This is how to do.....

[Guest liberal]

It is under a week now until, in my opinion, is going to be the best WWE pay per view since WrestleMania X-7 last year. I will give you my thoughts and predictions on the show generally in my next column. However, I would like to talk about one particular match on the show that could have been one of the best feuds of the year. I am talking about Chris Jericho Vs Ric Flair.

 

I think that most people are looking forward to this match but I think that it could have been so much more. Lets look at the feud at the moment. Jericho attacked Flair, as he was about to make an announcement at the end of RAW. Since then they have interfered in each other’s matches. That is it. These are two of the most talented people on the mike in the company and as of yet we have seen no promos between the two men. I am writing this column before the last RAW before Summerslam and I may be proved wrong and there will be some excellent build-up to the match, however I feel that not enough is being out into this match, and its full potential is being nowhere near realised. This in my opinion is how it should have been done.

 

For a couple of months, Ric Flair and the announcers should have been teasing a Flair retirement. We could have seen Flair saying that he just doesn’t feel that he can cut it with the current young superstars in the WWE. Flair would feel that as a 16-time world champion and more importantly a 52-year-old man, there is little left for him to achieve in the business. He could say that he felt his last chance for to make a great impact was when he was put in charge of the RAW brand, but ever since he was screwed out of that, there is simply very little motivation now.

 

On RAW one week, Ric Flair comes out to the ring and says that he has a very important announcement to make on next weeks show. It is an announcement that he has been thinking about for a long time now, and is announcement that he new would one day come but he just didn’t want to. The commentators would then build up this announcement until next weeks show.

 

We get to RAW the next week and all anyone can think about is this announcement from Flair. Everyone speculates about a retirement but nobody is sure. We come towards the end of the show and Ric Flair comes out. He is wearing one of his classic robes and slowly makes his way to the ring. The interview would go as follows.

 

“ It is time for me to make the eagerly awaited announcement. All of you fans are wondering what I am going to say. There is no way of sugar coating an announcement like this and so I will just go right ahead and say it. For the last 30 years, I have given my whole life to this business. I have been all around the world. I would wrestle for anyone that would let me. I have wrestled everyone that there is for me to wrestle. I wrestled greats such as the Von Erichs, Harley Race, Terry Funk, Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat, Hulk Hogan. I can’t even remember all my injuries because there has been so many of them. I have been a 16-time world champion and every single minute of every match that I have done has been worth it. Everything that I have been through, I have done for one reason, for you the fans. I love entertaining you. I love the buzz of walking through that curtain and hearing your reaction. I love putting on great matches and seeing the how you respond. I love the look on your faces, as you would watch me in action.”

 

We would then see clips of all of Flair’s great matches throughout the years and it would prove very emotional for all the fans in attendance. We see a tear running down the side of the face of Ric Flair as he watches the video.

 

“But unfortunately, I can no longer do that anymore. I cannot compete with the superstars anymore. I cannot compete with Jeff Hardy’s highflying. I can’t keep up with people such as Booker T or Lance Storm. I would be kidding myself if I thought that I could. I don’t want to say what I am about to but there is no way I can put it off any further. I am here tonight in front of you great fans to announce that I am officially…”

 

Y2J countdown hits and Chris Jericho comes out.

 

CJ: Hold on there nature boy, would you please shut the hell up. Who in the hell are you to come out here on prime time television like you are some kind of star? Everybody knows that I am the biggest star in the history of this business and that there will never eeeeeeeeeeeeeeever be anyone bigger than me.

 

We could have JR going crazy and saying that Jericho is a disgrace for coming out here and interrupting what could be Flair’s greatest moment. How dare he. Who does he think he is?

 

CJ: You mention that you cant keep up with today’s superstars such as Lance Storm and Booker T, well what about Y2J. You cant keep up with Y2J now and you never would could. Chris Jericho always has been and always will be a bigger star than you and there is nothing you can do about it. You may be a 16-time world champion but I was the first ever ‘Undisputed Champion’ and that is bigger than anything that you have ever done or ever will do. That is why I am a bigger star than you.

