Jericho’s Games: The Downfall of His Wrestling Career?
By Kevin Kelly
Despite it being halted somewhat by film pacing issues, ABC’s “Downfall” may prove to be the launching pad for Chris Jericho’s post-WWE career. It may also tweak the nips of those in charge of the WWE just enough to push Chris out the door even earlier. The fact that Chris Jericho took this job in the first place shocked me…
I have written about this before and I speak about it in-depth at the many camps and seminars I have run. Life in the WWE is a fishbowl. Eyes are on you at all times, not only from the fans outside the bowl but the other wrestlers inside the bowl with you, with the office standing around the edge of the bowl looking down, as the ominous keepers of opportunity…
WWE talent lives in fear all the time and the system is set up to keep them feeling that way. The guys and gals in WWE Developmental are usually paranoid basket cases or completely clueless. Low-level WWE call-ups rarely enjoy the experience of “finally making it” because their guts are in knots all the time. Mid-card guys are on the wheel and making decent scratch but creative focuses on the top guys, while the “middles” are encouraged to feed ideas that rarely get used, which increase paranoia.
All the while, conflicting information, feedback and direction makes the talent reach for the Prozac Smoothies but that’s how the office likes it. Vince loves conflict but is conflicted. He knows what he likes but changes his mind often. Since the office’s sole goal is to kiss VKM rear end, they rarely show conviction for their ideas. No individual thought is allowed… it is “group think” to the highest degree, with many battles going on behind the scenes to jockey for “posterior proximity”.
More on page 2…
