Original subtitles

THROUGHOUT THE 1990S, MONDAY

NIGHT SERVED AS A PRIME TIME

BATTLEFIELD THAT TRANSFORMED

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING INTO

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

TED TURNER'S WCW TOOK ON VINCE

MCMAHON'S WWE FOR RATING

SUPREMACY AT THE RISK OF

EXTINCTION AS INNOVATION AND

EVOLUTION PAVED THE WAY FOR A

KING TO BE CROWNED.

GIVE ME A ROUND OF APPLAUSE

RIGHT NOW!

GIFTED WITH A UNIQUE

COMBINATION OF CHARISMA AND

ATHLETICISM.

OH, JERICHO!

HOW 'BOUT THAT ONE?

BUT BURDENED WITH EARLY

FRUSTRATIONS AND STIGMAS, ONE

MAN WAS DETERMINED TO PERSEVERE

THROUGH IT ALL.

LOOK AT THAT SIGN.

THERE ARE JERICHOHOLICS.

AND IN AN ERA OF LARGER THAN

LIFE ICONS, CHRIS JERICHO WOULD

CARVE OUT A PLACE FOR HIMSELF AS

ONE OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

WELCOME TO RAW IS JERICHO!

THIS IS THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW!

WHAT IN HELL IS HE DOING

HERE?

WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW!

MONDAY NITRO!

GOD AS OUR WITNESS, HE IS

BROKEN IN HALF!

AUSTIN 3:16 SAYS I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR --!

BRET SCREWED BRET.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER, BROTHER.

YOU CAN JUST SUCK IT!

WE ARE AT WAR.

HELLO, EVERYBODY, AND HAPPY

1996!

WE ARE COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM

ATLANTA, GA, THE HOME OF THE NO.

1 WRESTLING PROGRAM ANYWHERE IN

THE WORLD, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING LIVE NITRO, TNT!

IN EARLY 1996, SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT WAS IN THE MIDST

OF A RENAISSANCE.

TED TURNER'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING WAS BATTLING

LONG-STANDING INDUSTRY LEADER

VINCE MCMAHON'S WWE EVERY MONDAY

NIGHT IN PRIME TIME.

RAW AND NITRO RAN HEAD TO HEAD,

AND AS THE COMPETITION

INTENSIFIED, THE AUDIENCE GREW,

WITH FANS BOTH NEW AND OLD

CHOOSING SIDES.

TO ME, IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT

THE WWE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I

GREW UP WATCHING.

WHEN I STARTED IN 1990, IT WAS

ALL ABOUT KIND OF THE BIG GIANT

GUYS, YOU KNOW, 6-FOOT-8, 300

POUND, 24-INCH PYTHONS.

AND WHEN I FIRST SAID THAT I

WANTED TO GET INTO WRESTLING,

PEOPLE WERE LIKE, "OH, YOU'RE

TOO SMALL."

AND I NEVER REALLY SAW IT THAT

WAY.

IT'S JUST LIKE, "WELL, I DON'T

REALLY AGREE.

I'M JUST GONNA DO IT ANYWAYS."

BUT THEN WHEN I STARTED GOING

OVERSEAS, THEN SIZE DIDN'T

IT WAS ALL ABOUT YOUR

PERFORMANCE.

CHRIS JERICHO WOULD HONE HIS

CRAFT BOTH INTERNATIONALLY AND

IN SMALLER DOMESTIC PROMOTIONS,

GAINING VALUABLE EXPERIENCE AND

A STRONG WORK ETHIC.

I SAW HIM IN MEXICO, THEN

FROM THERE, HE WENT TO JAPAN,

AND HE SPENT, LIKE, FIVE, SIX

YEARS LEARNING THE JAPANESE

STYLE.

CHRIS JERICHO'S BEEN EVERYWHERE.

YOU REALLY HAD TO WANT IT TO

DO THESE THINGS, AND TRAVEL

OVERSEAS.

