CALDWELL'S TAKE CORNER CUBE MONDAY 8/18 - Shawn Michaels showed strength, not weakness by not attacking Jericho Aug 18, 2008 - 12:34:44 PM

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By James Caldwell, PWTorch columnist

Updated daily from the corner cubicle, Torch columnist James Caldwell's weekday blog focuses on hot topic current events and other items of interest from around wrestling.

Updated Monday, August 18

Last night's angle between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho was stellar in terms of acting, costume, tone, and delivery. It was also stellar in conveying the exact nature of the characters involved in the confrontation that was the culmination of three months of interplay between two of the top wrestlers in WWE.

Shawn Michaels didn't look weak for not fighting back against Chris Jericho after he punched his wife. This entire storyline is about Michaels changing his stripes. He's not playing the old Shawn Michaels character, which would have led to him instantly jumping on Jericho and letting his anger get the best of him. He's a family-man who has to live with his past, but is trying not to repeat it.

Michaels not attacking Jericho was the perfect way to show how Michaels has changed. If Michaels would have attacked Jericho, he would have stooped to Jericho's level - the level where Jericho has wanted to take Michaels for months, but a level Michaels has refused to venture towards.

Michaels showing restraint from retaliating showed character strength, not character weaknesses. Just like JBL tried to take C.M. Punk down to his level on Raw, Punk refused even if he would have looked cool to a portion of the audience for throwing back some liquor.

Michaels played the part perfectly showing a second-by-second conflict within himself of whether to attack Jericho or tend to his wife. Old self or new self? Eye-for-an-eye or turn the other cheek?

By not attacking Jericho, he made Jericho think about his actions. Thinking of this in terms of a hypothetical shoot, Jericho wouldn't have been able to sleep last night thinking about punching out another man's wife.

Michaels did more damage to Jericho by not attacking him. And it fit the storyline perfectly, which has been all about Michaels trying to do the right thing as a man of principle when Jericho has wanted him to fall into his old self.

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