Chris Jericho was featured in an interviewed by BetweenTheRopes.com today. Here
are some of the highlights.
On how this WrestleMania feels different than previous WrestleManias: "I figured this out earlier; this is my tenth WrestleMania and there's only been two (matches) that I've been involved with that I felt had the potential to be the show-stealer. One was with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV and this is the next one. So, you can never say for sure what's going to happen and there's a lot of big matches on this show. I just think -- with the story line and the chemistry and the work style that we have and the anticipation from the fans -- that are match has the potential to be a very special one.
"So, I'm excited about this WrestleMania. Not that I'm not excited about every WrestleMania, but this has a little bit of a special twist to it."
On what fueled his return: "[The] time and going against C.M. Punk. I was fine. I was doing a lot of touring with Fozzy and we were doing a lot of work. We were getting ready to do a break and start working on a new record. So, I knew the window of opportunity was there but for me, I have to have a mindset of something that I think I can really make a difference with.
"When Punk started going on the rise and calling himself the best in the world, I thought, 'Well, there's your natural story line right there.' I actually flew to Stanford last August to pitch this whole idea and story line to Vince."
On how this WrestleMania feels different than previous WrestleManias: "I figured this out earlier; this is my tenth WrestleMania and there's only been two (matches) that I've been involved with that I felt had the potential to be the show-stealer. One was with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV and this is the next one. So, you can never say for sure what's going to happen and there's a lot of big matches on this show. I just think -- with the story line and the chemistry and the work style that we have and the anticipation from the fans -- that are match has the potential to be a very special one.
"So, I'm excited about this WrestleMania. Not that I'm not excited about every WrestleMania, but this has a little bit of a special twist to it."
On what fueled his return: "[The] time and going against C.M. Punk. I was fine. I was doing a lot of touring with Fozzy and we were doing a lot of work. We were getting ready to do a break and start working on a new record. So, I knew the window of opportunity was there but for me, I have to have a mindset of something that I think I can really make a difference with.
"When Punk started going on the rise and calling himself the best in the world, I thought, 'Well, there's your natural story line right there.' I actually flew to Stanford last August to pitch this whole idea and story line to Vince."
It doesn't surprise me the best in the world idea was Jericho's (and not the writer's)idea, though it's too bad Punk and him weren't able to write their own angle because it would've been better than what the WWE writers did with this angle. The entire angle should've been about two wrestlers who proclaim themselves to be the best in the world fighting to see who the best in the world is for the richest prize in all of wrestling: the WWE championship. It also would've made more sense for Jericho to win the Royal Rumble or the Elimination Chamber match because it's hard to believe someone proclaim their the best in the world even though they lost two important matches.
The family/personal stuff was unnecessary and I believe the WWE should learn how they can keep a feud hot without having both wrestlers on TV every week. I think the WWE ran out of things for them to do so decided to make this into a Raven-Punk rehash angle to try and keep the iron hot and, as a result, have overshadowed the best in the world theme of this match. I'm not the only one who feels this way because it was reported that Jericho and Punk weren't happy with where their angle went either.
If Jericho is staying around until at least the next PPV, they should've just had him do a job here and then made the feud more personal by talking about Punk's family to set up a gimmick match (possibly no holds barred ) at Extreme Rules in Punk's hometown. That way you kill two birds with one stone instead of one bird with two stones.
Jericho winning the Rumble was definitely the original plan, as he attacks Punk, the WWE Champ, the next night on Raw, in basically what was the "Rumble winner chooses the Champ" moment, as Punk was also wrestling Bryan, the World Champ.
ReplyDeleteJericho always seems to have control over his biggest story lines, so I wouldn't be surprise if him and Punk came up with the family issues stuff to help Punk garner sympathy from the fans.
Meltzer reported it was the original idea. It would've made more sense for it to happen too, especially how little they've invested into Daniel Bryan and Sheamus' match.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned, it was reported that both were frustrated with the direction of their angle. Although you must take those reports with a grain of salt because you never know if they're entirely true. Either way, I don't believe it's too much for one match.
disagree about the "best of the world" thing; that was boring as hell, especially since you didn't have the two going at each other over the issue of whether or not Punk had become what he had railed against in the summer of Punk, IE a slightly edgier version of Cena.
ReplyDeleteHaving Jericho coming in and basically going all Hannibal Lecter on Punk's ass, digging up all of his family secrets and making them public, that was gold. especially since it played to both men's strenghts and gave Punk a level of vulnerability that he was needing.
It makes you wonder which of these main events sees the heel win. The only heel that makes sense winning is Bryan but that would make the internet far too happy for them to even consider doing it, right?
ReplyDelete(Not that anyone dislikes Sheamus either, just...Bryan's been the IWC darling since just after that one guy murdered people)
I don't know why you believe it was boring. With all the soap-opera and "sports entertainment" angles that have overflown wrestling over the last 10 to 15 years, it was a fresh of breath air. Just two wrestlers proclaiming themselves to be the best wrestlers in the world wrestling for the number 1 company in the biggest wrestling company ever. Rather than treating the title as a prop and not the biggest part of the story, they could've talked how important it was to themselves to beat the other at Wrestlemania for the biggest title in wrestling history, which would've brought some much needed credibility to the WWE title.
ReplyDeleteThe "father is a drunk" part seems to be from Punk and/or Jericho since Punk used pretty much that same bit with Raven in ROH in the mid-00s.
ReplyDeleteI know it'll be a great match on Sunday and I've enjoyed the feud (both the 'best in the world' elements and the Punk's family stuff) but it seemed like this whole angle was cut off at the knees from day one when Jericho didn't win the Rumble. It was just such a pointless booking decision that immediately made Jericho's entire buildup and return look like junk. Can't help but wonder about HHH's influence here, given that it was his buddy Sheamus who won and his old nemesis Jericho who was once again made to look bad.
ReplyDeleteI have a gut feeling that Bryan will win. The only other heel that might win if Cena is you either consider him to be a heel already and/or if he turns. There's no heel in the HHH/Undertaker match, and I think Punk retains.
ReplyDeleteYeah, when I read about that part of the storyline, I figured Punk came up with the idea. It didn't sound like something Jericho would come up with.
ReplyDeleteYou're kidding yourself if you don't think Jericho and Punk played a huge part in how this angle played out. What were they going to do, keep saying I'm the best for six weeks? Then you would just complain that they kept saying the same things, like Cena/Rock
ReplyDelete