AND THEN RIGHT AWAY, I REALIZED

THIS IS WHAT I WANNA DO.

I'D RATHER BE ON THE ROAD FOR

EIGHT, NINE, TEN MONTHS AND NOT

SEE MY PARENTS OR MY FRIENDS OR

WHATEVER, BUT AS LONG AS I'M

WORKING EVERY NIGHT, DOING WHAT

I LOVE TO DO, THEN THAT'S ALL

THAT MATTERS.

CHRIS IS ONE OF THOSE GUYS

THAT IS VERY DRIVEN.

EVERYTHING THAT HE DOES, HE PUTS

100 PERCENT EFFORT INTO IT.

AND WHEN HE TAKES SOMETHING ON,

HE TAKES IT TO THE FULLEST.

DURING FEBRUARY OF 1996, RAW

AND NITRO WERE BATTLING IT OUT

IN FRONT OF MILLIONS OF VIEWERS

EACH WEEK.

MEANWHILE, CHRIS JERICHO DEBUTED

IN EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING, A SMALL REGIONAL

PROMOTION, RECOGNIZED AS SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT'S UP-AND-COMING

ALTERNATIVE BRAND.

ECW WAS A DIFFERENT ANIMAL.

THEY FEATURED HARDCORE, THEY

FEATURED CRUISERWEIGHTS.

PAUL HEYMAN NURTURED AND

DEVELOPED HIS TALENT.

THE ECW HAD TALENT SCOUTS ALL

OVER THE WORLD RIGHT THERE IN MY

LOCKER ROOM.

ANYBODY THAT HAD WORKED IN JAPAN

WAS PUTTING IN A GOOD WORD FOR

CHRIS JERICHO.

THEY ALL WANTED TO WORK WITH

HIM.

THEY ALL THOUGHT HE WOULD

CONNECT WITH OUR AUDIENCE JUST

LIKE THAT.

PLEASE WELCOME TO EXTREME

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, LION

HEART CHRIS JERICHO!

CHRIS JERICHO'S STYLE WORKED

PERFECTLY IN ECW BECAUSE ECW WAS

BRINGING IN INTERNATIONAL TALENT

FROM MEXICO AND JAPAN, WHICH

FEATURED THE JAPANESE STRONG

STYLE AND MEXICAN LUCHA LIBRE.

AND ANYBODY WHO COULD UTILIZE

THE JAPANESE STRONG STYLE OR

MEXICAN LUCHA LIBRE WAS AN

INSTANT HIT WITH THE ORIGINAL

ECW AUDIENCE, WHICH CHRIS WAS.

THE FANS CHANTING, "LION

HEART, LION HEART" SOLIDLY

BEHIND NEWCOMER CHRIS JERICHO.

CHRIS JERICHO WHEN HE FIRST

CAME INTO ECW, HE HAD AMAZING

BUZZ ABOUT HIM.

HE HAD SOME GREAT MATCHES.

I REMEMBER WATCHING HIM DO A TOP

ROPE FRANKENSTEINER AGAINST 2

COLD SCORPIO WHEN HE WON THE TV

TITLE.

HE FIT IN PERFECTLY.

AND FOR THE TIME THAT HE WAS

THERE, HE HAD NOTHING BUT GREAT

MATCHES.

JERICHO, WITH A GREAT FAN

FOLLOWING HERE, DESPITE ONLY

BEING IN ECW FOR A FEW MONTHS.

I ONLY WORKED THERE A TOTAL,

I THINK, OF 22 MATCHES, BUT IT

WAS ENOUGH TO REALLY TO BOOST MY

WHOLE PROFILE.

BY THE SUMMER OF 1996, WCW

MONDAY NITRO WAS DISTANCING

ITSELF FROM MONDAY NIGHT RAW IN

THE CABLE TELEVISION RATINGS,

THANKS IN LARGE PART TO THE

POPULARITY OF THEIR VILLAINOUS

GROUP OF SUPERSTARS, THE NEW

WORLD ORDER.

