Breaking Down The Walls He Built

[BadAndy]

Ok, Jericho time. Back when many or most of you were watching the Attitude Era of WWE/F I was watching Monday Night Nitro. One huge reason: Chris Jericho. While I had many wrestlers I really enjoyed watching, Jericho was amazing and hilarious on the mic. Then he jumped ship to WWE/F and so did I. He continued to thrill with his witty banter. While I still love watching Jericho, it's not been until this last week on RAW that I noticed he's just not the same.

Have his mic skills diminished?
Did he really do away with all old gimmicks, I mean he sure didn't do away with his in ring abilities.
Did WWE get tired of him outshining any other wrestler on the mic he was up against?
Did he lose his mojo?
Did the switch to the panties and loss of the awesome leggings have something to do with it?

We may never know, but I'm quite sad now that I realize that Jericho just is not what he once was on the mic. I just don't look forward to hearing him like I used to.

[cyanim33]

well if you watched his DVD he talked a lot about being able to evolve with the product. Its also well known that he enjoys being a major heel. He kind of gets this by doing his slow talk with large words routine. Sure he's not the major funny Jericho he once was but thats becasue he's matured and well he's learned he doesn't have to try so hard to get the heat from the crowd. I don't think an older Jericho with the funny routine would be really well believable. If you look at every person in wwe they have evolved. Its just that Cena has involved into the wannabe funny guy but thats another thread. Sure I miss the old Jericho but thats the old Jericho.....

[bartish2]

well jericho really only feuded with punk to put him more over, and when you bring back old guys to put guys over creative never books the old guys with their full potential. They book them as a shitty shell of their former self to make it look like the guy they will put over is better when they are not. example? just look at the rock in rock vs cena feud. thats not the rock we know lol that was dwayne johnson.

It could be creative, they suck at writing anything.

[Cabers]

I dont think he has lost his great promo ability i think he was just more effective as the comedy Y2J character.

[BadAndy]

This goes back to when he smashed Shawn Michaels's head into the tv. From about that point with that particular heel turn he just hasn't had the great zingers. It's been years since I really felt he was great on the mic. Cyanim, I haven't watched the DVD, I hardly buy any DVDs, but Jericho has had most of his best moments as a snarky heel. Everybody used to think The Rock was so great on the mic then Jericho invaded and put him in his place. He talked circles around Rocky. I guess that while I really don't mind the rest of the company evolving I wish Chris could've held on to the "Ayatollah" a little longer, especially with them recognizing Fozzy on the air now and showing him as a rocker.

[MachoManFan]

I think part of the problem for Jericho (and several others) is that they are consiously keeping PG. PG isn't just about not swearing or sexual talk, they have to tone down the aggressive nature of their promos too. I get the impression that Jericho naturally peppers his talking with things you wouldn't want kids to hear or that they wouldn't understand. I thought it was visible on RAW while he was facing Cena. It's symptomatic of WWE product at the moment but doesn't mean Jericho's lost anything he's just trying to be the best heel he can without getting into trouble.

[Lowki]

Ok, Jericho time. Back when many or most of you were watching the Attitude Era of WWE/F I was watching Monday Night Nitro. One huge reason: Chris Jericho. While I had many wrestlers I really enjoyed watching, Jericho was amazing and hilarious on the mic. Then he jumped ship to WWE/F and so did I. He continued to thrill with his witty banter. While I still love watching Jericho, it's not been until this last week on RAW that I noticed he's just not the same.

Have his mic skills diminished?
Did he really do away with all old gimmicks, I mean he sure didn't do away with his in ring abilities.
Did WWE get tired of him outshining any other wrestler on the mic he was up against?
Did he lose his mojo?
Did the switch to the panties and loss of the awesome leggings have something to do with it?

We may never know, but I'm quite sad now that I realize that Jericho just is not what he once was on the mic. I just don't look forward to hearing him like I used to.
You know WWE has writers, right? Jericho was more comedic back then, but has been a lot more serious these past few years, which doesn't mean his mic skills have diminished (i mean c'mon, he was pretty amazing during the punk feud).
Jericho is still great on the mic, but tends to prefer trolling these days.

