The gift of Jericho

[Metallica]

Him punching HBK's wife is one of my all time favourite wrestling angles. That entire fued with suit Y2J v HBK was quality. Great matches and segments.

 

I love his current character and his new walk is ridiculously good.

[CleetusVanDamme]

There have been times when he's really needed to do the job!

There's also times where, shock horror, Triple H should be allowed to win a match. If he can't beat a 60 year old (who broke down in his next match), who is he allowed to beat? Take away the Sting match and he's only had two PPV wins in singles matches since 2010.

[tiger_rick]

 

Just never sure what tier of legend he sits at

Probably not too far from Edge, either way.

 

First tier is obviously Hogan and Austin, maybe Rock and Flair. Second tier is Flair, Rock, Lawler, Sammartino, Savage, Hart, Michals, etc.

 

The likes of Jericho and Edge are in the third tier for me. Popular when wrestling was hot. Worked at a high level for a long period. Occasionally genuinely main eventers.

[DCW]

Why did Jericho have so much heat backstage when he arrived in 1999? the likes of Triple H and co attempting to sabotage him, or was Jericho acting the twat?

 

Surely that heat contributed most to him not getting the mega push his debut seemed to suggest. To go from The Rock to being saddled with Finkel, and then feuding with Chyna is some comedown.

[Guest]

Why did Jericho have so much heat backstage when he arrived in 1999? the likes of Triple H and co attempting to sabotage him, or was Jericho acting the twat?

According to his second book (Undisputed), he was coming across like the new guy who's always saying, "Well at my old job we did it like this..."

 

You can imagine the locker room being pretty sensitive when that old job was at WCW.

[PowerButchi]

 

Just never sure what tier of legend he sits at

Probably not too far from Edge, either way.

 

I don't think he needed to do the job to Sting. There was nothing to gain or lose from either of them going over.

It was an opportunity for WWE to say to their audience, "Look, we're finally over that stuff now, and we're not afraid to put WCW's biggest ever star over one of our own second or third tier legends."

 

Instead they had the heel and face announcers both bury WCW all over again while Sting extends a respectful hand to the man who just cheated to win by lamping him with a sledgehammer.

 

 

Why do WWE need to do that though? Also, Trips probably drew more money in his top period than Sting who never really did draw out of Starrcade 97 so it's arguable who the bigger star is there anyway..

[PowerButchi]

 

 

Just never sure what tier of legend he sits at

Probably not too far from Edge, either way.

 

First tier is obviously Hogan and Austin, maybe Rock and Flair. Second tier is Flair, Rock, Lawler, Sammartino, Savage, Hart, Michals, etc.

 

The likes of Jericho and Edge are in the third tier for me. Popular when wrestling was hot. Worked at a high level for a long period. Occasionally genuinely main eventers.

 

 

I'd probably move Sammartino to first tier to be honest going by drawing maximum numbers available, looking at arena numbers over a looooong stretch of t8ime and those all important monthly MSG sellouts, and of course what he meant to the fans of his generation. I think people's perception of him just got bummed a bit by his quarrels with WWE leaving him out of sight, out of mind. 

 

Lawler too if we're going by drawing maximum numbers available and swapping Madison Square Garden for Mid South Coliseum. Easily..

[tiger_rick]

 

First tier is obviously Hogan and Austin, maybe Rock and Flair. Second tier is Flair, Rock, Lawler, Sammartino, Savage, Hart, Michals, etc.

 

The likes of Jericho and Edge are in the third tier for me. Popular when wrestling was hot. Worked at a high level for a long period. Occasionally genuinely main eventers.

 

I'd probably move Sammartino to first tier to be honest going by drawing maximum numbers available, looking at arena numbers over a looooong stretch of t8ime and those all important monthly MSG sellouts, and of course what he meant to the fans of his generation. I think people's perception of him just got bummed a bit by his quarrels with WWE leaving him out of sight, out of mind. 

 

Lawler too if we're going by drawing maximum numbers available and swapping Madison Square Garden for Mid South Coliseum. Easily..

