Chris Jericho...Overrated?

[Angleslammer]

the general consensus is that the guy who argued with you that Jericho is overrated is an idiot, i fully agree,

he has every right to dislike Jericho personally but he is one of the very few, jericho is easily the best on tv right now, has been extremely succesful as a face or hell and can work with people above or below his place in the company and make the feud work

Jericho rules!

 

[NbR1Ch]

I'd also like to point out that Lawrence Taylor vs Bam Bam Bigelow also headlined a Mania, too. So what does that mean, exactly?

Also, that Jericho vs Triple H match is still regarded to this day as one of the more disappointing Mania Main Events in recent history. It was a decent match, but absolutely nothing special. How many times has Jericho been featured in a Main Event at Mania since? Here we are, 7 years after that Mania, and Jericho has not been in one Main Event at Wrestlemania since that time.

As far as his mic skills ... he has the potential to be excellent. They are just using him improperly in this current gimmick

Actually......Lawrence Taylor and Bam Bam did NOT headline a wrestlemania.....I'm assuming that by headline, we mean in the main event. Chris Jericho was in the main event of WMX8 while Lawrence Taylor and Bam Bam just had a match at a wrestlemania....And as for his not being in the main event of Mania more than once; The Undertaker has only been in the Main Event 3 times while people like John Cena (I hate him) have been in the main event just as much if not more. Does that mean that the Undertaker cant draw as much as Cena? I dont think you know what you're talking about.........

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

Actually......Lawrence Taylor and Bam Bam did NOT headline a wrestlemania.....I'm assuming that by headline, we mean in the main event. Chris Jericho was in the main event of WMX8 while Lawrence Taylor and Bam Bam just had a match at a wrestlemania....And as for his not being in the main event of Mania more than once; The Undertaker has only been in the Main Event 3 times while people like John Cena (I hate him) have been in the main event just as much if not more. Does that mean that the Undertaker cant draw as much as Cena? I dont think you know what you're talking about.........

Lawrence Taylor and Bam Bam did headline Wrestlemania 11. It was the Main Attraction, as well as the Main Event (final match) for the evening. It should have never went on last and made the show's Main Event, but it was.

Jericho vs Triple H was in a similar situation. Although a much, much, much better match than Bam Bam vs LT ... that is one case where Hogan vs Rock should have been the final match of the night, as that was a Dream Match between two Legends, that has never been done before. Hogan vs Rock received much more of a reaction than Jericho vs Triple H.

Also, if Jericho was so great, what is exactly the reason he hasn't been featured in any Main Events since? That was the only Main Event he was ever featured in. Maybe it's because he doesn't draw.

 

[NbR1Ch]

Lawrence Taylor and Bam Bam did headline Wrestlemania 11. It was the Main Attraction, as well as the Main Event (final match) for the evening. It should have never went on last and made the show's Main Event, but it was.

Jericho vs Triple H was in a similar situation. Although a much, much, much better match than Bam Bam vs LT ... that is one case where Hogan vs Rock should have been the final match of the night, as that was a Dream Match between two Legends, that has never been done before. Hogan vs Rock received much more of a reaction than Jericho vs Triple H.

Also, if Jericho was so great, what is exactly the reason he hasn't been featured in any Main Events since? That was the only Main Event he was ever featured in. Maybe it's because he doesn't draw.

I stand corrected. I don't know why I thought that HBK/Nash were the main event. You're right......big mistake..........but putting Hogan/Rock as the main event would have been a mistake also. The final match at every Wrestlemania should be the WWE title match (or whichever title the winner of the Rumbe is challenging for in this day and age). Still, the way I see it, if the WWE didn't feel that Jericho could draw, would they have given him the title twice since his return? Would they trust him to make this Jericho vs. Legends feud work? Or would they have just put him in the MITB match (which he wouldn't win) just as a filler? Keep in mind that the only reason that the feud with the legends isn't a complete stinker is because of Jericho. It has been booked poorly and Jericho is the only reason people still have the little interest in it that they do.

Kevin Nash was only in one WM main event......are you going to tell me that he doesn't draw either?? I seem to remember a little group called the new World order that helped WCW reach the success that it did. And while you cant give anywhere near all the credit to Nash, it was in a day and age where promos were unscripted. Nowadays, people like Jericho are, I believe, being held back in this respect. Its not that Jericho isn't a draw, its just that while the booking has been getting better over the last few years, its no where near what it was back in the days.

 

[Dave]

The reason Chris Jericho hasn't been featured in any main events since is the exact same reason as The Undertaker or Shawn Michaels haven't been because they don't need to be. People like Micheals, Taker or Jericho have a great way of staying in the picture regardless of main event status or not. However, your point is silly as Jericho was in the main event of the last pay per view, No Way Out. Jericho is the kind of competitor that the WWE don't have to have a belt around to keep him in the picture.

