10 Times WWE Heroes Failed

In 2008, Chris Jericho set out to prove that his longtime idol Shawn Michaels was not the man he claimed to be. Dismayed following Michaels' use of deception to defeat Batista, and angered over the Heartbreak Kid's retiring of Ric Flair, Jericho set aside the jokes and fun-loving nature of the Y2J character and became a much darker personas than fans were familiar with.

Inspired by the 2007 Oscar-winning film No Country For Old Men and lead antagonist Anton Chigurh, Jericho talked softer and slower than ever before. He was methodic in his approach to promos and in-ring work and wore a suit instead of the flashy attire he had become known for earlier.  Most importantly, he was more dangerous than ever.

At Great American Bash, he bloodied the eye of Michaels, inflicting a wound that nearly retired the Showstopper. From there, he punched Michaels' wife Rebecca at SummerSlam, somehow managing to intensify and already incredibly personal rivalry. After surviving a brutal beating in a non-sanctioned match against the Icon at Unforgiven, Jericho managed to steal the World Heavyweight Championship later in the evening.

The feud culminated in a Ladder match for the title at No Mercy that October. With the opportunity to not only capture the gold but also put his rival out of commission, Michaels fought with every ounce of passion he had. Unfortunately, interference from Lance Cade and a tug-o-war over the physical belt proved costly and the villain out-dueled the hero.