[wrestlingfan66513]

Jericho has been doing great during his time back. He has put over everyone he has feuded since he returned and that is a successful run.

[Kenny Kaos]

Bring back Ralphus!

[Tommy Thunder]

Anyone suggesting that Jericho's mic skills have diminished doesn't know good mic skills when it hits them on the ears.

[World B. Free]

I would have thought that Jericho would of been the next superstar to drop a "Pipe Bomb" on the mic? Even CM Punk hasn't done so in awhile....?

[Tommy Thunder]

I would have thought that Jericho would of been the next superstar to drop a "Pipe Bomb" on the mic? Even CM Punk hasn't done so in awhile....?

People need to get over the whole 'pipebomb' thing. It was just something that Punk did for a while to get attention and to generate interest. It was never going to be a permanent feature.

Some people are hanging on to the Punk shoots like people are hanging on to the attitude era. Get over it!

[Kenny Kaos]

Thought his little "what are you gonna do, suspend me?" line on Raw last week shows he's still go it!

[CM Rock-Austin]

IMO, his mic skills are still great and has not shown any lack luster at all.

[Robstar]

I think it's indicative of the fact that you have to do less to please fans nowadays. Either that or they've come to terms with the fact that fans will complain no matter what, so what's the point giving your A game when it's going to be tomorrow's trash and only 'hardcore' fans are going to be watching that stuff again on You Tube. And god help you if those fans don't like what you did too.

It's a lot easier and a lot more fun to critique something rather than attempt to find the worth in it. That's too much like hard work.

Jericho's A-OK if you ask me. His style has matured, it's not so "nyah nyah" childish sort of stuff he used to do - which was great fun - but it's old, it's been done and Jericho is nothing if not an evolving character. He's just moving with the times. Wrestling fans need to get on board with that.

[Pumpkinhead]

Jericho said we always tries to reinvent his character, his mic skills are as good as before but he had changed his promos in other to not become stale, let's be honest not many guys can do that

[Lowki]

I think it's indicative of the fact that you have to do less to please fans nowadays. Either that or they've come to terms with the fact that fans will complain no matter what, so what's the point giving your A game when it's going to be tomorrow's trash and only 'hardcore' fans are going to be watching that stuff again on You Tube. And god help you if those fans don't like what you did too.

It's a lot easier and a lot more fun to critique something rather than attempt to find the worth in it. That's too much like hard work.

Jericho's A-OK if you ask me. His style has matured, it's not so "nyah nyah" childish sort of stuff he used to do - which was great fun - but it's old, it's been done and Jericho is nothing if not an evolving character. He's just moving with the times. Wrestling fans need to get on board with that.
I agree with this. His character is supposed to be past childish insults which was made evident during Raw this week when he made that "What are you 9?" comment to Cena. Old Jericho would have joined in with name calling, but he stopped that when he made his first return in 2005.

[BadAndy]

Tommy, I think I am pretty good at knowing a good promo when I hear one so please don't insult me with that comment. I hear what you guys are saying, I do. I am looking past Jericho in WWE. I LOVED this guy in WCW. He was one of the few great reasons to tune in every day. We would all stop what we were doing to gather around the tv on Monday nights to watch him.

I know about his evolution. I just don't feel myself getting as excited by his promos as I did back then. I have watched some of the "old days" on youtube and found them to be lacking, but never with Jericho. He still makes me laugh and just amazes me at what he could do. I feel this character of his is a little bit of "reality" Chris Jericho so it blends the more serious tone with the funner side of himself. I do hope we can see more of that.

As for WWE writers, you do know that while some of the stuff is scripted you have guys that go out and ad lib. I think Jericho has always been great with his ad libbing.