BUT COMPLEMENTING THESE

REBELLIOUS MAIN EVENTERS WAS

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING'S

CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION, AN

ENSEMBLE OF HIGH-FLYING

ENTERTAINERS FROM AROUND THE

WORLD, SIGNED BY WCW EXECUTIVE

PRODUCER, ERIC BISCHOFF.

ERIC BISCHOFF SAW THESE GUYS,

HE SAW THEM COMPETE IN ECW, SAW

THEM INTERNATIONALLY, AND SAID,

"I WANT SOME OF THAT."

SO HE GRABBED THOSE GUYS, AND HE

GAVE THEM A CHANCE TO WRESTLE

FOR GOOD MONEY FOR WCW.

I THINK ERIC TOOK A CHANCE OF

BRINGING A BUNCH OF UNKNOWN

CRUISERWEIGHTS, AND GOING OUT

AND HAVING THOSE GUYS HAVE THEIR

OWN SPOTLIGHT WITHIN THE SHOW.

IT WAS NEW, IT WAS FAST, AND IT

WAS NEVER DONE.

AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THAT

WAS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY

A LOT OF VIEWERSHIP WAS WATCHING

WCW AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE IT

WAS DIFFERENT.

EDDIE, THE FROGSPLASH!

HE WINS!

[ BELL RINGING ]

THERE ARE MORE NEW,

UP-AND-COMING INTERNATIONAL

SUPERSTARS HERE IN WCW THAN

ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET.

I LITERALLY DID EVERYTHING THAT

I COULD DO TO BE DIFFERENT IN

THE WWE.

ONCE THE WHOLE CRUISERWEIGHT

DIVISION STARTED COMING TOGETHER

IN MY MIND, CHRIS JERICHO WAS AT

THE TOP OF A VERY SHORT OF GUYS

THAT I REALLY WANTED TO BE A

PART OF THAT CRUISERWEIGHT

DIVISION.

JERICHO WAS THE ECW WORLD

TELEVISION CHAMPION, AND HE

WRESTLED ON A SHOW IN LOS

ANGELES CALLED THE WORLD

WRESTLING PEACE FESTIVAL.

AND ERIC BISCHOFF WAS GOING TO

BE AT THE SHOW.

AND I TURNED TO MY INNER CIRCLE

IN ECW AND SAID, "WE JUST LOST

CHRIS JERICHO."

AFTER YEARS OF PERFORMING

OVERSEAS AND IN ECW, CHRIS

JERICHO SIGNED WITH WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, AND WAS

ABOUT TO GET HIS FIRST TASTE OF

CABLE TELEVISION EXPOSURE ON A

LIVE EPISODE OF MONDAY NITRO.

FOR ME, IT WAS AWESOME,

BECAUSE I WAS IN THE BIG

LEAGUES.

EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T WWE, IT

WAS STILL THE BIG LEAGUES.

AND IT WAS, LIKE, FACE-TO-FACE

WITH WWE AT THAT TIME.

SO, I WAS THINKING, "OKAY.

WELL, IF I CAN GO WORK FOR WCW,

AT LEAST NOW VINCE MCMAHON HAS

TO SEE ME AND KNOW WHO I AM AT

THIS POINT."

SO I WAS HAPPY TO GO TO WCW, BUT

IT STILL WASN'T WHERE I WANTED

TO BE, BUT IT WAS THE NEXT STEP.

PHENOMENAL YOUNG ATHLETE,

CHRIS JERICHO FROM CANADA.

I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT HIM.

HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH HIM

WRESTLE IN LOS ANGELES A WHILE

BACK.

VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIM.

OH, YEAH!

COME ON!

ON AUGUST 26TH, 1996, CHRIS

JERICHO MADE HIS DEBUT IN WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

COMPETING AS THE NEWEST MEMBER

OF THE CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION ON

MONDAY NITRO, HE WOULD BEGIN HIS

WCW CAREER IN THE NATIONAL

SPOTLIGHT.

