Wasted: Chris Jericho

[Little Jerry Lawler]

There are numerous wrestlers who have had great and storied careers in their professions. Countless accolades, championships, and accomplishments have been compiled in the wrestling industry. However, there are years where things didn't go their way or they were stuck in a rut. Not every wrestler has had a great year every year and we always wonder what we could have done to change that. The objective is to pick out one year when you felt he or she was being wasted and what could have you done to improve. My first subject is none other than Chris Jericho.

First undisputed champion, most IC titles in history, and one of the last greats to go through the territory system. His accomplishments speak for themselves but there were times where he was just floating around with no direction. To me, Jericho's most wasted year was 2003.

I was back and forth and I thought about choosing 2004 but I felt 2003 was better for reasons I will state soon. Of course he feuded with Shawn Michaels and had a great match at Wrestlemania, but really what else did he do? Feuded with Goldberg for a while and was on the winning Survivor Series team that saw Austin leave and then come back like a month later. There was so much more that he could have done and there was one way to achieve that.

Go to Smackdown.

It sucked that there were drafts in 2002, 2004, 2005, but not 2003 for some reason. If anything, Stephanie and Eric could have made a deal to switch one superstar from Smackdown to Raw and vice versa. Just to shake up things a bit and they could have had an angle as such. Imagine a heel Jericho feuding with Benoit and Guerrero or even Brock Lesnar before he turned heel. I can't forget about Angle as well. Would anyone have been happy with an Undertaker/Jericho feud even though Taker was the American Bad Ass? The biggest heel on Smackdown in 2003 was probably Big Show followed by Cena and I always thought Big Show sucked the life out of anything. Jericho would have been their top heel before Lesnar aligned with McMahon. I thought Jericho should have been on the Smackdown roster from 2003-2005 because HHH was the top heel and I don't think he would have given an inch during that time.

What year do you think that Jericho was wasted the most and what would you have done to change that?

 

[VinnieSunshine]

If memory serves right, during 2003 they were in serious need of a top face on Smackdown because Smackdown was heel heavy. I think they were also looking to bring ratings in too.

I dont think Jericho was ever wasted. Every wrestler at some point goes through lows during their career. Jericho is a guy that puts people over no matter what. I never felt like he was wasted. Sure he may have had some crappy sotrylines...but who hasn't?

I can think of numerous other guys that were wasted besides Jericho.

 

[akathelaw]

You could argue that Jericho was wasted his whole career, as I felt that he had the potential to be an even bigger star than he was/is. A lot of this has to do with Jericho having so much control over his career, like keeping an 80's rock star look well into the mid 2000's. While some of his promos are clever, I feel he could have captured the audience's attention a lot more if he had tried. Jericho set out to be a great heel, and he accomplished that. The trouble with Jericho is he puts himself before the fans, just look at his most recent return. If he was as motivated as The Rock or John Cena at attempting to actually win over the crowd as a face, he would have reached greater heights.

 

[CuddleBuns84]

This is a tough question. Cause he has had a lot of great moments in pro wrestling. But I think the year that was rough for him, was 2010.

I don't know if 2010 is an option, sorry if it wasn't, but talk about wasting him.

You broke up him and the big show, just to have DX split a month or so later. You threw the belt on him for Wrestlemania, just to have him drop it to Swagger the following SmackDown. In addition, you had the Nexus that year. Instead of making him the mastermind behind that stable, they had him fight the stable. So you think, "Hey, since your fighting a heel stable, we should make a you a face."

Nope, instead he called Cena a Fraud, tried to split the WWE team. Then they had him job to some idiots. They wasted many potential story-lines, such as his quest to reveal the anonymous GM.

Granted this was the year his contract was up, but, I'm sure if creative had better plot for him he would of re-signed.

Numerous things I would of changed. First, I don't give Jack Swagger the belt the first SmackDown after mania. I want... A couple months. Let Jericho hold that belt for a few months after mania.

I would have had him be the mastermind behind the Nexus. That would of just made sense. Have him tutor Wade Barrett longer. Giving Barrett more exposure.

Have his feud with Edge last a lot longer then what it did. Edge needed that to get over as a great face.

Oh, and if your going to send him out. Don't send him out with a kick to the skull. Have him lose his belt, and watch him have a heel meltdown.

That's mostly my opinion. I hope you enjoy the read.

 

[thebarber]

Jericho wasted in 2003????? This was the same year he carried Goldberg to his first decent feud in WWE??? The same Jericho who pinned and shaved the head of Kevin Nash?? The same Jericho who was the star of Elimination Chamber at Summerslam????? The same Jericho who, along with Christian had some of the most enetrtaining segments on Raw in their feud with Lita and Trish????? WWE isnt about winning championships, its about compelling television and entertaining the fans. Jericho ticks every box there. I think the main year Jericho was wasted was 2007, the year of the second coming of Jericho. He fell flat upon his return, and was thrown into a useless feud with JBL. Jericho was only returned a couple of months at that time, but this is the only time Chris Jericho was ever involved in something where I would describe him as being wasted.