Jericho:
A lot of a people have been asking me why I decided to do ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ There are many reasons, and the feeling I had Monday night when I finished in first place was one of them. (Technically I finished in a three-way tie for first, but that’s nitpicking now, isn’t it?)
After a case of the jitters in week one, I was ecstatic with my performance in week two. I really felt in the groove, in the pocket and in the moment. I also felt like I was wearing a World War II army helmet with all of the goop and greasy-kid stuff that was squelched (fun word!) in my hair.
But that’s part of the fun of ‘DWTS,’ isn’t it? Every day is a veritable Halloween, where everyone can wear as much spandex, rhinestones, guyliner and hair products as they want and still look somewhat cool doing so. It’s the epitome of show bizness, baby!
It was also gratifying to hear the judges’ positive comments, especially when Bruno Tonioli upgraded me from a “dancing beast” to a “dancing gazelle,” which I assume means I have much better posture and stepping qualities. Next time I party in the Serengeti, I’ll make sure to check out some gazelles.
It was also good to hear Len Goodman say that, while he was expecting me to be a plodding lump farting across the dance floor, he was pleasantly surprised at how light on my feet I was and how effortless I looked. While I’ve made a career off of low expectations, being light on my feet could be my secret weapon. It’s actually one of the most important qualities of a good wrestler, and I was a good wrestler.
But now I am transforming into a dancer. I am the Black Swan of ‘DWTS’! I may be a little beefier than Natalie Portman (and not as pretty), but you get where I’m coming from.
This transformation was evidenced by my 7-year-old son Ash’s reaction to my performance. You might have seen him — the cute little blond guy in the dapper suit who was sitting between two hot blondes (my wife Jessica and WWE diva Maryse) in the front row of the audience. He was holding his arms up in the air and screaming as if he was signaling for a field goal in the world’s most exciting football game.
Ash has always appreciated my wrestling career, but he never really paid too much attention to my matches. However, after the ‘DWTS’ show, he ran across the room and jumped into my arms with the biggest smile on his face. He said, “You were awesome, Dad! You’ve got nothing to worry about. All my friends are going to vote for you! You were great!” My heart melted.
So that’s the real reason why I decided to do ‘DWTS’ — I wanted to have my son sit in the front row and tell me I did great. As a father (and a dancing gazelle), it’s a moment I’ll never forget.
