Is Chris Jericho the WWE’s Savior???
By Tom Corless
I’m sure that all of the internet community is buzzing with the news of the not-so-secret return of Chris Jericho to professional wrestling. Well, maybe not professional wrestling, sports entertainment. To call what the WWE has been doing for the last 3 years professional wrestling would be an insult to all of the entertainers who ever laced up a pair of boots. WWE has stressed child’s entertainment and bad storylines over any semblance of in-ring work over the last few years, and this has put the industry in a black hole. The sports entertainment industry has been lost since 2004, and it’s hard to think of any WWE pay-per-views other than the Wrestlemanias that have been worth their hefty price tags since then. So how does Y2J change all of this???
He doesn’t.
Let me just stress that I used to adore Chris Jericho and his work. When Chris was in WCW, he wowed crowds with 5 star matches with the likes of Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, and the Ultimo Dragon. His microphone skills were even more impressive at the time, a heel like no other, able to get crowds heated as much as they would be for Hollywood Hogan at the time. Jericho was so good, he got a job offer he couldn’t refuse from the WWE in 1999.
He debuted in the summer of 1999, much like he did on Monday night. Clad in a silver vest, he appeared to an explosion of fireworks after a 10 second countdown. Much like he also did on RAW this week, he claimed he had arrived to save the WWE. The difference was, in 1999, the company didn’t need saving. In 1999, there wasn’t an entire publicly traded business and billion dollar industry on one man’s shoulders. This time around, WWE won’t even deny that he was brought there to save them. This time, they are praying for him to actually do it.
A lot has changed since the last time Jericho was in a WWE arena. Television ratings are low, ECW was revived and then killed, and the death of one of Chris’ closest friends has lead to a drug investigation that threatens the very existence of professional wrestling. The business is at its lowest point ever, even more depressed than it was in the early to mid-1990’s. Besides all of these other problems, the WWE continues to put out a poor product that insults the intelligence of its audience, almost as if the McMahon’s are trying to kill the business.
Monday’s RAW program was a perfect example of what 2007 has been for the WWE. The show started out strong with a heated moment between the legendary Shawn Michaels and the industry’s brightest new star, Ken Kennedy. This was followed up by one of the greatest matches the WWE has had in quite a while, when Jeff Hardy and Umaga clashed in an epic encounter. Even the women superstars went out and entertained better than most of the male athletes in the company on Monday. Then they killed it. Stupidity won out once again, when a midget wrestler was put out in the main event to face a superstar being punished for wanting out of a company that doesn’t want him. And so, what could have gone down as the best RAW of 2007, became another mediocre success. A crowd that could have been electric for what was a do or die moment in the company’s history, was almost entirely silent for most of the return of Chris Jericho. So where do they go from here?
I don’t think the McMahon’s have entirely lost it, I think they still know how to run a good wrestling promotion. If they do, they know that Jericho chasing the WWE Championship is the only thing that can help them. Instead of pushing Jericho vs. Orton into the spotlight right away, they should know that the match between Jericho and the reigning champion must main-event Wrestlemania 24. Instead of coping out for an Orton-Triple H match that no one that’s not a twelve year old child wearing a DX shirt wants to see, they could have something that everyone will look forward to. Instead of looking forward to what ridiculous entrances they could give to the competitors in Wrestlemania’s main event, how about looking forward to who is actually in it. If Jericho challenges for the title any earlier than April 2008, then the WWE has just wasted a seven figure contact on the Ayatollah of Rock N’ Rolla.
Chris Jericho can not save professional wrestling by himself, but lucky for him, he has some help. For five years, another company has been showing fans what wrestling is all about. This other company offered Jericho a sizeable contract, but wasn’t able to lure him away from the ridiculous amount of money WWE was offering him. TNA wrestling has all the talent and storylines to be the top dog in the industry, but WWE’s latest failures have hindered the growth of sports entertainment. Jericho will bring a few fans back to the business, but it will take the effort of everyone in these two organizations to save their craft. Great entertainers such as AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Abyss, Jeff Hardy, Ken Kennedy, Umaga, and Christian Cage can not hold up on their own, it’s time for those notorious few to step up to the plate and refuse to settle for ridiculous stories and boring matches. It’s time for performers like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, John Cena, Batista, Rey Mysterio, and Booker T. to start wrestling again, and stop being lazy. Only if the WWE superstars become wrestlers can the business we love continue to exist. These PROFESSIONAL WRESTLERS can not rely on a man who hasn’t performed in two years and isn’t in any shape necessary to get back in the ring. Step up, or step out. I’m tired of being embarrassed to watch the SPORT I love.
Wow, Tom! What a gem! I agree most with you on the point of how the WWE has changed their business model from relying on a plethora of talent to now resorting to shoving a couple of “wrestlers” down our throats. By doing so, not only are we FORCED to like them, for better or worse, but the company sits on a very dangerous hinge by resting its future on the shoulders of just a couple stars. Case and point: John Cena.
Additionally, if the star doesn’t get injured because of the overworking, he/she will likely fold under the extreme pressure of knowing this multi-million dollar global enterprise rides on your performance each and every night. As I recall the brand extension was created to develop new talent and increase exposure to the mid-cards. All that seems to have happened is the further push of only a couple guys from each show. Good idea on paper but extremely bad execution.
I can’t wait to read more of your work! You’re definitely adding a lot to the site!