Jericho - After 'No Way Out'

[Guest The Vanilla Midget]

Jericho should beat Austin cleanly with the Breakdown, after cheating a lot of course but without interference and multiple situations where he should have lost like RR.

jericho cant beat austin cleanly.  his whole heel persona revolves around his cheating to keep the title, hell, it gives him his heat, as people want to see him lose the title.  by giving him a clean win over austin, it destroys jericho's "mystique" for lack of a better word. it also kills austin, as jericho cant even beat midcarders clean, yet he can on the wwf's number one guy?  finally, jericho doesnt need a clean win over austin, as the only way he will get more heat is to rob austin of a victory, possibly through nWo interference.  anything other than a tainted victory, and jericho is made to look strong, something which does not fit in with his heel gimmic.

[Guest Tony149]

jericho cant beat austin cleanly.  his whole heel persona revolves around his cheating to keep the title, hell, it gives him his heat, as people want to see him lose the title.  by giving him a clean win over austin, it destroys jericho's "mystique" for lack of a better word. it also kills austin, as jericho cant even beat midcarders clean, yet he can on the wwf's number one guy?  finally, jericho doesnt need a clean win over austin, as the only way he will get more heat is to rob austin of a victory, possibly through nWo interference.  anything other than a tainted victory, and jericho is made to look strong, something which does not fit in with his heel gimmic.

That's why I think the WWF should have Jericho win at NWO after the nWo cost SCSA the match. Jericho's then wins at WM with help from Steph. If that happens people would want to see HHH beat Jericho. I think that's a good idea.

[Guest Big Poppa Popick]

we have the screwiness set up for the trips/angle match, and i would almost give up my college ring to say that the nwo is gonna come and invade during the austin/jericho match

[Guest mastermind]

Okay, I think the wwf has something with Jericho/Austin. My gut tells me Austin might win(something like Rock beating Angle last year this time), but my "smarkism" tells me Jericho will win. I think Jericho should win. I actually want Austin, but business wise it should be Jericho because the wwf needs another young main eventer in the mix. He shouldn't go over clean because quite frankly his stature should be that he cheats to beat guys who should normally beat him. NWO costing Austin the title will give heat to both Jericho and the NWO(Seeing Hogan attack Austin is priceless).

 

What some don't see is Triple H/Angle match actually being affected by the poison. If the NWO interferes and causes a double DQ we don't have a #1 contender for WM which will give us some compelling tv to see who becomes the #1 contender. Although a loophole would be that Triple H didn't lose his spot. Anyways, Trips will get NWO-ized unless he ends up with the NWO.

 

Jericho shouldn't win at WrestleMania. Let the face go over this time. The fans might lose faith in getting what they want at WrestleMania with three years straight with the heels going over(although last year Austin turned in the match). Trips winning at Backlash would have the same effect as Rock's win did in 2000. He would have lost when he needed to win. As for Jericho becoming a midcarder I don't think he would be if the wwf is splitting. He would be a main eventer for one of the divisions since he would be coming off main eventing the biggest event of the year.

[Guest Brian]

Triple H doesn't need to win at Mania if he's screwed out of the title at WrestleMania. In 2000, Rock or Foley should have won. Triple H was already way over te top by retiring Foley, and didn't need another win even with the interference. Jericho could really use that win. Walking out of WrestleMania would be the exclamation point. And by then, Jericho would have beat the big three, and either one for a re-match would draw big.

[Guest Loss4Words]

You know, it'll never happen because of the jealousy that would exist in the locker room, but if Jericho held the belt until Survivor Series, they could draw MAJOR money. People would be rioting and they would probably have a heel on their hands just as over as Hogan was at the start of the NWO or as HHH was in 2000, maybe even more so. It's hard to keep the belt on someone that long when you're producing so much television, so I'm not expecting it, but they could have a very big 2002 if they created an awesome force of resistance in Jericho. He's a safer long-term bet than the NWO anyway.

[Guest The Mighty Damaramu]

I know. People have to WANT for Jericho to lose the title. They have to be screaming for his blood. I don't think he's to that point of heeldom yet though.

[Guest mastermind]

L4W I see your point, BUT I think one point is missing from you guys. Will the FANS STILL WATCH in droves? Hogan the heel in 1996 can't be compared because Hogan turned on fans after over a decade as the epitome of what a face was for the 80's. Austin tried to duplicate it and the fans turned away. It's one thing to get heat, but it's another thing to just annoy fans and have them turn off.

 

I think if Jericho held the I-C title it would work better in that scenario. Many people would have no problem seeing Jericho as I-C champion and booing him, but as world champion and undisputed unified champion at that some people just don't like it. You have to have the right person and the right title to have the HTM like reigns.

 

As for Trips not needing to go over at WM. WM 16 was brought up. Now, I don't know, but didn't the wwf start to go downhill like 3-4 months after Rock "choked" at WM 16? Didn't the wwf start to slide even more when Austin turned heel afer WM 17? I don't think it's all a coincidence.

However, Trips winning at WM 16 has created the option that the heel CAN go over in the main event of WM, so all is not lost. However ANOTHER year of this and I think you will just piss people off.

 

Trips needed the win at WM 16 because quite frankly the wwf didn't have ANYONE to make a challenger to Rock or make as a real main eventer. Foley was gone. Austin was out nursing injuries. Angle was still new. Benoit was still new. Jericho was a face. Trips had to win or the post WM 16 wwf would have been even worse.

 

The wwf doesn't have that problem right now. Whether the old guys coming in suck or not it does give the wwf some heels to work with that the fans can relate to. So tell me what does Jericho winning at Mania accomplish except give Jericho another big win? He will still be sent back because the NWO storyline and top stars will take precedent. You will be devaluing the unified title. At least when Trips and Austin won the title the thing was a main focal point of the storylines. Actually when the titles became secondary that's when the wwf started to slump even more. Invasion and the love triangle come to mind. The first month of Austin's heel turn had some problems, but regardless.

 

BTW, Jericho HAS defeated all top three stars. I hope the wwf shows the night Jericho beat Trips for the title because that would make the match more unpredictable for Mania.