Day: June 12, 2018

Chris Jericho and the Mt. Rushmore of Wrestling

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

A week or so ago (it’s hard to really pinpoint approximate times and dates for New Japan for me), Chris Jericho defeated Tetsuya Naito and became the IWGP Intercontinental Champion.

There was a time where I was often unimpressed with Chris Jericho, because he seemed to me as somewhat of a performer that operated on a formula.  He’d vanish for six weeks to six months, reemerge to monster, welcome back pops, have one or two notable feuds where he’d ultimately lose in the end, and then vanish again, only to repeat the process again in another six weeks to six months.  In the midst of each of these tenures, he’d win an Intercontinental championship, and then give the rub to some main players on the way out.

I always thought of him as an extremely talented worker, that understood ring psychology and had a very deep wealth of technical ability, but I also thought of him as a guy that had the ability to adjust the knob up or down depending on the magnitude or quality of the feud, and/or his general enthusiasm for it.  Examples of when Jericho shined were his feuds with Shawn Michaels and AJ Styles come immediately to mind, but I thought his work with guys like John Cena and CM Punk were uncharacteristically weak.

Perhaps it was his books, or his podcast, that I indulged in, because I’m a wrestling fan, but my opinions of Jericho have gradually changed over the more recent years, and I’ve grown to really admire, appreciate and enjoy all of the things that he’s been doing not just now, but throughout his career, through a refreshed re-analysis of his past work.

Looking back, it’s pretty crazy to think of anyone voluntarily leaving WCW and their fat paychecks, back when they were thoroughly winning the Monday Night Wars, week after week, beating WWE RAW in the ratings.  But completely unhappy with his career in WCW, Jericho endured a typical WCW farewell tour, meaning he was completely removed from television and if he was used, it was to job to Ralphus, a fat non-wrestler, and then jumped ship to the WWE, where he would basically start over and rise to heights that WCW was completely silly to never have capitalized on.

But then we come to the span of the last year, nearly 18 years after when Jericho jumped from WCW to WWE.  An older Jericho, despite his ability to perform, frankly wasn’t getting the opportunities to shine in the WWE.  I’m not sure whether he opted to not re-sign a contract with the WWE or if the WWE even offered one, but very quietly, Chris Jericho kind of vanished from WWE television after his last program with Kevin Owens.*

*Yes, I’m aware of his appearance in the “greatest” Royal Rumble, but one-offs happen all the time in the WWE

Continue reading “Chris Jericho and the Mt. Rushmore of Wrestling” →

Shouldn’t the slogan be different this time around?

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

I was outside with the dogs this morning letting them do their business, and I couldn’t help but notice that someone within eyeshot of my own fucking front door had erected a Trump-Pence Make America Great Again campaign sign in their yard.  It’s 2018, and we haven’t even hit the midterms yet; the steam rising from the turd known as the 2016 election has barely dissipated, and this household is already putting their signs up for 2020?  I can barely stand campaign signs in the two months before the presidential election, am I going to have to open my front door and see this shit for two more years?

This is literally what my face does when I think about it.

It’s a mixed household where it’s an elderly man, presumably living with a married child, who has their own children.  Although dad literally does nothing but tool around on a classic Chevelle every single day, the wife of the couple and their kids always smile and wave to me, the Chinaman across the street, whenever we’re outside at the same time.  I wouldn’t expect such a friendly gesture from a household that advertises their particular political tastes, but then again fewer things epitomize white culture than false niceties.  Or perhaps it’s dad with the obvious political preference, with more liberal thinking children.

Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a husband in that household equation. Hm.

Interestingly, this household has Hispanic landscapers who do a fantastic job of maintaining their lawn.  They used to do my lawn as well until I realized that my actual property extended far beyond what we had originally arranged, leading me to have to end my business with them for financial reasons.  But I wonder if they know that one of their clients is a supporter of a guy who has some pretty extreme prejudices against Latinos?  Did they know his political leanings two years ago?  Or do they prioritize making the money first and foremost?

Continue reading “Shouldn’t the slogan be different this time around?” →