 

RF: You may be a bigger star than me Chris, I don’t know. I am simply out here to make my announcement to these great fans and the fans at home. I have no problem with you but please just let me say what I have to say.

 

CJ: Did I just hear you correctly? “You may be a bigger star than me”. I am a bigger star than you and there is not an element of doubt about that. Just ask these fans. Who do you think is a bigger star? Y2J or this shrivelled up old has been Flair.

 

A “Flair” chant breaks out.

 

CJ: You idiots, I am the bigger star. I will prove it to you all. I will prove that I am the biggest star that there has ever been. I challenge you Ric Flair to a match at Summerslam. When I beat you, there will be no doubt as to who is the bigger star.

 

Ric Flair is just about to talk when the “Flair” chant starts again.

 

CJ: SHUT UP

 

RF: I came out here tonight to do something that was very important to me. I was going to retire; however I accept your challenge for Summerslam. This will be the perfect opportunity for one last chance to see if I can still compete at this level. If I lose at Summerslam, it will be one more indication that the young superstars have surpassed me and it is time for me to stop lacing those boots. In our match at Summerslam, I am putting my career on the line and if I lose to you then I will retire from professional wrestling.

 

CJ: That is perfect for me as when I WILL retire you at Summerslam. Make the most of Ric Flair now, as you will only be seeing him for a few more weeks. When I beat you at Summerslam, they will be carrying your bloody body out on a stretcher and I will be standing high as the biggest star that there has ever been.

 

RAW goes off the air. In the weeks leading up to the PPV we are shown more classic clips of Ric Flairs career. We could have great exchanges between the two men as they prepare for the match.

 

The PPV then arrives. I would definitely advertise this show as a triple main event. Rock Vs Brock, HHH Vs HBK, and of course, Ric Flair Vs Chris Jericho. There is no doubt that these two talented performers could put on a really good, entertaining match that would please the fans. I would have Chris Jericho win this one by reversing a figure four attempt into the walls of Jericho and having Ric Flair tap out. Jericho could then get on the mike and say how he now has new respect for Flair. Flair could then say that Jericho is exactly the kind of young superstar he was talking about and it is people like Jericho who are the future of the WWE. Ric Flair could then give a tearful farewell speech to the fans and thank them for the memories that they have given him, and hopefully the ones that he has given them. The last image that we would see would be both men raising each other’s hands in admiration.

 

I think that this scenario would have made for an excellent feud and would provide a perfect exit for the legendary Ric Flair and would also help elevate Jericho back to main event status.

 

What do you all think of this?

[Guest chirs3]

Scrap the "respect" bit at the end, and tune up Y2J's speech a bit, and you've got a hell of an idea there.

[Guest Strike Force!]

It's a decent idea, but I don't like the notion of a Jericho face turn, given WWE's lack of good heels right now.

[Guest liberal]

I think that a jericho face turn would not be that bad an idea as although he is great at being a heel, he is not hugely over as a heel in my opinion. A face turn would freshen up his character and also there are a lack of good faces on raw at the moment and so i think it would work.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

If you want some great material for a Jericho/Flair program, just look at the promos they cut together at the beginning of this year. There's your feud right there. At the time it was just an attempt to put over Jericho's "Living Legend" character, but they had the potential for an incredible feud between the two, had they wanted to go that direction. Instead they opted for Rock/Jericho and Vince/Flair, which, quite frankly, did nothing for either guy. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.

[Guest Just call me Dan]

I can't believe there was never a feud, especially right after Jericho dropped the title with all those classic promos. They put a lot of effort into the mini-feud but it went nowhere. As much as the WWE misses the boat on building feuds it pisses me off to the one time they do it right not even matter. Now they have degenerated all that into pantsing your opponent and two run-ins.