Chris Jericho's Transformation Appreciation

[Burst]

I keep thinking back to Jericho's heel progression from 2008 to 2009, and all the things he did to completely eliminate pretty much every last shred of Y2J*, and just how damned effective it is.

Seriously, how often did you hear (and still do sometimes) so-called smarks bitch about how they hate:

- His short hair
- The switch from tights to trunks
- The ditching of his pose and/or the countdown
- His sudden monotone

I just know, going back to other forums at the time, people are crying havoc about how it's the WWE turning him into a CAW, how the new Jericho sucks, this, that, when it was all Jericho's plan to get even the most hardcore of fans to hate him. Even on random YouTube videos today you still have people kvetching about how Jericho was so much better with long hair and tights.

In a way it's kind of one of the most effective heel transformation I've seen, how Jericho went so far out of his way to do everything to piss fans off. I even remember an interview where he said he was going to stop saying "ASK HIM!" because it was getting too popular. It really just shows how versatile Jericho is as a performer.

* though apparently the minitron maker didn't get the message for a brief period in 2009

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

I never heard those complaints.

[moneyman20]

Aug 30, 2011 15:55:13 GMT -5 Burst said:

I keep thinking back to Jericho's heel progression from 2008 to 2009, and all the things he did to completely eliminate pretty much every last shred of Y2J*, and just how damned effective it is.

Seriously, how often did you hear (and still do sometimes) so-called smarks bitch about how they hate:

- His short hair
- The switch from tights to trunks
- The ditching of his pose and/or the countdown
- His sudden monotone

Not very often. But even if they didn't, I loved it

[klapaucius]

he even got fat to make the fans hate him!

[probable]

OP is spot on. I'd be hard pressed to think of a better heel transaction.

RTC come to mind, but that was the cheap way of doing what Jericho did really.

[Hit Girl]

He changed, but not for the better IMO

He was more interesting as Y2J than the boring heel he became.

[Bo Rida]

You can tell how successful it was by the way 99% of people on wrestling forums stopped being lazy gelatinous parasites and typed Jericho instead of Y2J.

[Cronant]

Don't forget him telling WWE not to make any merch for him. Because if someone is buying his merch it means they like him and thats not what he wanted.

Although his "Terrible luck Jericho" along with him going against Nexus kinda started to get him some sympathy before he left.

[BoilerRoomBrawler]

I felt the same way after watching his DVD set. It might not be for everyone, but I like his "SRS" persona a lot in hindsight.

[Sumbody Gon' Get Dey Kneelift]

The storyline of his transformation is my favorite of all time.

[BHB]

And yet they didn't change his music,which he's had for a million years. He HAS to change that if he comes back.

[husti]

While I really liked Jericho ever since he came back, I gotta say, I goddamn miss the tights

[willywonka666]

I know he was almost unanimously loved here. Seemed that way anyway.

He seemed boring after his heel turn. I suddenly had zero interest in a man that I use to be a HUGE fan of. I didn't care if he ever wrestled again. I still don't.

But it worked on so many levels as far as the vast majority was concerned, so he had that going for him.

[riseofsetian1981]

I liked his heel turn right up until after he won the world title and instead of being a strong, legitimate, and threatening heel who could back up what he said they turned him into a sniveling cowardly heel.

Other than that I found his heel transformation to be one of the more exciting things about him.