 

[bulldog76]

I think that people aren't realizing the disconnect between the IWC and the casual viewer. Smarks are dedicated to and analyze the business to a hyper degree that the casual fan does not. To that end, smarks come to appreciate things on a different level. Jericho is a case in point.

The IWC sees a great wrestler, who is pulling off what they like in promos, and has a great understanding of ring psych. All of this is true.

However, the casual fan doesn't see this. They see a small guy in a big guy's game, cutting monotone and what they deem as "boring" promos, and just in general not being as energetic and flamboyant as heels like Randy Orton. This is why Orton gets RKO chants and pops, and Jericho gets nothing but boos or silence.

Jericho is doing a great job as a heel, unfortunately, casual fans aren't seeing it. Casual fans want to see the faces as the big hero overcoming the odds. A monotone non-dominant wrestler that is considerably smaller than the main event faces does not pose a massive threat, and the fans don't get behind it.

Casual wrestling fans tend to mark out. Casual wrestling fans don't see how Triple H ever got by Scott Steiner. Casual wrestling fans flip for Goldberg. They tend not to pop for heels or chant the name of their finishers. They get lost in the story rather than try figuring out how they would have done it or made it better. Casual fans are the ones that seemingly fill the arenas and erupt for Cena and pop for Batista. Casual wrestling fans generally cheer who Vince tells them to and jeer who Vince tells them to. That is how a story works. Most of the compliments for Orton seemingly come on an IWC site; like this one.

Jericho could come out screaming and yelling but then what does he get? "Ass-hole" like Triple H or Vince McMahon. "You suck" for Kurt Angle. "****" like Stephanie McMahon (although Im not sure if that is an insult for some guys). They have no genuine interest in what they are saying. There is a reason people shut up when Jericho speaks. If they didn't care what he said, they would drown him out with "boring" chants or something of that nature.

Jericho is diliberate, clear, and most fans seemingly pay attention to what he says. He may not be the best ring wrestler, but he is good and even better on the mic.

As for being "a small guy in a big man's game," fans both casual and IWC seem to really dig Jeff Hardy. Casual fans also seem to dig Mysterio so I really don't see the casual fan buying that. That seems to be more of a IWC comment.

Orton is a lot of things but he is NOT flambouyant nor energetic on the mic.

And Flair was an undersized heel for years compared to his counterparts. Angle was undersized in the WWE. I think he did okay.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

Jericho is diliberate, clear, and most fans seemingly pay attention to what he says. He may not be the best ring wrestler, but he is good and even better on the mic.

I have to be honest, and I don't know how many others feel this way, but when Jericho talks in his monotone voice, I completely zone out. I feel like he is saying "blah, blah, blah, blah, blah" every single week. Sound familiar? That was Triple H back in 2000 and 2001. Instead of saying "I am the Gaaaaaamme!" and "I am that ... damn ... good!" ... we have Triple H Version 2.0 saying "I am the best wrestler in the world today" and calling fans "hypocrites and parasites" every single week, instead. Although, I am willing to bet that the Jericho fans who attacked Triple H for doing that back in 2000, is cheering on Jericho today.

I can only accept it that people are simply marks for Jericho, and will cheer the guy on no matter what he does. He could be the most exciting character on the roster, or the most boring character on the roster, and they are still going to cheer the guy on no matter what. Although why, I have no idea. You would expect with this breed of fan who is intelligent to the business, that they can separate "cool Chris Jericho", the real person, and critique his character without bias.

Like I said, I bet you any amount of money if Charlie Haas was coming out in a suit every single week, calling fans "hypocrites and parasites" every week, and talked in a monotone voice every week, that the same fans that are praising Jericho would be all over Haas for "what a boring character he's playing". I bet you any amount of money on that.

But because it's Jericho who's doing all that, let's make him out to be the "Greatest Heel we've ever seen" and give him a free pass. Isn't that right, Jericho fans?

 

[jellmoo]

Casual wrestling fans tend to mark out. Casual wrestling fans don't see how Triple H ever got by Scott Steiner. Casual wrestling fans flip for Goldberg. They tend not to pop for heels or chant the name of their finishers. They get lost in the story rather than try figuring out how they would have done it or made it better. Casual fans are the ones that seemingly fill the arenas and erupt for Cena and pop for Batista. Casual wrestling fans generally cheer who Vince tells them to and jeer who Vince tells them to. That is how a story works. Most of the compliments for Orton seemingly come on an IWC site; like this one.

