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WWE News
WWE News: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels program wasn't supposed to last this long Oct 30, 2008 - 5:25:10 PM
Chris Jericho says his TV feud against Shawn Michaels was only supposed to last a short period of time, and definitely not turn into one of the top feuds of the year. He says the work they collectively put into the feud made it one of the most rewarding wrestling experiences they've had.
"The story line was supposed to be a month-long thing, and then it ended up blossoming into me winning the World Title as a result of it going seven months," Jericho told Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun. "It was fun because people didn't know for sure if it was real or not. There was so much stuff that happened that was so outside of the box of what you usually see on our shows, and people really took notice of that."
Jericho also details the angle involving Shawn Michael's wife, Rebecca, and how she responded to what appeared to be an angle that went too far.
"Shawn and I felt terrible. Rebecca did not. She loved it," Jericho said. "She thought it was awesome."
He continued: "And the fact that she didn't end up with any permanent damage ... it's probably the best thing that could have happened. That really kick-started the angle and took it to a different place. Obviously, I felt so bad about it, but when all was said and done, it actually worked out for the best."
Jericho says fans who are upset that he lost the World Title at the last PPV should wait and see what happens, as Vince McMahon has some different plans in mind for his current storyline. Whether or not he gets the title back remains to be seen, however.
"I was very happy with the work I did while I had it on this run, and how long you keep a title has nothing to do with me," Jericho said. "That's up to the boss, and whatever he wants to do, I'll be happy to do it."
He continued: "And I'll get my chance again, and when I do, I'll do exactly the same thing I did when I had it the last time, which is do the best work that I possibly can and make people hate me even more. ... I've been around long enough to know that you have to trust the boss when he has a feeling, and that's what I'm going to do."
Caldwell Analysis: The interview started off with Jericho talking about his creative and hosting duties for the "Redemption Song" reality show, but Jericho's passion for wrestling related to his recent run with Shawn Michaels really came through. Jericho has maintained throughout interviews this year that he is intricately involved in the writing aspect of his TV promos and the direction of his storylines, which is refreshing when many of today's wrestlers simply defer to the creative team and convey a character inorganically.
The part about Rebecca liking how the punch-to-the-face aspect of the Michaels vs. Jericho feud played out is interesting. Rebecca might have given it her blessing after-the-fact to be a good sport about it, but at the same time, she spent a good amount of time in the wrestling business as a WCW Nitro girl to gain the "if it's good for business..." mentality. It was definitely one of the more memorable scenes on wrestling TV this year.
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