10 Secret Genius Details Behind Wrestler Entrances
5. Chris Jericho Builds The Anticipation
Chris Jericho arrived in the WWF as a saviour figure among the hardcore set, which is wild. The ratings were monstrous in the early summer of 1999, but still, something was missing, and that something was "undercards that aren't polluted by totally drab plodders".
He was the perfect composite character for the Monday Night Wars era; a gifted bell-to-bell worker and catchphrase generator overflowing with charisma and creativity, he pinpointed everything that got over and packaged it together. He arrived following an all-timer of a hype-job, but like the best showmen, he made the crowd wait that little while longer.
Per his recent appearance on Broken Skull Sessions, he drew inspiration from the very best showman: Michael Jackson. It's weird, putting Jackson over, but his status as a pop culture icon is undeniable, and after watching him in concert in Paris years earlier, Jericho borrowed his trick. Jackson stood with his back to the audience and his arms out-stretched just as Jericho did on August 9.
Jericho wanted you to think - feel - "Is it really him?" before revealing his face to the audience. He crafted his myth in plain sight; by asking the question, he got over, subtly, as a man worth waiting for.