I agree to an extent. I think that casual wrestling fans will and do chant for heels and their finishers. It is essentially how most heels become faces. It isn't really common, but it happens enough to be noticeable. It happened to Austin, The Rock, Cena and Batista. All were heels that the fans pretty much turned face.

I agree that the vast number of Orton lovin' comes from the IWC, but I do often hear some solid RKO chants going on.

Jericho could come out screaming and yelling but then what does he get? "Ass-hole" like Triple H or Vince McMahon. "You suck" for Kurt Angle. "****" like Stephanie McMahon (although Im not sure if that is an insult for some guys). They have no genuine interest in what they are saying. There is a reason people shut up when Jericho speaks. If they didn't care what he said, they would drown him out with "boring" chants or something of that nature.

I see it the opposite way. That "Asshole" chant is gold. The crowd is an active participant in the segment. They are vocalizing their dislike to the point that they can drown out the wrestler.

I don't know if the fans would chant "boring" during a promo unless it was outrageously bad or went on forever. Most would say that Jericho's current promos aren't boring, but the flip side is that they ARE monotone, and not low energy.

Jericho is diliberate, clear, and most fans seemingly pay attention to what he says. He may not be the best ring wrestler, but he is good and even better on the mic.

I agree completely. That being said, I don't think that most fans are excited by his mic work.

As for being "a small guy in a big man's game," fans both casual and IWC seem to really dig Jeff Hardy. Casual fans also seem to dig Mysterio so I really don't see the casual fan buying that. That seems to be more of a IWC comment.

The difference is night and day when comparing faces vs heels. The face generally overcomes the odds, faces the uphill battle, and manages to win. The flip side is that heels need to be a credible threat. The fans need to think that the heel has an advantage. Jericho is *considerably* smaller than the main WWE faces. There is no uphill battle for the face.

Orton is a lot of things but he is NOT flambouyant nor energetic on the mic.

I am very inclined to agree, but there is currently a lot more... emotion may be the word I looking for here... in his promos than Jericho's. Now I get that it is part of his current gimmick, but does the casual fan care?

And Flair was an undersized heel for years compared to his counterparts. Angle was undersized in the WWE. I think he did okay.

I would disagree to an extent regarding Flair being undersized. Most of his high profile feuds involved people near his size. Ricky Steamboat, Harley Race, Sting and Randy Savage are all of comparable size to Flair. Dusty Rhodes was bigger in the waistline, but that's about it. The only real bigtime feuds that Flair had in his prime where the opponent was noticeably bigger that I can think of off the top of my head are Hogan and Barry Windham.

The next point I'd make is that people like Flair and Angle were given a certain something to compensate for a lack of size.

Flair had the moniker of being the dirtiest player in the game, and also had the Horsemen backing him up. Even if the opponent had the size advantage, he had to deal with Flair cheating to win, and the rest of the Horsemen.

Angle was and is booked as a dominant wrestler. It's part of his gimmick to be able to out wrestle his opponent.

Jericho is lacking in this area.

The perceived power heel trio right now is Jericho, Orton and Edge.

Orton is 6'5-6'6 of lean muscle. He has a stable backing him up giving him the numbers advantage. He also possesses what is viewed as a top notch out of nowhere hard hitting finisher in the RKO. All of this makes him an obvious credible threat to a face.

Edge is 6'3-6'4 of lean muscle. He has (or had as the story goes) his wife in a position of almost supreme power. He is also pushed as the "ultimate opportunist" that can and will do anything to win the match.

Jericho is a small wrestler. He has no stable at the moment. His finisher is not played out as a finisher to be feared. He has no significant other in a position of power. He isn't billed as being the dirtiest player in the game. HE isn't booked as a dominant wrestler that can take his opponent apart.

The problem is perception. From the casual fans point of view, Jericho does not offer a "gimmick" making him a credible threat to a top face.

 

[The Brain]

I'm going to try to make this quick because it should be obvious how valuable Jericho is. He excels in every situation. He can open the show or be in the main event. He is a great heel and a great face. He can do singles or tags. He is great in the ring and on the mic. He can do it all. One important thing that is overlooked is his durability. How many shows did he miss during his first run with WWE? I don't know the answer, but I wouldn't be surprised if the answer was zero. I can't remember a week going by between August 1999 and August 2005 without seeing Jericho. He hasn't missed many, if any, since returning either. I personally find Jericho's segments the most entertaining part of RAW each week. And by the way, appreciate him for who he is. No one ever said he was at icon status like Hulk Hogan or Steve Austin.

 

[BooCocky]

It depends on what you mean by overrated? I believe his heel work is very overrated. Actually most of the time when he cuts a promo as a heel I turn it off, he is too monotonous, and down right repetitive. Jericho is nothing more than an upper mid card talent, who I can appreciate and respect.

