going to be Jericho vs. Owens for the world title, and Jericho wins the title, for the first time ever as a babyface. I've never been a babyface world champion ever. Weird to think of it, right? Seven-time champion as a heel," Chris Jericho said.

Chris Jericho added that Vince McMahon changed WrestleMania's main event and decided to have a marquee match between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar for the big red belt.

Jericho mentioned that from a 'big money match' standpoint, Goldberg vs. Lesnar was a more prominent contest. However, Jericho believed that his story with Kevin Owens was more potent in comparison and deserved a significant payoff at WrestleMania 33.

Jericho felt insulted that his match with Kevin Owens went from the main event slot to being an afterthought.

"Next week, the plans changed, which Vince did not tell me, Goldberg vs. Brock for the title, because that's what they wanted to do. That's fine. Maybe from a marquee standpoint, that might have been a bigger money match, but from a story standpoint, ours was worth more. But the difference was we went from the main event to being put on second. That's an insult because the second match is just another match. Either you're on last, or you're on first, and maybe the semi-main event. But that's it, those are your big money spots at WrestleMania," Jericho said. H/t Nishant Jayaram of Sportskeeda Wrestling

Chris Jericho lost a United States title match to Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 33, and The Demo God faced KO on a few more occasions before ending his stint in WWE. Jericho was written off WWE TV through a Kevin Owens attack.