Chris Jericho To Revive Inner Circle in WWE? - Kevin Owens First Recruit

It goes without saying that the concept doesn't take off without Chris Jericho at the forefront, given the creative freedom to help the faction get over with fans. The buzz from his return to WWE after eight years away from the promotion would put eyes on the latest high-profile stable.

Jericho is unbelievably inventive, and that's why seeing him take on such an idea in one last run in WWE is so intriguing. He was surprisingly never involved in a faction during any of his previous spells with the company, so this is a fresh direction for him upon returning.

The 54-year-old wouldn't be required to wrestle full-time, so he could put his managerial skills to the test. Imagine the back-and-forths with Paul Heyman if the Inner Circle were to collide with the Vision.

Kevin Owens

Right off the bat, the first person that comes to mind is Kevin Owens, who shares a storied history with Chris Jericho from Y2J's third WWE spell. They were involved in one of the most iconic storylines about friendship, which fans couldn't get enough of, and relished watching Jericho add rivals to 'The List of Jericho'.

Owens and Jericho's connection extends beyond the kayfabe world, as they are close friends outside the squared circle, having recently attended an NHL game together. They did split during their friendship angle to create one of the best moments of WWE storytelling at The Festival of Friendship.

Jericho said that if he ever was to return to WWE, re-igniting their story would be one of his main priorities. The Prizefighter, who'd be the Jake Hager in this scenario, is currently injured, but imagine having Y2J make his blockbuster Royal Rumble return (January 31st) before calling upon KO, who returns from his neck injury to reunite and remind fans just how enthralling their partnership was.

DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa)

It's fair to say that DIY haven't quite been able to replicate the magic achieved during their NXT days since debuting on the main roster. The former NXT Champions were initially brought up as solo competitors, but struggles to hit the heights of their singles spells in developmental saw them reunite as a tag team.

There is so much more for Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa to achieve in WWE, which is why it's frustrating to see them not reach the level they have shown they can reach. But using their current situation could be perfect for having them line up as the Santana and Ortiz of Chris Jericho's WWE Inner Circle.

WWE's tag team division should be thriving, given the teams competing, especially on SmackDown, but it just feels like there isn't enough main event-calibre star power. Partnering Gargano and Ciampa with Jericho and Kevin Owens, two household names, could help them lean into their comedic traits more, while, down the line, when the faction implodes, allowing a tag rivalry between the four to commence.

Myles Borne

Chris Jericho didn't know Sammy Guevara personally before recruiting him to the Inner Circle, but he'd watched him from afar while performing in the NWA and asked Tony Schiavone to "get him". Guevara was the biggest beneficiary of the faction, earning exposure that propelled him into the mainstream and made him a multi-time AEW TNT Champion.

That's exactly why Myles Borne is the ideal choice to take up such a spot in the WWE Inner Circle, because much like Guevara was to AEW, he is deemed a future top talent in pro wrestling. He is one of the most outstanding athletes in the company, who is likened to Randy Orton, which is an angle Jericho could tap into by recalling his past feud with the Viper and dubbing him his 'Legend Killer' as the group target veteran names such as CM Punk and Rey Mysterio.

Borne does have some room for improvement on the microphone, so imagine giving him two of the best talkers (Jericho and Kevin Owens) to kickstart his main roster career. At 26 years of age, the sky is the limit for the NXT upstart, who is arguably best served by learning from 'The Learning Tree,' given the lengthy queue to become the face of the developmental brand.

Oba Femi

While the original Inner Circle only had five members, they did add MJF and Wardlow for a few months to eventually cause a faction war with The Pinnacle. As was the case with Sammy Guevara, Wardlow was put in the spotlight and allowed to showcase his potential as one of the best big men in the business.

There are already enormous expectations of Oba Femi, who has dominated NXT over the past year as the brand's top champion and looks set for a main roster call-up. There are few to no weaknesses the Nigerian possesses, as he's been excellent on the mic while putting on stellar matches.

But we have seen some major names get lost in the shuffle on RAW and SmackDown, including Jacob Fatu, whose spark has somewhat fizzled in his second year with the promotion. Putting Oba in such a high-profile spot would allow him to grow further with a new audience that may not be clued in on the Ruler and will see him as the Inner Circle's answer to Evolution's Batista, eventually breaking out and feuding with Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens.

Backstage segments where the power of the 310-pounder scares Jericho and KO could have fans in stitches. Their obvious fear that the 27-year-old might one day opt to go solo could make for a fantastic subplot as the overall stable's story progresses.