Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
Earlier today, Chris Jericho gave an interview on the Busted Open radio show and gave his opinion in the current WWE Championship picture between CM Punk & Ryback. Jericho believes that traditional booking should be a non factor here because Ryback "is not a normal guy." Jericho also believes that "there's no tradition in a case like this." Some of what Jericho said is as follows:
""I don't know anything and I dont work for the WWE. I havent talked to Vince in about a month. But, this is the chance to make a new star instantly... This is not a guy that we see that builds his way to the top and fans get behind him slowly but surely. You want to pick a new guy? Have him beat C.M. Punk this week."
An argument that a lot of people have made regards CM Punk's title run. A lot of people simply want to see him go for at least a full year as champ and ultimately renew his rivalry with Cena. Jericho's response was:
"Who gives a shit about Punks title reign? It means nothing. Here is a chance to take a guy who people are getting behind. If he beats Punk at Hell in A Cell and after three hundred and thirty-seven days or whatever and Punk is finally beaten, people are going to start to take notice of this guy. Those who dont watch Raw are going to tune in to see whats going on. Ryback beats everybody. Ryback faces Rock at Royal Rumble. What happens if a couple of weeks before that something goes on with Ryback and Undertaker got involved in the Rock match? What if Rock wins the title and goes on to face Cena, as expected, and what if it's Ryback vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania? What if Ryback beats Undertaker at WrestleMania? You have a new star for the next ten years to headline pay-per views and main events."
He also went onto say: "Vince knows Ryback is not a money making star right now. But if he goes into Hell In A Cell and he destroys Punk and beats him, a hundred percent those fans are going to go bananas for Ryback. You have created a new star. Punk can come back the next night and bitch and complain and do what a heel does. Heels arent built to win. Heels are built to lose. Thats what heels do. The fact that Punk has held the title for three hundred and thirty-seven days, it might mean something to you guys. I can tell you Punk doesnt care. Punk wants to make money and if that means Punk and Ryback becomes the hottest feud and suddenly something happens where it goes to Ryback and Rock, thats a match where suddenly you made a new guy."
Jericho does go onto say that he thinks it's possible for WWE to come up with a scenario in which Punk keeps the title with both guys being able to ultimately save face. However, Jericho believes that this is a chance for WWE to create a big money star and that Vince will make the switch this Sunday.
So do you agree with what Chris Jericho is saying?
As Jericho is someone that's been in pro wrestling for pretty much his entire adult life, I believe he certainly knows the overall ins and outs of the business far better than we do, or think that we do in any event. The thing is, however, I don't think there's any real way to predict what will ultimately happen to Ryback. Jericho sounds like someone that's a real fan of Ryback at this point in time and has already become convinced that he's ready to be a big money player in WWE. I might be completely wrong and I freely admit it, but the idea of Ryback being ready to be a big money player in WWE and that winning the title from CM Punk this Sunday does really fly in the face of wrestling tradition. If Ryback is ready, then he's done it faster than anyone else in pro wrestling history. This time 3 weeks ago, he was ultimately just a clone of Goldberg. Now, he has some feeling that he truly is the next big thing and the future of WWE. Even Brock Lesnar didn't make it in that short span of time. It took him a full 3 months to win the title for the first time.
For Jericho's comment about who gives a shit about Punk's title reign and that it means nothing, that kind of pissed me off. As a fan, I care or want to care about the champs and their reigns. Punk has been a great champ for WWE and I thought that comment was something along the lines of what Vince Russo would say. If I don't give a shit about Punk's reign, then why exactly should I give a shit about Ryback's run? If Ryback was someone that'd proven to be a solid money maker for WWE and Punk had just been a weak as dishwater champion, then I'd completely understand the sentiment but that's not the case.
Even if Ryback does beat Punk this Sunday and take the title, that's no guarantee that Ryback is going to be a huge money player in the future. It's true that Ryback is different and different can be a great thing if it's able to last. Ryback might well be a flash in the pan, something of a passing fad. We've seen it before in wrestling and we'll no doubt see it again. Personally, if Ryback is everything that Jericho is thinking that he can be, and WWE keeps pushing Ryback as a top talent, then I think Ryback will still be as over with the fans 6 months from now as he is right now. By then, we'll ultimately know what's what as far as Ryback's potential as "the next big thing".
