Welcome, true believers!
Well, now that the new year is upon us, Chris Jericho has decided to speak out! Chris Jericho has decided to give his side of the story! Chris Jericho has decided to don his wolf suit and raid the WCW Chicken Coop. And if I ruffle any feathers along the way ... well that's the idea, isn't it?
First, let me explain just why I decided to take on this grueling task, just why I'm scaling this journalistic mountain and cutting this paper-chase knot with the broadsword of my observations.
After reading WCW Magazine for the past 18 months, I have enjoyed some of the columns, but there were more than a few times when I was appalled at some of the others. That's when I thought to myself, "CJ, you can do better than that!" And there's no reason why I can't at least give it a shot. Unbeknownst to most wrestling fans, I obtained a degree in journalism from Red River Community College in Winnipeg, Man., before I went to the Hart Brothers Pro Wrestling Camp and began my grappling career.
So, yes, I am the real deal when it comes to writers. This is my maiden voyage on the good ship WCW Magazine. Live and uncensored, penned exclusively by your fearless host with no help from a faceless ghostwriter or a professional spin doctor. 100 percent pure Jericho!
Now to the biggest news of the year, even though we're only hours into 1998. Of course I'm talking about Bret Hart's jump to WCW. By this time, you've heard everybody's opinions and thoughts on this monumental tale and now you get to hear mine.
When I was growing up in Canada, I always admired the entire Hart family and their classic Stampede wrestling circuit. So much that it influenced me to devote my life to becoming the ultimate of ultimates: A professional wrestler. Since Bret was the biggest star of the family, I always envisioned myself someday meeting and working with him. I can remember a school-bud of mine and I creating the scenario in which we would team up against Bret and his partner, Jim Neidhart -- and upset them for their belts.
Well, that school-bud is currently residing in the "Where Are They Now?" file, yet I'm here in WCW ... and so is Bret Hart.
To be quite honest with you, I've got mixed feelings about his arrival. Bret is my friend now, a confidant, a mentor, and personally I'm excited. But his arrival has the impact of a boulder being thrown into hte already overflowing WCW talent pool. Some of the water is going to be forced out of the pool, only to be mopped off the tiles by a janitor named Dutch, that talent to be forgotten forever. This means less TV time, less interview time, and an overall decreased emphasis on myself and wrestlers of my generation.
That brings us to both the greatest problem AND the greatest strength of WCW right now: The depth of talent.
Right now, WCW boasts the greatest roster of talent from all over the world, with more arriving almost daily. What other company boasts stars like Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko and Eddy Guerrero, three of the most well-rounded, diversified and entertaining performers of this or any other ^decade! How about the bone-crushing pure wrestling talents of Steven Regal and "Fit" Finlay? Is there a more jaw-dropping, "What the heck was that?" aerial performer than Rey Mysterio Jr., or Juventud Guerrera? Then there's Psychosis, Ultimo Dragon, Mortis, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Saturn, Kidman with countless others waiting in hte wings, all of us bursting for teh chance to bust out and become bigger stars.
That's the problem, grappleheads. There's not a lot of top positions open right now. The upper-echelon isn't currently taking applications for main event employment. I mean look at THAT list. Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sting, Lex Lugar, Curt Hennig, DDP, Randy Savage ... all of them top stars with years of exposure and experience, years of being in the forefront of my sport.
Now add to that elite list, Bret Hart.
So what do WE do? What do the future first-liners, the understudies, the opening acts to the morality play, do in the meantime?
We wait.
We wait because sooner or later we'll be up to bat. And when it's our turn, we're going to be chomping at the bit to prove ourselves worthy.
There's a reason why Nitro is the most popular show in wrestling history. The answer: depth. Every time we step into the ring, we work our butts off and the fans know it -- and they're starting to dig that work ethic.
As we prepare to enter a new millennium, the never-ending question arises again, "Who will lead this sport into the future?" You can say you know who -- and the future has arrived!
So welcome to WCW, Bret! I know you're going to kick butt, work hard and continue to amaze and impress the fans, adding to your already legendary status. But when you feel that breath on your back and hear the footsteps behind you, know that we're not far behind you ... and we're HUNGRY!!!!
In closing, remember to give all your problems to the Liontamer, and God bless you all!
