Jericho-HBK Ladder Match

This would seem designed to put Michaels over, since it's kind of his specialty. However, I don't think he needs another World Title run. I see this as a beautiful chance to really put Jericho over, having him beat HBK in his own match, thus retaining the World Heavyweight Title. He still wouldn't get the pinfall victory over him that I've been waiting for, but it's something.

Sadly, while they can show footage of Shawn's past ladder matches, building up to the event, they definitely won't be showing any clips from the classic ladder match that Jericho had with Chris Benoit, back at the 2001 Royal Rumble. WWE isn't big on digging into the archives to place more importance on a match and add to the story, but this would be pretty sweet.

I'm just sorry they glossed over a few things, promo-wise. Keeping with the storyline...

HBK is a complete egomaniac. He could have just retired with a phone call or something, but he had to do it on PPV. Also, he made everyone wait and order the PPV even to find out if that was, in fact, what he was doing. He couldn't admit the toll that Jericho's beating had taken and give him credit for, at least, putting the final nail in his coffin. But the worst was yet to come.

He ducked out of the way and allowed his woman to take a shot right to the mouth. Though she was right back up, he did nothing. Instead of being a man and tracking Jericho down in the locker room, hotel or airport, he waited. An honorable person would have found him as soon as he could and taken revenge right there. Not the egomaniacal HBK. He needs to do it in front of the world...in a wrestling ring. He's sooo pissed off, yet he's got enough restraint to wait for the next PPV. Last night, they were in the very same ring together, but there was no big build-up. It was just Raw, not a PPV, so he sat there and let Jericho talk to him like the chump that he is.

Michaels doesn't want revenge for his wife. If so, he'd have laid waste to Jericho in a dark parking lot or something, the night of Summerslam. Or, better yet, shown up at his house a day or two later. Knock on the door and when he answers, smack him in the mouth with a brick and lay a beating on him in his own front yard. Those would be the actions of a man determined to get revenge for someone assaulting his wife. What does he do instead? He waits and cuts promos on TV and asks for a wrestling match. Why? Because it's really about him and his craving for the spotlight. HBK is glad his wife got nailed, because it gives him more sympathy. That's the manipulative bastard that is Shawn Michaels.

As for his claim that he needs his revenge in a wrestling ring because then whatever he does is legal, that's just horsesh*t. No real man would have bothered thinking of that. You're wife gets KO'd, you stand up for her and tear the guy's throat out. You don't worry about getting in trouble, like some kindergartener.

Jericho has been right all along. I wish he'd bring some of this up, because I think it fits.

*********************

It was very good to see Jericho go over in this match, though sorry he had to break a tooth in the process. This should be the definitive win that he needed to end this fued and move on. Hopefully, he can go on to feud with Punk and not Batista.

Where does Jericho go from here?

So, I'm wondering where Jericho goes from here. It's too early to tell, but not too early to speculate.

After he was jobbed out in 2002, he slid down the card, but still won the IC and World Tag Team title. In 2003, he jobbed to HBK at Mania but rebounded by beating Kevin Nash in a hair v. hair match and later defeated RVD for yet another IC Title run. After that, his career got more and more boring, until the point where he retired and left pro wrestling.

When he came back, last year, I assumed it was to promote his book and to put over some of the new guys. I figured that he'd already be long gone by now and that most of us would have forgotten he even came back. However, he has had a very decent run. He returned by challenging for the World Title on PPV. He beat JBL. He won a record-setting eighth IC Title (beating his own record of seven) and actually held the title longer than he ever did with any previous reign. He's spent the entire summer in a high profile feud with Shawn Michaels, looking pretty good in the process and he just won the World Heavyweight Title.

Does he establish himself, once and for all, as a main event player and prove to just be a late bloomer, of sorts, or is this just a transitional thing? Oh well. I never thought it would turn out this good... I want more, but I'm satisfied with things so far.

I'm surprised the feud with HBK has gone this long, but I still can't see it going to Wrestlemania without some new element. The title can definitely give it enough to last until the Rumble. I don't think I want to see Jericho losing the strap to HBK, but I don't want him to lose it at all. This could get very interesting OR WWE could do what they typically do in a situation like this; ruin it. It's odd to think that, at this stage, he still needs to be established. Surely, this will be the one to do it.

He defeated the Rock for the WCW World Title, in October 2001. Next, he defeated him for the same title in December and, immediately after that match, he pinned Austin for the WWF Title, creating the Undisputed Title. So, this is his 4th reign as World Champion. Actually, if you want to count his victory over HHH in 2000, this would make number five. If this isn't enough to cement him as a main eventer, who knows what will.

It's going rather well, so far. He takes a PPV loss to HBK and then totally negates that by walking out with the World Title. Bringing up how the match was unsanctioned; therefore, meaning nothing, was a stroke of genius. This is why I've been calling for him to return to his heelish ways and to return to the spotlight for so many years. Absolute brilliance.

