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| The Second Coming Of Chris |
Matt Barnes |
How the death of Y2J has saved the career of Chris Jericho...
When FSM spoke to Chris Jericho back in issue 25, the most pressing issues following his recent comeback were the way his return had been leaked on the internet and his ongoing in-ring issues with JBL. He spoke of a more ‘mature’ Chris Jericho, one that had changed and evolved to cope with the changing times, one that was just about to launch an all-out assault on the headline spots in WWE.
Quickly, however, the initial excitement for Jericho’s return dissipated in monumentally disappointing fashion. The JBL feud sapped the life out of his character and despite promising us that he’d be involved in one of the most exciting feuds at Wrestlemania 24, he ended up relegated to being a bit-player in that year’s Money In The Bank ladder match. From there, Y2J lost his way somewhat. Still, there was light at the end of the tunnel – not in the form of a main event run or world title gold, but in a slow-building, old-school feud with Shawn Michaels. The feud (which created some stand-out moments within 2008’s pay-per-view schedule) paved the way for a new-school, different, dastardly Chris Jericho that would, in truth, pre-empt the best run of his career.
As his series with Michaels unfolded, Jericho became increasingly devilish, moving swiftly from a mild disdain for his former hero to punching Michaels’ wife Rebecca full in the face. In the midst of this, something clicked in Jericho’s head and he realised that fans somehow still liked him, regardless of how devilishly he acted. Clearly, this isn’t ideal for a man pushing to become one of the premiere heels in a company like WWE, but Jericho was willing to go one step further – a step further that few wrestlers have been man enough to take. He was willing to make a set of sweeping changes to his gimmick that would cause fans to absolutely loathe him in a way they hadn’t loathed anyone for decades.
This was a phenomenal risk – if it failed, Jericho would be left with nothing, trying desperately to find his way as one of the most reviled men in the business, having alienated all of his fans for the sake of his art. Also, as a fan favourite for years, making the fans hate him would be a huge challenge. But Jericho was up to it. Slowly doing away with every likeable trait he had, allowing the ‘entertainment factor’ to wither in his promos and becoming placid, calm and brooding, Jericho quickly became the most hated man in the business. In short, and as he told us when we met up with him in Madrid last year, “Y2J is dead”...
For the rest of this feature, check out issue 45 of FSM - available at WH Smith and all good retailers. (For US readers we are now carried at Borders and Barnes & Noble, so check for local availability or click here to subscribe.)
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