Columns
Morning Glory #10: The
New Man
Again, after another long
barren period, 'Morning Glory' makes a return to the main page of the Oratory, for my 10th
Anniversary main page column! Expect a lot more columns coming now, as I've passed my
driving test (finally) which gives me a lot more time in terms of not having to rush to
college, work and other things. Anyway, enough of the pointless rambling, and on with the
column.
In 2000, many wrestling columnists decided to crown Triple H as the 'New Ric Flair'. HHH
could seemingly have a good match with almost anyone, and even carried useless lugs like
Rikishi to watchable matches. HHH was on a great run, undeniably, and although I for one
have questioned this run in my columns (see my Triple
H Myth column) it’s not a question that HHH had some absolutely great matches in
the course of 2000. Some of the Oratory’s own writers were huge HHH fans, and CRZ of
/Slash Wrestling, known for his quirky nicknames for the wrestlers, even christened
Helmsley ‘The New Man’ in reference to Flair being known for so many years as
‘The Man’. However, since his absolutely terrible run of matches during 2002,
the Flair references have dried up for HHH. HHH, maybe realizing this himself, has taken
to being a total clone of Flair circa mid 1980’s. He has his stable of goons to
protect his title (Batista, Randy Orton – see IV Horsemen), he cuts cocky heel
promos, his hair is styled just how Flair’s was, and he even has Flair himself as his
manager.
However, there’s one thing missing from HHH, one thing stopping him being Flair 2K3.
His ringwork. Flair was the master in the ring in his prime, and there’s probably
never been anyone better (though Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels have strong cases). He could
seemingly carry anyone to a great match, and made his opponent look great, and himself
look great all in one go. HHH puts on boring matches, and doesn’t seem to have the
concept of making his opponent look as good as him any more. Rob Van Dam and Kane are just
two of the names that have been sent crashing back to mid-card level after a match with
HHH. So for all the hype given to him in 2000, all the posing and preening, however many
goons, and Flair himself that HHH surrounds himself with, Hunter Hearst Helmsley is not
the new Ric Flair. But the WWE does have one man who could be considered the new Ric
Flair. And much to the chagrin of HHH, it’s Chris Jericho. (Don’t kid yourself;
this is one ‘conspiracy theory’ that even I have a strong belief in. Read Justin
T’s ’Attempts
To Ruin The Y2J Bug’ column if you don’t believe).
Now, I’ll begin by admitting that I didn’t see 85% of Jericho’s
‘golden’ WCW run. But, when he signed for the WWE in 1999, I was pretty excited.
Jericho was a relatively big name, and from what I had seen of his run in WCW, he would
fit well in the WWE. Jericho’s debut, punking out The Rock in a promo ruled, but to
be honest, his first few months in the WWE, while entertaining, didn’t really capture
my attention that much. The feuds with Shamrock, Road Dogg, and Chyna were just bleh, and
while the three-way for the Intercontinental Title with Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle was
good in the ring, the characters of Benoit and Angle at that time didn’t really
engage me. When I first began to really like Jericho was during his summer feud with HHH.
The feud ruled, and so did the Last Man Standing match it spawned, and although Jericho
lost that match, it seemed he would be a fixture in the upper card from then on. I was
wrong. After losing the Last Man Standing match, Jericho returned to his constant feud
with Benoit, then floated through boring feuds with X-Pac and Kane.
Jericho’s character was now completely stale in my eyes. He either needed a huge push
to the upper card, cementing his spot as a main eventer, or a heel turn, because he
wasn’t doing anything of note in the role he was in. Feuds over the Intercontinental
Title in early 2001 seemed pointless to me; why would Jericho even want a belt he seemed
‘above’ just six months earlier? This was probably the lowest point of
Jericho’s WWE career, as after losing the IC Title to Triple H
(*coughconspiracycough*) he put on an abortion of a match with William Regal under
‘Duchess of Queensberry’ rules at Backlash. Jericho’s character was as
stale as week old bread, and his ringwork seemed to have hit a new low too. However, after
winning a shot at HHH and Steve Austin’s tag titles with Benoit as his partner, it
seemed like his stock was once again rising. With this push came a resurgance in
Jericho’s ringwork too. The classic afore-mentioned tag match. TLC III. The match
with Austin on RAW, the three way with Austin and Benoit at King Of The Ring. IT seemed
like finally, Jericho would get a proper main event spot. Again, I was wrong, for a while
at least.
After another shocking run through the midcard, still in his stale face character, feuding
with Rob Van Dam and Rhyno, Jericho began a feud with The Rock. Basically, both men were
tweeners at this point, which made the feud even more interesting, seeing as the whole
promotion was locked in a one-dimensional ‘Alliance is heels, WWE is faces’
period. Rock and Jericho went on to have one of the matches of 2001 at No Mercy, as Rock
put Jericho over for the WCW title, only to win it back on RAW not long after.