CHRIS JERICHO, JUST ANOTHER

IN A LONG LINE OF INCREDIBLE

ATHLETES, COMING TO MAKE A NAME

FOR HIMSELF IN WCW, WHERE THE

BIG BOYS PLAY.

I KNEW CHRIS COULD HOLD HIS

OWN.

YOU CAN LOOK AT A PERSON AND

TELL IF HE'S PRETTY TOUGH.

EVEN WITH THE BLONDE HAIR AND

THE PRETTY-BOY LOOK, YOU COULD

TELL CHRIS WAS STILL A PRETTY

TOUGH GUY.

I'M IMPRESSED WITH JERICHO.

I USED TO WORK WITH HIM.

COULD SEE THAT HE HAD A TON OF

CHARISMA AND A TON OF ABILITY.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT

HERE COULD BE THE BACKBONE OF

WCW IN THE YEARS TO COME.

ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WCW

WAS SO HUGE, AND WHY IT WAS

BEATING WWE FOR SO MANY WEEKS,

YEARS EVEN, WAS BECAUSE OF THE

UNDERCARD, BECAUSE OF GUYS LIKE

ME.

AND I THINK WE PUT ON AMAZING

MATCHES OF A STYLE THAT NO ONE

HAD EVER SEEN.

JERICHO WAS IMPRESSIVE INSIDE

THE RING, BUT SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT WAS UNDERGOING A

CONTEMPORARY TRANSFORMATION.

THE REBELLIOUS NWO DOMINATED

NITRO'S AIRTIME, AND CHRIS

JERICHO RECEIVED LITTLE

ATTENTION EARLY ON FROM WCW'S

FAN BASE.

HE WAS A STAR THAT PERHAPS

WASN'T EXACTLY REFINED AT THAT

POINT.

WHEN HE FIRST CAME INTO WCW,

HE WAS THAT STEREOTYPICAL,

"YEAH, COME ON, BABY!"

YOU KNOW, DOING THE ...

FIGHTING -- FIGHTING THE GOOD

FIGHT.

THAT -- OBVIOUSLY, IT'S NOT HIM.

I DIDN'T HAVE A CHARACTER IN

MY INITIAL RUN WITH WCW.

THERE WASN'T ONE.

THIS WAS '96, TIMES WERE

CHANGING.

AND THE NWO, THEY WERE THE BAD

GUYS GETTING CHEERED.

SO HERE I WAS, LONG BLONDE HAIR,

GOOD LOOKING GUY, HIGH-FLYER,

AND THEY MADE ME THIS LIKE CLEAN

CUT SQUEAKY CLEAN BABY-FACE.

ARE YOU READY?

COME ON!

IT'S ...

LOOK AT ALL THESE, LOOK AT THIS!

COME ON!

IT WAS LIKE ULTIMATE WORST

THING YOU COULD BE.

I THOUGHT HE WAS CHARISMATIC,

BUT IN THE EARLY '90S, A LOT OF

WRESTLERS WERE -- WERE KIND OF

LAME [LAUGHS] ,

AND HE SEEMED KIND OF LAME.

NWO, WE'LL SEE WHO THE BETTER

MAN IS!

WHAT A WIMP!

THE SHADES HAD TURNED TO

WHITE AND BLACK TO THIS AREA OF

GRAY, AND I WAS JUST LEFT OUT IN

THE COLD IN WCW WITH NOTHING.

UH-OH.

JERICHO'S HUNG UP ON THIS

MATCH.

HE'S JUST -- HE'S JUST HUNG UP

HERE.

NWO WERE THE BAD GUYS THAT

PEOPLE LOVED.

IF YOU WERE IN THAT NO MAN'S

LAND OF NO PUSH, NO INTERVIEW,

NO NOTHING, YOU WERE GETTING

DESTROYED WHEN YOU WERE UP

AGAINST THE NWO.

SO IT WAS A BAD PLACE TO BE.

