It’s the Wednesday Morning Backlash and Wednesday is big news day. The two news stories that have dominated the wrestling world recently are that of Chris Jericho leaving although everyone wants him to stay and Matt Hardy apparently staying although everyone, including Matt himself, wants him out.
Matt Hardy and Chris Jericho are an interesting study in why the WWE doesn’t listen to the internet audience as more than giving an opportunity. Both Matt and Chris were internet darlings before they achieved singles success. Sure, both had some success before, Chris as the wildly entertaining undercard WCW heel, and Matt as a member of the Hardy Boyz, but neither was really, according to the ‘net, fully utilized in either role. Jericho, while being both over and fun in WCW, was an opening match wrestler for the most part, while Matt, far higher up the card, was thought to be the more technically sound Hardy who would bust out when given a chance in singles competition.
Chris Jericho was brought to WWE and immediately acted like a big deal, interacting with the Rock and Steve Austin before being shunted to the Intercontinental title. Here, through great work with great talents and awesome promos, Chris Jericho would get even more over, becoming familiarized with the audience as more than a jobber. His big break came when he got the fluke win over Triple H on Raw:
Even though the decision was overturned, Jericho was someone who could hang at the highest level. From this moment, all the hard work and training before birthed a superstar. Now, we can call Chris Jericho the best wrestler in the world and one of the greatest wrestlers ever. He’s been in countless classic matches, had numerous historic feuds, and stands head and shoulder above most of his peers.
Matt Hardy, after the Hardy Boyz, got a good gimmick in the mid-card with his V.1 character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEhBLrnKc7Q
In this role he was over, but injuries struck and momentum was lost. Soon, Edge got hot, and well, no need to re-hash the Lita scenario, but Matt lost his job. The internet demanded and, eventually, received his return and big feud with Edge. This opportunity here would be the most telling of his career. Edge took the feud and ran with it, becoming the smarmy opportunist who can still main event a Wrestlemania but Matt, upon his return put on lackluster matches and, worse, utterly blew it in each and every major promo.
So it went for Matt. He would continually get opportunities and continually waste them. Each time he blew an opportunity, his ring skill and psychology deteriorated until after his failed heel turn and feud with the hugely over Jeff Hardy, he became little more than a guy who has a few over spots. Most telling, Matt’s ECW title run was actually eclipsed not only by guys like Christian, CM Punk and John Morrison, but, in sheer match quality and crowd interest, by Mark Henry. Matt had finally blown the last real chance the WWE would give him (he was given a half-chance against CM Punk when Jeff left, but was so bad that it wasn’t even worth a real program).
Which brings us to today- currently, Chris Jericho is apparently leaving the WWE. He, seemingly, will be back, as he’s still at the top of his game and, with Shawn Michaels retired, almost the undisputed best, most well-rounded wrestler in the world. The fans loved him, as did the industry, where the only knock was his size, but through sheer skill, he has risen above and is at the top of the industry.
Matt Hardy failed at push after push and now is an out-of-shape, self-promoting joke. The internet fans who once loved him have turned on him viciously (including me, but I turned on him at his ROH stint when he showed he just didn’t have it in the ring or on the mic). He badly wants to join his far more talented brother in TNA where, because he was a WWE star with connections, he’s sure to be pushed to his self-serving ego’s content. Of course, he did all of this complaining instead of fixing his obvious in ring and on the mic deficiencies, so no one has pity for him and a TNA push will just be further proof of that company’s malaise.
The internet was right on Jericho and so he got an opportunity. He made the most of it. The internet was wrong about Matt Hardy and even though he got opportunity after opportunity, he has failed. I wonder where Daniel Bryan will fall?
Yesterday, in the Tuesday Morning Backlash, I discussed the best wrestlers in the world. Today, taking out Kurt Angle, because I honestly don’t really believe he belongs on the list, I want to do a comparison to my favorite promotion of wrestling’s past, Bill Watts’ Mid-South. That’s right, it’s History Time!
The best all around performer in Mid-South was pretty much always Dick Murdoch. Whether on the mic or in the ring, as a face or a heel, Dick Murdoch, when motivated, was untouchable in terms of skill. He didn’t have to main event- he was so good whatever match he was in would draw wherever it was on the card. And better, in Mid-South, for the strict Watts, he was almost always motivated. Dick Murdoch was, in terms of our argument today, Chris Jericho or Shawn Michaels- the all time great in our midst.
From here we have Terry Taylor. Young and good looking, the fans were always behind Taylor for the most part, despite him being a touch bland as a face. As a heel, however, he was vicious and quite interesting and, in a weird way, almost more likable. He was technically the most sound man in the promotion despite interview skills that topped out as good. Daniel Bryan has the potential to be more and already is, in my opinion, a bit better, but the comparison is apt.
Jake Roberts went back and forth between face and heel, but one thing remained true, he was always incredibly over. Although young in the business, he had a mind for psychology, in ring and on interviews, nearly unmatched. Due to his youth though, Watts saw him just as the WWE sees CM Punk, as a guy who’s time will come and is extremely valuable in a variety of roles today.
Finally, we come to the best wrestler in the promotion and one of my favorite wrestlers in history, Ted Dibiase. Despite technical skills that were never top of his class, Dibiase offered brilliant psychology and realism, to go with great interviews and he just simply drew the fans in and made them believe. Because of this, he would be hugely over and the top dog as a face or a heel, like Randy Orton, despite others who might be a better interview, like Jake Roberts or better in the ring, like Terry Taylor.
And, although he wasn’t the best, the top dog and top draw was from a junkyard. JYD was Mid-South’s top draw ever and was unmatched in putting butts in seats despite, at best, mediocre wrestling skills. His charisma alone kept fans coming back and that, like John Cena, who, while not the best, is far better in ring than JYD, makes him worth his weight in gold.
Be sure to check back tomorrow at 10am for the Thursday Morning Backlash with something entirely different.
