Seattle could do nothing but appreciate the amazing heart, resilience and will of both Michaels and Jericho, as the crowd stayed on their feet cheering both the victor and the loser as they both got to their feet, exhausted and emotional. Michaels extended his hand to Jericho, to which Jericho came up and hugged HBK, thanking him for the hard fought match they had both endured. Well, at least that’s what everybody thought as Jericho would still stay sour about losing the contest by kicking Shawn below the belt in mid hug, pushing HBK to the ground and leaving the ring in a fit of rage.
The Outlaw’s Opinion
I don’t need to see Shawn Michaels’ Iron Man Match with Bret Hart or Chris Jericho’s feuds with Chris Benoit, Triple H or The Rock to understand why these two wrestlers will be considered two greats of their time… this match to me sums up exactly why. Not only did it possess incredible athleticism and excellent mat-based wrestling, but it incorporated charisma, ego and attitude to really give what was happening in the ring personality. Personally, Chris Jericho has always been one of my favourite wrestlers when it comes to entertaining the fans. It’s not just how athletic he is or his ability at submission and hold and counter hold wrestling, but it’s the attitude he brings to the game on the mic, in his entrance and the way he goes about spicing things up in the ring. He didn’t have a Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley to grope and kiss in this match or wrestler like The Rock or Austin to talk trash to… He did however, commandeer classic moves from the Michaels playbook and mock the legend. Those who supported Jericho loved it and those who hated Jericho loved it. It was his cheeky confidence that came with being a bad guy that secretly everyone loved seeing him embody. No one can tell me that you can have too much charisma in a wrestling match and that’s something that modern day superstars should really start taking notes on. I don’t care if you’re The Great Khali and you’re 7 foot 4 inches… if you’re just standing there in the ring muttering gibberish and chopping guys across the head, sorry mate… you’re not entertaining me.
One cannot create a legacy based on being really big, or really strong. There have been bigger, stronger, meaner, more athletic guys than Hogan, Austin, Rock, Triple H and the Undertaker (not to mention Michaels and Jericho) over the years but they have all fallen before superstars of the calibre in which these guys are regarded because they don’t incorporate any personality, any attitude into their matches. Nobody cares how big you are, if you don’t entertain the fans, you’re dancing in the wrong ring. This is not to discount the athleticism shown in this fantastic Wrestlemania encounter as any wrestling traditionalist would be on his feet in applause of the performance of both superstars. However, the charisma, ego and attitude incorporated into this match, elevated it from being a good match, to being something special.
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