WWE Roadblock: 10 Things We Learned
7. WWE Believed An American Patriot Was The Perfect Foe For Chris Jericho
When Chris Jericho was ripping into his fellow Canadian citizens during a fine promo at Roadblock, the situation was crying out for an over babyface to come out and put him in his place. Instead, Jack Swagger was the one chosen to emerge to a tepid response and go toe-to-toe with Y2J.
There was nothing wrong with the match itself, it was perfectly acceptable to book such a bout. The main problems started to arise once it became clear that Swagger plays a gimmick which seemed to jar oddly with the show's location. Roadblock was held in Canada, whereas Jack Swagger is called a 'Real American'.
His entrance even includes a gigantic United Stated flag flowing behind him. The insinuation of his character is clear, he's a proud American. There's nothing wrong with that, obviously, but it felt a little at odds with the story being told.
WWE clearly felt Swagger would excite the fans, but he didn't really. Some reacted, but most stood around realising that they were far more excited to see Chris Jericho - the heel - than the babyface hero. WWE countered a villain ragging on Canada by bringing out a US patriot?