IT WAS REALLY NOT A GOOD TIME

'CAUSE YOU WERE JUST KIND OF

LOST.

YOU'D SHOW UP FOR TV EVERY WEEK,

HAVING NO PURPOSE.

HERE WAS CHEESY LITTLE CHRIS

JERICHO WITH LONG BLONDE HAIR,

TRYING TO DO SOME FLIPS.

MAN, THIS GUY'S A LOSER.

I WAS JUST A BODY, JUST A GUY

THAT WAS THERE.

BY JANUARY OF 1998, MONDAY

NITRO WAS BREAKING RATINGS

RECORDS, BUT CHRIS JERICHO WAS

LOST IN THE SHUFFLE OF A

TALENTED ROSTER.

WITH HIS CHARACTER IN NEED OF

ALTERATIONS, JERICHO WOULD

FINALLY GET THE VILLAINOUS

MAKEOVER HE HAD BEEN HOPING FOR.

ONE DAY, TERRY TAYLOR GOES, "ARE

YOU READY?"

I'M LIKE, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

"YOU'RE GONNA TURN HEEL."

AND I WAS LIKE, "OH, MY GOSH.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, LORD."

LIKE, HALLELUJAH!

LIKE, FINALLY.

[ CROWD BOOING ]

THAT'S A TELEVISION STEEL BOX

-- TOOLBOX.

OH!

DRILLED IT STRAIGHT INTO THE

KNEECAP.

THE BEST CHARACTERS ARE YOUR

REAL PERSONA TURNED UP TO 10.

I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!

AND I'M SARCASTIC.

I'M AN ANTAGONIST.

I CAN BE A -- WHEN I NEED TO

BE, AND ESPECIALLY IN FRONT OF

THE CROWD, I'M A HAM.

DON'T BOO ME!

HE HEARS THEM.

DON'T YOU BOO ME!

ALL RIGHT, LET ME GIVE YOU A

REASON TO BOO.

COME ON, BOO.

COME ON AND BOO.

STOP THIS.

LET'S BOO.

I NEED TO BE.

YOU COULDN'T DO THAT AS THIS --

IN THIS BOX OF BEING THE WHITE

MEAT, BABY-FACE.

BUT TO BE A HEEL, I COULD DO

WHATEVER I WANTED, AND I DID.

THIS IS THE FACE THAT YOU

PEOPLE PAY TO SEE EACH AND EVERY

WEEK.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, 4 MILLION

JERICHOHOLICS TUNE INTO NITRO TO

WATCH ME EVERY SINGLE WEEK.

AND I TALKED TO THE WCW

COMMITTEE.

I WANT THE NAME OF THIS SHOW

CHANGED FROM WCW MONDAY NITRO TO

WCW MONDAY JERICHO.

NOW, I COULD SAY WHATEVER I

WANTED, LITERALLY, BECAUSE THERE

WAS NO FILTER, THERE WAS NO

THERE WAS NOTHING.

I TALKED WITH J.J.

DILLON, AND HE'S 83 PERCENT SURE

THEY'RE GONNA CHANGE THE NAME.

INSTANTLY I HAD A CHARACTER,

AND INSTANTLY I HAD A REACTION,

WHICH I NEVER HAD BEFORE.

HE KNEW HOW TO GRAB PEOPLE,

PULLED THEM IN AND DO EVERYTHING

TO IRRITATE YOU AS A FAN.

GIVE ME A ROUND OF APPLAUSE

RIGHT NOW.

HE GOT UNDER YOUR SKIN.

EVERYTHING HE DID, IT GOT UNDER

YOUR SKIN, WHICH FOR A VIEWER,

THAT'S GREAT.

COME ON, BABY!

THE BEAUTY OF A GUY LIKE

CHRIS JERICHO WAS THAT HE WAS A

VERY INTELLIGENT GUY.

HE ANNOYED YOU WITH HIS

BRILLIANCE.

YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HERE

KNOWS THAT ...

