10 Wrestling Storylines That Don't Get Enough Love
8. The First Chris Jericho
Born from both happenstance and inevitability, Shawn Michaels Vs. Chris Jericho Part 1 is not as fondly remembered as its wife-punching, eye-gouging sequel - but what a story it was.
Jericho fired the first shot at the onset of the 2003 Royal Rumble, by dispatching Christian at the entrance ramp in a classic bait-and-switch. Jericho delivered a low blow to Michaels from behind before bloodying him with a steel chair. As the weeks went by, Jericho revealed his motivation for the severity of his attack: he grew up idolising Michaels, but soon tired of the comparison he himself invited. His hubris had supplanted his innocence. WWE's production savvy reinforced the premise brilliantly, by roaming through the archives to unearth video footage of Jericho aping Shawn's moves, his hair - even his gear, right down to the precise shade of neon yellow and the length of the tassels draping from his armbands.
In a very real and very relatable sense, Jericho was locked in a battle with himself, his own doubts, his own ego. Anybody who ever questioned themselves was able to invest emotionally in the programme. Anybody who enjoyed wrestling could not help but fall for its classic conclusion. The brilliance of the ending is often underplayed. Jericho, in another bait-and-switch, kicked Shawn in the balls after snaking him into an embrace. He was a born b*stard.
Contrary to his posturing, he never did change.