""I don't know anything and I dont work for the WWE. I havent talked to Vince in about a month. But, this is the chance to make a new star instantly... This is not a guy that we see that builds his way to the top and fans get behind him slowly but surely. You want to pick a new guy? Have him beat C.M. Punk this week."
An argument that a lot of people have made regards CM Punk's title run. A lot of people simply want to see him go for at least a full year as champ and ultimately renew his rivalry with Cena. Jericho's response was:
"Who gives a shit about Punks title reign? It means nothing. Here is a chance to take a guy who people are getting behind. If he beats Punk at Hell in A Cell and after three hundred and thirty-seven days or whatever and Punk is finally beaten, people are going to start to take notice of this guy. Those who dont watch Raw are going to tune in to see whats going on. Ryback beats everybody. Ryback faces Rock at Royal Rumble. What happens if a couple of weeks before that something goes on with Ryback and Undertaker got involved in the Rock match? What if Rock wins the title and goes on to face Cena, as expected, and what if it's Ryback vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania? What if Ryback beats Undertaker at WrestleMania? You have a new star for the next ten years to headline pay-per views and main events."
He also went onto say: "Vince knows Ryback is not a money making star right now. But if he goes into Hell In A Cell and he destroys Punk and beats him, a hundred percent those fans are going to go bananas for Ryback. You have created a new star. Punk can come back the next night and bitch and complain and do what a heel does. Heels arent built to win. Heels are built to lose. Thats what heels do. The fact that Punk has held the title for three hundred and thirty-seven days, it might mean something to you guys. I can tell you Punk doesnt care. Punk wants to make money and if that means Punk and Ryback becomes the hottest feud and suddenly something happens where it goes to Ryback and Rock, thats a match where suddenly you made a new guy."
Jericho does go onto say that he thinks it's possible for WWE to come up with a scenario in which Punk keeps the title with both guys being able to ultimately save face. However, Jericho believes that this is a chance for WWE to create a big money star and that Vince will make the switch this Sunday.
So do you agree with what Chris Jericho is saying?
As Jericho is someone that's been in pro wrestling for pretty much his entire adult life, I believe he certainly knows the overall ins and outs of the business far better than we do, or think that we do in any event. The thing is, however, I don't think there's any real way to predict what will ultimately happen to Ryback. Jericho sounds like someone that's a real fan of Ryback at this point in time and has already become convinced that he's ready to be a big money player in WWE. I might be completely wrong and I freely admit it, but the idea of Ryback being ready to be a big money player in WWE and that winning the title from CM Punk this Sunday does really fly in the face of wrestling tradition. If Ryback is ready, then he's done it faster than anyone else in pro wrestling history. This time 3 weeks ago, he was ultimately just a clone of Goldberg. Now, he has some feeling that he truly is the next big thing and the future of WWE. Even Brock Lesnar didn't make it in that short span of time. It took him a full 3 months to win the title for the first time.
For Jericho's comment about who gives a shit about Punk's title reign and that it means nothing, that kind of pissed me off. As a fan, I care or want to care about the champs and their reigns. Punk has been a great champ for WWE and I thought that comment was something along the lines of what Vince Russo would say. If I don't give a shit about Punk's reign, then why exactly should I give a shit about Ryback's run? If Ryback was someone that'd proven to be a solid money maker for WWE and Punk had just been a weak as dishwater champion, then I'd completely understand the sentiment but that's not the case.
Even if Ryback does beat Punk this Sunday and take the title, that's no guarantee that Ryback is going to be a huge money player in the future. It's true that Ryback is different and different can be a great thing if it's able to last. Ryback might well be a flash in the pan, something of a passing fad. We've seen it before in wrestling and we'll no doubt see it again. Personally, if Ryback is everything that Jericho is thinking that he can be, and WWE keeps pushing Ryback as a top talent, then I think Ryback will still be as over with the fans 6 months from now as he is right now. By then, we'll ultimately know what's what as far as Ryback's potential as "the next big thing".