Even Robert Stack Couldn't Solve This One
Oct. 29, 2009

When The Undefeatable Chris Jericho made his return to professional wrestling last year, it was a shock to everyone when it was at the side of James Ace. The unlikely team was a formidable force, but they found themselves at odds with the New Breed very quickly, and that turned out to be a lot more trouble than they bargained for. While Ace became entangled in a war with Del Wilkes, Jericho found himself a surprising victim to a rising -- and undead -- superstar in the Undertaker.

It was in the 2008 Battle Field that Jericho, likely a favorite to win the contest, found himself being abruptly eliminated by Undertaker, literally tossed by his throat over the top rope. It was a shocking elimination, but considering Taker's impressive start in the PWF to that point, it fell right in-line with everything else. After the revelation that Undertaker was actually the newest member of the New Breed, Jericho found himself at odds with the man again at Road To Perdition in the War Games match, where Taker went after him with a fury and even pulled out a cable to choke him with, something Jericho himself had done two years earlier to one of Taker's current teammates, Del Wilkes.

A Casket match was then scheduled between the two for WrestleFest IV to settle the score, but it would be Jericho that refused to wrestle due to a "back injury" he claimed he suffered at Taker's hand the week before. As a result, an old Perfect Team ally of Jericho's -- Batista -- wrestled in Jericho's place. By the time Taker was ready to seal the deal with a Chokeslam, Jericho's injury was found to be a ruse as he ran into the ring and started drilling Undertaker with a ring bell repeatedly. Jericho and Batista then assaulted him, dumping him into the coffin and taking him up the stage. They then dumped the casket off the side, hoping to cripple the Dead Man ... but found nothing inside afterwards. A lightning bolt crashed nearby, and Undertaker was standing at the opening of the stage. Jericho and Batista quickly made a retreat, hoping to leave Undertaker behind them forever.

Little did we know that it was Jericho that would seem gone forever.

There was talk after that night at WrestleFest IV, even from the Undertaker himself, that Jericho had been "dealt" with. And there was little reason to doubt the rumors or the Dead Man because Chris Jericho seemed to have literally vanished and was never heard from again ... until Road To Perdition 2009, nearly a year later.

Jericho returned strong, defeating Christopher Daniels to win the 365 Contract. But he also returned vengeful, attacking Undertaker during the War Games match and hitting a Jerichosault on him through a table outside the cage. It had been so long since Jericho was seen last that it was unclear at first why he was attacking Undertaker, but it was made clear in the following weeks that it was a matter of retaliation. The Undefeatable claimed to have no fear of the consequences, calling them "ridonkulous" and unworthy of his time. Taker would respond, appearing on the PWFTron and revealing a signed match with Jericho for WrestleFest V because of Jericho's "sins."

Jericho, in order to prove he wasn't fearful, made a promise to defend one of his many championship belts against Undertaker. The title he decided to put up -- the SCW Cruiserweight Championship -- of course caused many to wonder how serious, or confident, he truly was. Taker would once again appear on the PWFTron, revealing a small portion of what "happened" when Jericho suddenly disappeared after WrestleFest IV: footage of a cemetery, with, seemingly, Chris Jericho lying inside of a coffin, was shown. Jericho seemed unnerved to see this disturbing video, and with Taker's promise to return him to that "familiar home" soon enough, Jericho's future seemed bleak at best.

And now, it's here. Maybe by fate, the Undertaker is getting a chance -- for the second year in a row -- to take on Chris Jericho at WrestleFest, this time hoping to finally silence him in the ring like he had planned all along. But will the Undertaker do so much more to Jericho after constantly chasing after The Undefeatable whenever they've been together in the ring? Jericho surely hopes to deny Taker any of what he seeks, but whether or not he can is still a question left unanswered.