Don Callis' Winnipeg Sun/Thunder Bay Chronicle Column Written By Don Callis
oday was a day like many others for me, returning home from a meeting,
killing time yapping on my cell phone with one of my buddies. So right about now
you're asking yourself, "Who cares, Jackal?? Its one thing to give us the blow by
blow of your misadventures overseas, but who cares about something as
mundane as you chatting on your phone? What relevance does that have to me,
the every day nine to five wrestling fan on the street?"
Good point. Rest assured I haven't completely marked out for myself. While there
may be a few stalkers out there who would be fascinated by the minutiae of my
life, this story does have relevance, because you see, my buddy just happens to
be the hottest "free agent" in the wrestling business.
Chris Jericho is under what to many would be tremendous pressure, sign a
contract or be banned from television, sign a contract or be jobbed off Nitro.
Every threat that can be used by a wrestling company has been thrown at him.
But sitting in the driver's seat is a happy go lucky, highly intelligent individual who
laughs off the pressure and goes about his business, the business of being the
hottest property in wrestling.
Chris Jericho and I have been close friends since about 1991, when I first met
him here in Winnipeg on an independent show. We wrestled each other in a ten by
ten ring on the dance floor of a cheesy night club. During the ensuing seven years
or so, Chris and I always kept in touch, and always had fun when we'd hook up in
some city for a night on the town which would invariably last well into the next
morning.
Fast forward to 1999, and after stellar runs in Mexico, Japan, and ECW, Jericho
finds himself at a crossroads in his amazing career, as he (and several others)
ponder his future with World Championship Wrestling.
Chris has been (as he has everywhere else) a standout performer for WCW during
his stay there. He is one of a very few performers in the business who has the
complete package of looks, wrestling acumen, charisma and interview ability.
During the past year Jericho has really evolved himself into one of the only
legitiment heels in a company where most of the "heels" are cool guys and as a
result do not get true heel reactions. Despite having the look and wrestling talent
of a traditional babyface, Chris presents himself however he has to, to get "heat"
with the crowd, from his goofy top ponytail to his cheesy Van Halen forearm
fashions.
Seems like a no-brainer to just put him with the Harts, Hogans, Nashs, Savages,
or Flairs and let him do his thing, right? Wrong. Political situations being what
they are, Jericho's future is unlikely to hold any title matches against Hogan or
programs with Flair. For someone who loves the business like Chris, being held
back from reaching his potential is unacceptable.
Reports circulating say that Chris and Eric Bischoff agreed verbally to a new three
year deal several months ago, and the paperwork was supposed to be sent to
Chris within a few days. Apparently Jericho waited a few months for the legal
documents to arrive, during which time his future in the company as he saw it
began to bother him more and more. A lot of things can change over the course
of a few months, and Jericho decided that he wanted a different deal, one with
some assurances about his ability to fulfill his potential.
Apparently Bischoff, a very proud man, is furious, feeling that he and Chris had
agreed to a deal verbally, end of story. You can definitely see Bischoff's side of it,
but he's not the one in the driver's seat.
So as Chris's contracted time with WCW ticks away, ultimatums from the office
have come and gone. Threats of sudden losing streaks on Nitro are laughed off
because Chris could lose every match on TV and still be the star of the show.
The WWF, where Vince McMahon would in all likelihood, promote Chris to the top,
is no doubt licking its corporate chops at the thought of having Jericho on RAW
every week, were he to decide not to resign with WCW.
WCW has made some mistakes during the last year, but to mortgage your future
over pride is inexcusable. While the brains at the head office fret, the hottest
property in wrestling bides his time.