Jericho’s ringwork quality shot up at this point too, as he put on great matches with
The Rock, and an absolutely underrated classic with Kurt Angle at Rebellion. At the
culmination of the Alliance vs WWE angle at Survivor Series 2001, Jericho turned on Rock,
becoming full-bore heel. The next month, he won both the WWE and WCW Titles, defeating
Steve Austin and The Rock in the same night, becoming the first real Undisputed Champion.
Jericho’s run was awesome, as he played an incredibly good cocky heel, like he had in
WCW, and his great ringwork also continued, even carrying Maven to a decent match on RAW.
However, once he dropped the Undisputed title to HHH (*coughconspiracycough*) he slipped
downwards again.
Not only did Jericho’s ringwork once again become less good (not poor, just not as
good), he went on a jobbing streak, losing to HHH AGAIN in Hell In A Cell, jobbing cleanly
to RVD and John Cena of all people, then losing to Ric Flair. By this point, due mainly to
the shoddy quality of the Flair matches, many internet writers began to call Jericho lazy.
I somewhat agreed, but justified it by saying this: “If you were Undisputed Champion
in March, then by July you were jobbing to a man with three weeks ring experience, and a
50+ year old has been, wouldn’t you be lazy?” In my eyes, Jericho had the right
to not try in his matches. Why bother trying when you’re never going to get a proper
push, and you’re stuck in a tag team in a division which means jack shit? But, by
November, Jericho was once again thrust into the main event scene. The Elimination Chamber
match featured HHH, Shawn Michaels, and then four men who had been abused by the RAW
system for a long time, Jericho, Kane, Booker T and Rob Van Dam. I, like most people,
expected those four guys to be filler in the match, and for the match to be centered
around HHH and HBK. However, the WWE seemed to throw a curveball on the RAW before
Survivor Series, as they had Jericho the last man standing out of the six going into the
match.
The match itself was a disappointment, and as was suggested by most people, HHH dropped
the World Title to Shawn Michaels. However, what was the main talking point of the night
was the performance of Chris Jericho. Jericho had been the one to hold the match together,
and after Van Dam had been eliminated, provided the best spots of the night. After this
match, Jericho was sent back to the midcard tag team with Christian, but it honestly
didn’t matter. His ringwork, and his character were still great. For once,
Jericho’s demotion down the card didn’t affect his in-ring workrate. It seemed
like Jericho suddenly realized that he was indeed the best wrestler on the RAW roster, and
he would prove it with his work inside the squared circle. Through December, January, and
February, Jericho has been consistently the most entertaining part of RAW. No matter that
the main focus is still HHH and his ‘Evolution’ group. No matter that he feuded
with the Dudleyz for a fortnight over ‘Ass Cream’. No matter that Austin is
going to steal everyone’s thunder with his return. Jericho is still going to be the
best thing on RAW.
Chris Jericho has upped his workrate in the ring so much lately, that he, like Flair could
in the ‘80’s, can seemingly have a good match with anyone. Watch his match with
Scott Steiner on RAW two weeks ago. One of the best carrying jobs you’ll see all
year, and far, far better than HHH’s effort at carrying Steiner at the Royal Rumble.
Watch Jericho’s RAW match this week with Jeff Hardy; a man who needs to be carried
just as much, if not more than Steiner. Jeff was as sloppy as ever, but Jericho held the
match together, and managed not only to make it entertaining, but a good wrestling match
as well. Jericho is not hugely muscular like HHH and Steiner, or covered in tattoos like
Batista and Lesnar. His physique isn’t really something to be that proud about; to be
honest, he doesn’t look that much different to me. But undeniably, Jericho does have
the look of a superstar. The blond hair with the red ponytail, the beard tied in the band,
the crazy chequered trousers, all combine to make him look like a star. And of course,
it’s the little things that count too.
Little things such as Jericho yelling “Shut up you son of a bitch, I’m the King
Of The World!” at the fans during his matches. The little kicks at his opponents when
they’re on the mat. The fact that he yells at the referee to “Ask him!”
about submission, during a humiliating hold like a chin lock. The huge shit-eating grin
when he applies the Walls Of Jericho to a hapless opponent. These little things, which may
seem trivial, are all the type of thing that combined to make Flair so great back in his
prime, and they are combining now to make Jericho the best wrestler in the WWE. Yeah, you
heard me right, the BEST wrestler in the WWE. People go on about Angle and Benoit, but in
my eyes, Jericho is better than both men. Jericho has put up with a year of nothing but
crap from the WWE, and come through shining as the best wrestler on the RAW roster. And
yes, if you haven’t already realized, Jericho is indeed the true ‘New Man’.
Scott Newman: scott.newman@ntlworld.com
AOLIM: thesuperstar24
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