He doesnt stay in the Main Event all the time, but he can fill in if needed. Which is a good thing to have on the roster. I do feel the smarks overrate him though because most of them from what I read believe he is such a tremendous wrestler, but I strongly disagree. He is an above average worker, well at least he is nowadays. His Lionheart days owned though, and I find him interesting when he is a face. He is a very charismatic speaker, and when he speaks I want to listen. I can't say that though when he is a heel.

He is overpraised by the smarks though, so I think that would label him as being overrated.

 

[RawIsRamsey]

Chris Jericho is my hero. Matter of fact, he's the reason I got into the business. But that being said, he's a main event jobber to the stars...along the lines of Kane. Sure, he gets a bone thrown to him every once in a while in the form of a title reign, but fact is he is used to get other talents over (I mean, c'mon, he's jobbed clean to Kofi TWICE) because he's GOOD enough to do that...he can take several losses and not lose any heat. That's why he's so awesome...despite the fact that he does have a pretty terrible W/L record, he can still be taken seriously as a main event due to his mic and in-ring skills and past accolades.

 

[Dave]

I think you have it all wrong Sidius. The thing with Jericho is that he has the charisma to carry this sort of angle well. His mic skills are good and he is a good wrestler. Someone like Charlie Haas wouldn't be right for the sort o role that Jericho has took on and you know that. I'm not a Jericho fan but I can see that he is playing a good character at the moment. He is trying to make us hate him, talking in a monotonous voice, beating up legends, calling us parasites is just part of the plan.

 

[The Madrid Slam]

As a previous poster said, to the fan's casual, or not, Chris Jericho's match must not seem like a dream match. How we'd rather see Jericho face a current WWE superstar than a 3-on-1 handicap match with former WWE superstars that haven't been relevant for many years. However (again as someone else said before me), how must Jericho feel? He's going to Wrestlemania 25, to wrestle in front of millions of people against 3superstar's from his childhood. How many people here wish they could wrestle on the grandest stage of them all in 5-10 years against Shawn Michaels, HHH, Taker, Edge, Orton. etc. They might not be as huge as they were now to the new generation, but to us, it's a different story.

Also to the person, who generalized all Jericho fans, saying that we praise this new role, solely because Jericho is the one portraying it. If Charlie Hass did it the exact same way, would I consider him just as good a heel? Yes. I understand your point however.

 

[bulldog76]

I will admit. There have been both good points made for both his detractors and his defenders. I am glad someone finally decided to actually address some of the points made by his fans rather than just spew out the "he bores me" with no real elaboration.

(Jericho is not Rock or Austin or even Cena. Never has been at that caliber. Batista was going to become face because Evolution had ran its course and he was being exiled by the big heel.)

We can all expres how we feel. It doesn't change what is happening. Jericho is awarded whole segments and judging by his continued push, I can only guess the overall result is to Vince's liking. I don't like Hogan. Doesn't change his place in wrestling history. Some don't like Triple H. Doesn't change his. There have even been people who spoke out against Shawn Michaels but he has his place in history. You are not going to be a fan of everyone put out there. But the overall result will tell us who was truly overrated and who was underrated.

I think its funny with everyone talking about how boring Jericho is when I also hear how Morrison is the next big thing. Didn't the WWE use Jeff Hardy to make fun of Morrison's lack of promo ability when one of his segments absolutely flopped? I believe it led to Hardy watching paint dry insisting it was more interesting than listening to another Morrison promo.

See what I mean about how people what a few people feel doesn't change the overall product?

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Jericho is overrated. Other than his heel run in WCW, which wasn't that long really. His debut in WWE, 15 minutes. His heel run in 2005, 6 weeks. And his run now, Jericho has been poor. Jericho as a face just isn't intresting and most of heel runs in WWE were crap. He used to spout cringe-worthy catchphrases and his matches were lazy.

He's probably one of the most overrated wrestelers around, not currently, but formerly.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Jericho can't carry a storyline. Exhibit A is this mess he has heading into Wrestlemania. The Superstar of the Year in 2008 is wrestling three guys 15-20 years past their prime. I mean, I know it's their way of having a tribute to the legends of Wrestlemania, but c'mon. Jericho has great wrestling skill, but he can't carry a main event storyline. He has a huge burst like he had when he first debuted as Y2J, then he fades away. He faded away even quicker when Orton dispatched of him in a month or less. Now, he has a great heel persona, but he needs to have something to fight for. This angle has nothing to benefit Jericho. What if he wins? He beat up three guys who were past their prime. What if he loses? Well, he lost to three guys he should have beaten.

Jericho would be a great heel chasing a world title shot. Playing mind games with someone like Cena or HHH is what he's suited for. He can't be the center of attention. He simply doesn't draw enough to do that.