UnWrest Focus: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels (2008): Part II - Jericho Turns Heel + The Great American Bash 2008

Welcome to Part II of this edition of UnWrest Focus as we continue the trip back through the classic Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho feud of 2008. When we left off on the last post, which can be found HERE , Shawn Michaels had just defeated Chris Jericho in a great match at Judgment Day 2008. In the process, Shawn had exposed himself as having lied about his "injury" during his match against Batista.

Well, Batista does not take that news lightly. And at One Night Stand 2008, Batista gets his revenge by defeating Shawn Michaels in a Stretcher Match. Later on Raw, Chris Jericho invites Shawn Michaels to be his guest on The Highlight Reel. And well, THIS HAPPENED:

Jericho Heel Turn 

That's a classic heel turn there folks. Jericho's anger towards Michaels and the fans boils over. He puts Michaels' face through the Jeritron, and Michaels suffers facial injuries as a result.
A small detail that happens afterwards is that Lance Cade started following Chris Jericho around as his second. He claimed that he knew that Michaels would eventually betray him as he does that with all his partners. (True story as a character.) So, Cade made the move beforehand and joined up with Jericho.

Then, at Night of Champions 2008, an injured Shawn Michaels causes a distraction that costs Chris Jericho the Intercontinental Championship against a young Kofi Kingston. After the match, Jericho punches Michaels right in his injured face.

This leads up to the rematch between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels with Michaels telling Jericho that he's jealous that Michaels can retire any day and still be more remembered than Jericho will ever be.

So, let's fire up that WWE Network, put on The Great American Bash 2008 (if you will), and go to about 48:00 in. HERE WE GO!

The Great American Bash 2008
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels

Jericho walks to the ring first doing the classic Jericho entrance in a weird visual for a heel turn. (I don't remember him doing that much during this run.) Shawn Michaels just walks out calmly to the ring, intent on facing Jericho man to man. Story of two different types of entrances here.
The bell rings. They're face to face. Tie up and exchange of blows to startus off. Jericho gets the early advantage. Kick to the gut. Michaels gets a chop in to knock Jericho down. Now, he's attacking Jericho in the corner. Michaels grabs his ribs. Boot to the face of Jericho. Chop block by Michaels to Jericho. Inverted Figure Four by Michaels. Jericho gets to the ropes.
Michaels continues to attack Jericho in the corner. The ref tells him to back up. HBK chants. Michaels continues to work on Jericho's leg. Jericho pulls the referee in the way of Michaels. Jericho slings Michaels into the corner, causing him to flip up on the corner. He rolls to the apron, and Jericho catches him with the slingshot dropkick out of the corner. Michaels is on the floor. Jericho hits a small double ax-handle off of the apron and rolls Michaels back in.
PUNT to the ribs of Michaels by Jericho. Back suplex by Jericho. Slaps to the head of Michaels now. Michaels is in the corner and gets shoulder tackled in the ribs by Jericho. Jericho snapmares him down and gets a crucifix hold in on Michaels, putting his knee into Michaels' back. Michaels elbows out and starts pressing the attack to Jericho, who ends his hopes with an enziguri! 2 count.
Slam by Jericho now, who climbs to the middle rope in the corner. He jumps into an atomic drop by Michaels. Chop by HBK. Flying forearm by Michaels. Kip up. He goes to backdrop Jericho, but Jericho PUTS THE WALLS OF JERICHO IN! Michaels is reaching for the bottom rope. Michaels gets it after 30 seconds.
Jericho continues to press the attack with kicks to a laying Michaels. Sweet Chin Music blocked by Jericho. More forearms and kicks by Jericho. Jericho runs the ropes to hit the bulldog, but Michaels turns around to nail a big clothesline. 2 count for HBK.
Michaels climbs the ropes, but Jericho jumps at the ropes to send Michaels down on the corner. Jericho punches up at Michaels. Michaels continues to fight off Jericho, but Jericho eventually climbs up. Michaels now punches and push kicks Jericho off the corner. Michaels climbs up and nails the elbow drop from the top.
Shawn is hyping up the crowd, and you can hear the stomps from the audience. The band is tuning up. Lance Cade runs down and distracts Shawn. Codebreaker is avoided by HBK who uses the ropes to avoid coming down on the move. Jackknife pin attempt by HBK for a 2 count.
Michaels gets caught in the crucifix pin attempt for a 2 count. Forearms being exchanged. Chop by Michaels. Jericho gets hip tossed over the top rope onto Cade on the outside! Michaels climbs up the top rope and NAILS A TOP ROPE MOONSAULT OFF THE TOP ROPE ONTO JERICHO AND CADE!
Michaels fights off Cade, but Jericho hits a back elbow into the eye of Michaels. Michaels is a stuck pig now as he's bleeding profusely from the eye area. Both Jericho and Michaels are in the ring. A punch by Michaels only leads to a punt kick to the face seconds later. Jericho NOW sees the injury on Michaels' face. A punch to the injured eye of Michaels. The referee gets in the way. He asks Shawn if he's ok. Shawn waves it off. A punch again by Jericho. Michaels continues to take blow after blow after blow by Jericho to the eye. The referee pulls him back again and checks on Michaels. A kick to the face now by Jericho. Michaels is now on the bottom rope facing the entrance ramp. Jericho distracts the referee, and Cade nails a big boot to the face of Michaels from the floor.
Jericho now hits a series of punches to a laying Michaels. Michaels tells the ref not to stop the match. Jericho continues to attack Michaels with headbutts and punches to the eye. CROSSFACE BY MICHAELS!!!! Jericho stands up in the move and puts Michaels face first into the ropes causing him to flop back down in pain. Jericho continues to attack Michaels, and the referee pulls him off. The referee continues to check on Michaels. Jericho goes back in for the kill. The referee pulls him off again and puts him in the corner. The referee checks on Michaels again, and he literally has a crimson mask (as J.R. would call it). Jericho kicks Michaels right in the head a few times. He is now just toying with Michaels. Jericho mounts Michaels with punch after punch after punch. The ref pulls him off again, and blood is just pouring from Michaels now. He pulls himself up on Jericho, but Jericho continues to attack him with punches. Michaels is laying on the ground, and Jericho just continues to punch him again and again and again!!!! The referee stops the match.

Winner: Chris Jericho
Match Grade: B+. Again, this isn't so much a match as it is a storyline. And it was damn effective. It continues the storyline of Jericho wanting to disfigure and end Shawn Michaels' career. He saw the opening and went in for the kill (so to speak). The match was a great way to continue a rivalry by making the heel look even more heelish and the face more sympathetic in defeat. It was disturbing and brutal and sets the stage for more in the future.

Back in the ring, doctors are checking on Shawn Michaels whose face is literally red. The doctors and the referee help Michaels to the back.

So far in this feud, we've had plently of great moments. And a couple really good matches to boot as well. If you want a technical match, you have Judgment Day. If you want a great story being told with disturbing amounts of blood, Great American Bash 2008 is at your disposal. So far, this has been a good feud.

But as Jericho would say, "the worst is yet to come." How can this get worse? How about a punch to the face of your enemy's wife? Remember that. Next time on UnWrest Focus, we will look at Unforgiven 2008 and all the events that happened between The Great American Bash and that event. And yes. Shawn's wife works a punch to make the feud that much more personal.

Until then, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.