CHRIS JERICHO: Is it too early for Jericho?
No, not when he’s WWE’s consummate performer, and not when he’s had a versatile career that has literally spanned the globe. What makes Jericho’s legitimate Hall of Fame candidacy all the more amazing is: HE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO GET OVER. He was seen as mid-card talent in WCW, and his ambition was considered annoying. His initial WWE push was cooled by the company as soon as it started. Jericho wasn’t thought of as a potential star. Now he’s at the very top, considered by many to be the glue of WWE.
When I worked with Jericho in WCW, he shared an epiphany with me: He was no longer going to compromise being a heel by being funny. When Jericho was a heel, he wasn’t going to crack wise or spout catchphrases, because the idea was to be hated, not cool. Roll over, Shawn Michaels, and tell Hunter Hearst Helmsley the news.
That revelation might sound elementary, but consider the guys who have never figured that out. The point is, Jericho cares and Jericho thinks. Most wrestlers believe they know what’s best for them, but many don’t. Jericho does, because he takes the time to figure it out.
I can barely begin to describe how good I think Jericho is right now. He doesn’t waste a moment. Even his deliberate, expressionless walk to the ring is designed to agitate – and it does. Unlike most WWE stars, Jericho has ditched performance-enhancing drugs – he really does look quite ordinary – and it hasn’t slowed him down a bit. Would Triple-H be over with an ordinary physique? Cena? Batista? Jericho is, because he knows his craft.
Jericho’s act would play strong in any era. That, alone, makes him Hall of Fame-worthy. He also coined “spinaroonie.”