That aside, they definitely need to put him over HBK in this feud. Michaels got his revenge, but now it's time to put Jericho over as a solid main eventer. Holding the belt until the Rumble or Wrestlemania is essential, here. Actually getting wins, no matter how dirty, over Batista, Cena and so on would make this look a lot better. Of course, ever since they split the titles up, I've been wanting them to put them back together, so I'd like to see him take out HHH to become the Undisputed Champ once more.

It's too bad there aren't many big names for him to go over, to establish himself even more. I don't consider people like Orton, Batista or Cena as big names, just because they've been in the main event these last few years. I don't see any single one of them as anything more than a mediocre Johnny-come-lately, only in the main even because there are no real stars left. It's too bad Rock won't come back and work a short program with him. That would draw a lot of attention and it would help put Jericho over even more. Austin's probably too broken down to come back and do anything, and I don't see HHH or Taker putting him over, for whatever reason. I'm still waiting for him to get a pinfall or submission on HBK.

Looking back to their encounter at WM 19, I still say that Jericho needed that victory more than HBK did. It would have done a lot for him, much like it would if he could get the decisive victory over him now. I really don't think WWE was thinking about the longterm effect that would have on Jericho's career, and how things could have changed.

With regards to the upcoming ladder match, I'd be interested to see if they'll use some of the promos leading up to their WM 19 match; Jericho wanted to end his career, even back then. Yes, continuity in WWE. It would show that this goes beyond this year. It would give it more history.

I think the booking for Jericho's current title reign is, at least, just as strong as the last time. He just got a clean win over the former champ, in a cage match, yet did so in heelish fashion. That should be all it takes to legitimize his reign, especially since he pinned Punk weeks ago, anyway. Unlike 2001, he didn't have anyone run in and interfere. He beat him all on his own. I hope this continues. I'm sorry as hell that it looks like Batista is stalking him.

Is it likely that Jericho will be going over HBK in, of all things, a ladder match? That would be a hell of a title defense, but if he followed that up by losing to Batista, I'd be pretty disappointed.

Regarding the Champion v. Champion v. Champion match scheduled for SD; I'm not sure about the stipulations, but I think it would be great to put Jericho over and unify the three titles (if only for a little while) as the WWE Triple Crown World Heavyweight Title. I don't think it's as crazy as it seems. Then, even if they tried to job Jericho back to the midcard, it would be harder since no one would be able to take away such an accomplishment.

Enough random musings and Jeri-markdom...

King of the World

Back around New Year's, I was watching a tape of matches I recorded from late 2001, taking particular notice of Jericho's stuff. I enjoyed his run as Undisputed Champion, and wondered what the realistic chances were of him getting a title push once more, or even if it would be worth seeing if he got it. I've always liked Jericho much better as a heel. It's a smurfing shame that they didn't do more with him. I can understand where people said Benoit wouldn't remain in the main event due to lack of charisma (even though I felt it didn't matter) but Jericho, he had it all. He had the talent and he was charismatic as hell. I thought, for sure, that he'd have had much more success as a main eventer. WCW blew it, but I thought WWF/E would do more to capitalize on his talent as push him as the next HBK or something. Sad that after 2002, he pretty much did nothing worth mentioning.

However, after a lackluster return, he has been in the hottest angle of the summer and has now regained the World Heavyweight Title. Is this the beginning of big things for Jericho, or just another swerve for the IWC? Will he hold the title for a decent length of time, or will be be jobbed out to the first hoss that comes his way? Maybe the injured HBK can get one final run off of him. I sure as hell hope not. I've been waiting for this since he returned...Hell, since the moment he jobbed to HHH back in 2002. I'll be enjoying this, regardless of how long or short the reign is.

I hope that he manages to get past HBK and go on to have a lengthy feud with CM Punk. They have had some really good matches and I think it would ensure some great promos as well.

Chris Jericho is WHC!!

In the days leading up to No Mercy, I was wondering what Chris Jericho's future in the company would be. As a result of this feud with HBK, it seems that Jericho has been elevated. Was it just for the purposes of this storyline, or was this is an attempt to build him into a main eventer? Perhaps, he will go back down the ladder when it's all said and done.

After all of this, it seemed like it would be a waste not to capitalize on it. He's already been elevated to an extent, but a lengthy World Title reign would cement it. Then, even if they don't want him on top, they've always got a credible heel challenger to pose a serious threat, because the guy destroyed HBK and won the World Title afterward. If not, then he goes back to being a non-threat. I was dying for him to get the gold back. Then, I saw that he lost to HBK, that night. I was very irritated until seeing that he was a replacement for Punk, in the WHC match. Never did I expect this to happen...

After six years, he's finally regained the World Title. He lost his match and came out on top, anyway. Brilliant.