*Remembering RAW: The Debut of Chris Jericho

(photo courtesy of wwe.com)

As the shift in power in the Monday Night wrestling wars began to settle on the side of the WWE, Vince McMahon made a major signing that signified said shift to his competitor, and to the world. Chris Jericho was snatched up from WCW, and the wrestling world would never be the same.

Jericho made his name in WCW's cruiserweight division, but many felt that his abundant talents were being grossly underutilized. This was a condition typical of many wrestlers working for Ted Turner at the time; there was just too many guys on the roster to give everybody their fair shake (see Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrerro).

In the WWE, Jericho would be catapulted directly into a feud with the promotion's all-time most popular character, The Rock, and would go on to also become one of the greatest WWE superstars in his own right.

On that historic night, Jerichoholics were treated to the culmination of a weeks long "countdown to the millennium", which happened abruptly in the middle of an always classic Rock promo. Jericho was met with a massive ovation, which continued even as he berated fans and the WWE itself. His promos were just that good.

Jericho claimed to be wrestling's "most charismatic showman", and that assertion was not speaking out of school; he went on to become one of the most influential wrestlers of the 2000's. He would later become the WWE's first-ever undisputed champion, defeating both The Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin in the same match to unify both World Championships, his first of a total six World Championship reigns. He's also held the WWE Intercontinental Championship a record nine times, and now sits second on this list of all-time Monday Night Raw appearances.

(photo courtesy of tpww.net)

At the time of Chris Jericho's jump to WWE, he was one of WCW's most recognizable faces, with his untouchable microphone skills, hilarious gimmicks (such as the classic Jericho Personal Security guard angle with "Ralphus"), and sharp, stiff, and creative in-ring skills to boot. Jericho's jump solidified the evident WWE victory of the Monday Night Wars, as they had not lost to WCW's Monday Nitro in months, and were progressively pulling away in the ratings.

As significant an event as his debut was to the world of wrestling, it was especially significant in my young adolescent eyes. At that time I was a massive wrestling fan, and an avid Jerichoholic. While I may not watch wrestling with the same wide-eyed enthusiasm as i once did, events like RAW's 1000th episode offer fans like me a chance to relive those classic an nostalgic moments that had such a resonating effect on my youth.

*The Last Emperor’s Last Hurrah

(photo courtesy of fiveouncesofpain.com)

As was the storyline for most of his career, Fedor Emelianenko’s final matchup leaves fight fans with little more than another question of “what-if?” Squaring off in his final career fight versus UFC veteran Pedro Rizzo tomorrow night on a card for M-1 Global, many wonder what could have been for the once mighty Russian.

It’s no secret in the MMA world that Fedor missed the boat, failing to capitalize on his once-untouchable status as one of the pound-for-pound baddest men on the planet. He built his kingdom on the corpses of UFC throwaways, but never took the plunge into the world’s biggest fight promotion. Fedor’s management team has taken the bulk of the blame for the signing never materializing, with several negotiations with Zuffa falling apart over the years. 

(photo courtesy of steverattlemma.com)

The problem is, he held onto that formula for far too long, eventually seeing his amazing unbeaten streak ended by Fabricio Werdum, followed by two more consecutive losses to Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Dan Henderson, effectively putting an end to any and all mystique built around him.

So what can be gleaned from Fedor’s meteoric rise, and subsequent fall from grace? Well, if anything, his story serves as a cautionary tale for any young hotshot thinking that they are bigger than the sport. It’s an old cliché, but those who think of themselves in that light often see negative karmatic returns, as the business of sports inevitably balances it’s own moral ledgers sooner or later (see “Allen Iverson”). 

Seeing Emelianenko face off with Rizzo will be a bittersweet affair for hardcore MMA fans. While still enticing on a billboard, this fight would have the makings of an instant classic had it taken place several years ago, when both fighters were much closer to their primes. A match-up of that calibre could have, at that time, been a legitimate UFC main event, but fans will now endure a match-up of two men who are undeniably shells of their former selves.

(photo courtesy of mmaplayground.com)

During the post-PRIDE period, when Fedor was destroying lesser opponents like Tim Sylvia and Hong Man Choi, UFC fans could have been treated to fights that would have been far more intriguing, not just from a raw skill standpoint, but also in terms of sheer status. Fedor vs. Nogueira 2, Fedor vs. Randy Couture, Fedor vs. Brock Lesnar, all fights which would have had massive pay-per-view buy rates. Emelianenko could have cemented himself as a true legend of the sport by stepping onto that stage, but seemed more concerned with maintaining status quo than achieving ultimate status. His preoccupation with the preservation of his legacy will now be the defining trait that ultimately tarnishes it.

One more what-if for people to ponder: What if Emelianenko shows up in St. Petersburg and absolutely dominates Rizzo like the Fedor of old? Will the competitive bug in him seek out one more fight? And if not, is a dominant performance over a 38-year-old Rizzo enough for people to say that he left on top? As fighters like Bob Sapp have proven, there is plenty of money to made headlining on the independent circuit, and if nothing else, Fedor is a name that will put butts in seats.

If this really is the end for “The Last Emporor”, his body of work, although still truly great, will always have a stigma hanging over it; the stigma of greed, the stigma of vanity, and the stigma of never proving his greatness on the world’s biggest stage. What a sin.