[tdp]

I personally haven't cared for much Jericho has done since he's come back. If he left tomorrow I honestly wouldn't care, which sucks because when he first hit wwe he was arguably my favorite wrestler. To the promos, he was much more entertaining in wcw and during his first wwe run. I don't feel his skills have diminished, like some have said he's "evolved" and his character is simply different.

[Playboy Stevie V]

I understand why people think maybe Jericho has lost his energetic, screaming on the mic promos. But that was the AE and this is now PG.

There's a lot of things I liked better about the AE and i think the AE was better, but that's the past. We move forward now.

I liked his promos better back then, but he reinvents himself and pulls it off excellently. There is only a few wrestlers in the history of the biz who can reinvent and make it work excellent. Hulk to Hollywood, Deadman to American Badass are examples. Some people didn't like the Badass as much as the deadman and visa versa. But it still worked.

I think that is what we have here. Some prefer Jerichos other personas promos better than he current one. I mean I do, but that doesn't mean he's losing his mojo imo.

In fact I don't mark out for many, but i have so much f*cking respect for Jericho. More than almost anybody in the biz. What he does for the biz is nothing more than wonderful. Take notes legends who still wrestle. Jericho holds back and allows younger stars to hang or out mic him, making it a A+ quality verbal duel. And he puts over younger stars in A+ quality matches. A lot of legends will not do this. They have to hog the spotlight or out right win.

[Machomadness97]

Chris Jericho is in a different era. His mic skills have not change, yet it is his ability to entertain the fans in different surroundings. Otherwise, Jericho has put on amazing matches that I love watching. He can entertain in any era. He is also a busy man so script is changed around a lot. The Wwe creators with Vinnie Mac changes there minds every time. So we can not blame Jericho or we can not say that he is breaking down the walls he has built. He is the same performer from before and can still entertain a lot of the fans!

[BadAndy]

I never really did watch WWE until he came over so I'm not as familiar with the AE until he emerged in it. I don't think he's lost his momo, I was really just saying I miss the promos of old. Those are the ones that made me love him and wrestling in general. Hell even when Jericho left and Nash bumped his head and thought he was the commissioner and called Ralfus on the phone showed that there was still a little part of Jericho left behind for WCW fans to love. I think he is still spectacular at what he does. I just would like to see a "for one night only..." moment.

[Y2JLionsault]

Tbh I think the fact is that they hold him back because their aren't many that could go toe to toe with him on the mic. Like some others have said he did evolve and lost his snarky heel attitude for the plain evil heel. But he is still as good a heel as any. But I think he played his role perfectly with Punk. If he were the old smart arse Jericho it wouldn't have had as much impact as it did.

[Rick BoA]

wait, did someone honestly say that Jericho was better on the mic then The Rock? LMAO fanboy.

[BadAndy]

Not sure if I said it but I will now. He is totally better. The Rock reads through his list of says. He does so in a fantastic manner. Jericho had catch phrases but wasn't about that. I watched Jericho's first appearance in WWE last night and all the Rock would do is say he same few phrases. I'm not sure how someone thinking Jericho is better on the mic makes them a fanboy though. I'd say that the person who likes Jericho would say Jericho wins and the person that likes The Rock would say The Rock wins. Very little fanboy about it.

[BadAndy]

It seems Jericho heard me. He dropped a few of his classics tonight. Awesome.

[Playboy Stevie V]

There you go bro! Did you just see raws opening segment? Jericho of old promo to fill our AE soul.

[Dubs]

It seems Jericho heard me. He dropped a few of his classics tonight. Awesome.
It was very entertaining. Hoping Daniel Bryan and Jericho gets to work a program with each other soon.

[Playboy Stevie V]

It seems Jericho heard me. He dropped a few of his classics tonight. Awesome.

Totally thought of you as soon as it happened, lol. *fist bump*

[BadAndy]

I'd TOTALLY be down for having more Daniel Bryan and Jericho working together. They really had some chemistry. It also seemed to help liven up Jericho and that's always a good thing. Oh, and, *fist bump* hehehe