Welcome to the latest edition of UnWrest Focus. After covering the classic Flair vs. Steamboat rivalry, I asked "What rivalry should I cover next?" A brother of mine (shout out to AJ) recommended the classic 2008 rivalry of Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels. And when he recommended that, it was like "Hell Yeah." To be blunt, there are two feuds that make WWE in 2008 bearable: Undertaker vs. Edge and Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho.
First, to be clear, we are not going to reference anything prior to 2008 that involved these two. They had an absolute classic match in 2003 at WrestleMania XIX that gets forgotten unfortunately in many people's "Best WrestleMania Matches" lists.
Secondly, to tell the story adequately, you have to start before the feud actually kicked into high gear.
So, without further ado, like many good stories, you are getting a...
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Prologue
To tell the story correctly, we go back to WrestleMania 24. Ric Flair tells Shawn Michaels to bring the Sweet Chin Music. Shawn says "Sorry. I love you." Sweet Chin Music. 1-2-3. Ric Flair's career is over (at least if you weren't at the Hulkamania Tour in Australia or you didn't watch TNA/Impact). Anyways, Batista starts targeting Shawn Michaels saying he should have "done the right thing" by letting Ric Flair win. Shawn said he did the right thing because Ric asked for his best. Jericho gets involved by saying HBK retired Ric Flair because he enjoyed it. And Jericho also told Batista that he secretly wanted to retire Ric Flair himself and was jealous of HBK. This led to both men attacking Jericho, which made him perfect to be the Special Guest Referee for their match at Backlash.
Toward the end of that match, Shawn avoids a Sweet Chin Music by landing on his feet. But he sells a knee injury. Jericho believes him and gets Batista off of HBK while he checks on Michaels. While Jericho gets Batista away, Michaels gets up and Sweet Chin Musics Batista to get the 3 count. This led to a weekly debate between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels about whether Shawn had faked the injury in order to win. Jericho, week after week, kept prodding HBK with fake injury jokes and barbs. Then, in the final week of the build to their match at Judgment Day, Michaels admits that he faked the injury. But Jericho doesn't believe him still, thinking NOW that HBK had been telling the truth the whole time. HBK gives him Sweet Chin Music to prove he wasn't lying about faking the injury and that Jericho had been right the whole time.
Note: This is all interesting as it makes Shawn Michaels look to be the heel in some ways. He's the guy responsible for retiring arguably the greatest wrestler of all time. He's faked an injury to win a match, lied about it over several weeks, and attacked the very man who called him out on his lies. Given the trajectory of this feud and where we all know it ends up, it's a fascinating place to start off from when you put it into context.
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And this all leads us to our first match in this version of UnWrest Focus. Without further ado, let's do this:
Judgment Day 2008
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels
Note: Jericho's Intercontinental Championship is NOT on the line. Therefore, Shawn Michaels won't have to forfeit that at a later time upon winning it again. (Sorry. Just had to go there.)
Jericho comes out with the classic theme and the Save_Us.Y2J titantron. Shawn Michaels comes out to the classic theme and cowboy hat. You just know when these two get together, magic is about to happen.
The bell rings. Jericho and HBK lock eyes. And they tie up. Both men grapple for position and end up reversing each other's attempts to get the other. Standoff between the two. Tie up. Headlock by HBK. Jericho is now on the ground in the lock. A couple 2 counts. Jericho gets up. He tries to flip over Michaels, but Michaels catches him with a rollup for 2. Jericho gets up and rolls over Michaels for a 2. Michaels bridges up. Jericho powers Michaels back over into the pin. Michaels bridges up again, and he tries a backslide. Michaels reverses a back suplex and tries to crossbody Jericho, but Jericho reverses it into a pinning combination for a 2. Shawn gets an inverted Figure 4 on Jericho (which JR calls a version of an Indian Death Lock). Jericho gets to the ropes.
Both men seemingly take a second. Kick to Michael's leg by Jericho. Slap by Michaels. Michaels is in Jericho's head as Jericho pushes Michaels back into the corner. Tie up. Hammerlock by HBK. Back elbow by Jericho. Jeircho goes on the attack in the corner. He throws Michaels into the corner, but Michaels catches him with a back elbow. Michaels does his best Minoru Suzuki by doing an armbar pulling his body over the top rope to put more pressure on Jericho's arm. Michaels rams Jericho shoulder first into the turnbuckle and hits an armbreaker on Jericho. HBK continues to hammer the shoulder of Jericho in the corner. Jericho tosses Michaels into the corner who does a flip up on the corner and falls down on the mat.
Jericho goes on the attack now. He places Michaels on the corner, with HBK facing the crowd. Jericho climbs up. Michaels hits several back elbows to knock off Jericho. He goes for an elbow, but Jericho charges the corner. He climbs up the corner, but Michaels keeps fighting off. FACE FIRST Suplex on Jericho off the corner. Elbow Drop MEETS JERICHO'S KNEES! Michaels hits Ribs First into the knees! Jericho starts targeting the ribs with kicks. Back suplex by Jericho and more kicks to the ribs. Abdominal stretch now (and shots to the ribs while in the move) by Jericho. Gutbuster by Jericho. 2 count.
Jericho attacks HBK in the corner. Hard throw into the corners by Jericho. Jericho goes for the bulldog, but Michaels uses the momentum to throw Jericho into the middle rope for the break. Atomic drop now by HBK. Chop. Flying forearm by HBK. We all know what's coming next: A kip-up! Jericho knew it too! He's up and locks in WALLS OF JERICHO!!!! Michaels gets to the ropes. Jericho goes after Michaels, but the ref pulls him off. Jericho goes for his midrope dropkick, but Michaels stops him and gets Jericho on the apron. SWEET CHIN MUSIC! Jericho falls to the floor as a lifeless heap! Michaels rolls Jericho in the ring. Michaels pulls Jericho into the middle of the ring, and Jericho kicks out at 2.8.
Shawn hits the diving elbow drop on Jericho and sells the ribs immediately. (Awesome, by the way. That stuff counts when trying to get into a match.) Michaels is still in pain as he gets up and "tunes up the band." Jericho crumbles to the ground before Michaels can hit Sweet Chin Music. It happens again. Michaels goes for it a 3rd time. BUT JERICHO CATCHES HIM WITH A CODEBREAKER!!!!! Both men are down. Jericho crawls over for the count, but Michaels kicks out at 2.6.
Forearm to the ribs by Jericho on the mat. Jericho pulls Michaels up, but Michaels transitions into the Crossface! Jericho is in pain, and he almost taps. But Jericho makes it to the ropes. Michaels goes for it again, but Jericho attacks the ribs with body shots. He suplexes Michaels ribs first into the top rope! Michaels is down. Jericho moves him into position. Lionsault is countered by knees... which Jericho transitions into a Walls attempt... which MICHAELS TRANSITIONS INTO A ROLLUP FOR A 3!!!!!
Winner: Shawn Michaels
Match Grade: B+. This was a great one-on-one match where both men looked really strong. Michaels showing resilence to the onslaught by Jericho, and Jericho coming within an eyelash of beating HBK. It felt short and could have used about 4-5 more minutes.
After the match, Jericho extends his hand, and Michaels takes it for a tense handshake.
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And that does it for that match. Again, it was a very good match between two legends that promised big things ahead in their feud. But we still have some unfinished business between Michaels and Batista to discuss along with the heel turn of all heel turns in 2008 before we get to our 2nd match of the rivalry. We will get there next time as we discuss Jericho vs. Michaels as The Great American Bash 2008.
Until then, take care of yourselves and spread some awesomeness.
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