 

I'd only have both as second tier because they were huge draws regionally instead of what would later become nationally. It's why Flair's on the cusp for me too. I guess given that the business changed, if we're to judge it on it's time, you're probably right.

[Guest]

 

 

 

Just never sure what tier of legend he sits at

Probably not too far from Edge, either way.

 

I don't think he needed to do the job to Sting. There was nothing to gain or lose from either of them going over.

It was an opportunity for WWE to say to their audience, "Look, we're finally over that stuff now, and we're not afraid to put WCW's biggest ever star over one of our own second or third tier legends."

 

Instead they had the heel and face announcers both bury WCW all over again while Sting extends a respectful hand to the man who just cheated to win by lamping him with a sledgehammer.

Why do WWE need to do that though? Also, Trips probably drew more money in his top period than Sting who never really did draw out of Starrcade 97 so it's arguable who the bigger star is there anyway..

I wasn't saying they needed to, just there was something to gain: admiration for putting all that insecure, belated one-upmanship behind them at last.

[ColinBollocks]

 

There have been times when he's really needed to do the job!

There's also times where, shock horror, Triple H should be allowed to win a match. If he can't beat a 60 year old (who broke down in his next match), who is he allowed to beat? Take away the Sting match and he's only had two PPV wins in singles matches since 2010.

 

Sting said on one of those network documentaries that he was planning on retiring after 'Mania anyway, so wanted to put someone over. I love Sting, but with hindsight Triple H 100% should have won that night. They only got another match out of Sting.

[ColinBollocks]

 

There have been times when he's really needed to do the job!

There's also times where, shock horror, Triple H should be allowed to win a match. If he can't beat a 60 year old (who broke down in his next match), who is he allowed to beat? Take away the Sting match and he's only had two PPV wins in singles matches since 2010.

 

Sting said on one of those network documentaries that he was planning on retiring after 'Mania anyway, so wanted to put someone over. I love Sting, but with hindsight Triple H 100% should have won that night. They only got another match out of Sting.

[The Gaffer]

Sting didn't look the best, and Triple H is still a twice a year behemoth. There's no question who should have went over. Triple H tapping out with those tree trunk legs twisted into a crap scorpion death lock underneath melting face paint and shit hair would have looked terrible.

 

Terminator beats tribal drumming.

[Guest]

To be honest I probably would've been okay with Sting losing, if it wasn't for the "LOL WCW" narrative (despite him saying on Raw that he wasn't there to defend its honour) and the handshake making him look like a right mug. There are ways and there are ways.

 

Anyway, this is old ground that was debated far more topically in the WrestleMania thread five months ago, so I'll stop derailing this one before I get it.

 

You do know what it is, don't you Tim?

[Otto Dem Wanz]

Wrong thread

[TAFKAC]

 

 

First tier is obviously Hogan and Austin, maybe Rock and Flair. Second tier is Flair, Rock, Lawler, Sammartino, Savage, Hart, Michals, etc.

 

The likes of Jericho and Edge are in the third tier for me. Popular when wrestling was hot. Worked at a high level for a long period. Occasionally genuinely main eventers.

 

I'd probably move Sammartino to first tier to be honest going by drawing maximum numbers available, looking at arena numbers over a looooong stretch of t8ime and those all important monthly MSG sellouts, and of course what he meant to the fans of his generation. I think people's perception of him just got bummed a bit by his quarrels with WWE leaving him out of sight, out of mind. 

 

Lawler too if we're going by drawing maximum numbers available and swapping Madison Square Garden for Mid South Coliseum. Easily..

 

I'd only have both as second tier because they were huge draws regionally instead of what would later become nationally. It's why Flair's on the cusp for me too. I guess given that the business changed, if we're to judge it on it's time, you're probably right.

 

 

I think it is really difficult to think of tiers. I imagine if you showed a photo of Hogan/Rock to most folk outside of the "wrestling bubble" they would recognise them. As much as Sammartino, Lawler, HHH, HBK and a lot of other folk drew big crowds, I'm not sure you can show folk a pic of Lou Thesz, etc and they will know who it is. In terms of legend, I think that is why Hogan/Rock, with maybe a select few others, would be top. That's not taking away from the achievements of the others.