10 Fascinating WWE King Of The Ring 2002 Facts
6. Chris Jericho Flipped Out In An Internet Tirade Afterward
One of the better matches of the middling show was Rob Van Dam's semi-final win over Chris Jericho, a serviceable 14-minute opener that was good, but a bit below the lofty standards fans hold both wrestlers to. In general, critics panned the pay-per-view, with many noting that the Jericho/Van Dam match was as noted, "Good, but not great."
Jericho, who had had a rough 2002 from a creative standpoint, lashed out at the internet wrestling community in the hours after the pay-per-view. The angry essay, which was posted to his website (pre-dating the modern standard of drunken Twitter rants), began with the phrase, "Hey Jackoffs", and referenced the less-than-enthused reviews of his match, calling his critics, "holier than thou, pompous jackasses." He then went on to tell people who criticize his work to stop watching WWE.
It's hard to tell how much of the tirade (if any) was tongue-in-cheek bluster and how much was actual searing rage, but the overall tone didn't seem to jive with Jericho's trademark sense of humor.