OF THIS TOWN?

EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS THAT TERRY

HUTT IS MY FAVORITE TOWN.

BEING IN WCW, I LEARNED A

COUPLE OF THINGS.

I LEARNED HOW TO TAKE A CHANCE,

HOW TO BE FEARLESS IN FRONT OF A

CROWD, AND HOW TO TAKE THE MOST

MINIMAL OF TV TIME AND MAKE IT

GOOD.

IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE MINUTE,

HEY, YOU GOT ONE MINUTE.

THAT'S A WHOLE MINUTE IN FRONT

OF 5 MILLION PEOPLE, YOU BETTER

DO SOMETHING WITH IT.

I WANT YOU TO WANT ME.

CHRIS JERICHO WAS NEVER

SUPPOSED TO BE THE STAR THAT HE

WAS.

HE DID THAT ON HIS OWN.

BUT PART OF THE REASON HE WAS

ABLE TO DO THAT WAS BECAUSE HE'D

HAD A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FREEDOM.

I WOULD SAY, "ERIC, CAN I DO

A PROMO TONIGHT?"

"YEAH, YEAH.

JUST KEEP -- MAKE SURE IT'S

SHORT."

AND OF COURSE, THERE'S MY

FUTURE, WHICH IS SO BRIGHT I

GOTS TO WEAR SHADES.

JERICHO WAS ATHLETIC.

HE WAS ENTERTAINING.

HE WAS CHARISMATIC.

HE MADE MONDAY NIGHT NITRO

MONDAY NIGHT JERICHO.

AND HE WORE THE T-SHIRTS, HE HAD

SIGNS.

HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT

EVERYONE KNEW WHO CHRIS JERICHO

WAS.

LOOK AT THAT SIGN.

THERE ARE JERICHOHOLICS.

FOR THE PEOPLE THAT KIND OF

UNDERSTOOD WHAT I WAS DOING,

SUDDENLY I WAS THE NEW GENIUS ON

THE BLOCK.

AND FOR THE OTHER 95 PERCENT OF

THE PEOPLE THAT HAD NO IDEA WHO

I WAS, IT WAS LIKE, "WHO IS THIS

IDIOT MAKING A FOOL OF HIMSELF?

WE HATE THIS GUY."

CHRIS JERICHO HAD BEGUN TO

MAKE A NAME FOR HIMSELF BY

TAPPING INTO HIS OWN

PERSONALITY.

A RIVALRY WITH INDUSTRY VETERAN

DEAN MALENKO WOULD FURTHER HELP

JERICHO STAND OUT FROM THE

CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION.

YOU KNOW, DEAN, YOU LET A LOT

OF PEOPLE DOWN, A LOT OF PEOPLE,

INCLUDING MYSELF, DOWN WHEN YOU

QUIT AND WENT HOME AFTER LOSING

YOUR MATCH TO ME.

CHRIS IS ONE OF THOSE GUYS,

JUST HAS A LOT OF CHARISMA.

HE'S A VERY ENTERTAINING

CHARACTER.

THE MANNERISMS ...

HE'S TRYING TO GET HIMSELF IN

THEM.

OF THE ICEMAN DEAN MALENKO.

SURE, HE'S MOCKING MALENKO.

THAT'S WHAT HE'S DOING.

I WASN'T ON TV, BUT HE WAS

TALKING ABOUT ME.

AND WE HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH

THAT, AND WE DID A LOT OF

DONE BEFORE.

SO, DEAN, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO

BE THE NO. 2 WRESTLER IN THE

ENTIRE WORLD, NEXT TO MYSELF,

OF COURSE?

SPEAK INTO THE MIC, DEAN.

JERICHO WAS SO GREAT AT JUST

BEING ANNOYING, BEING

ENTERTAINING.

WHEN I THINK OF HOW YOU

DEDICATED YOUR CAREER TO YOUR

LATE FATHER, ONE THING POPS INTO

MY HEAD.

YOUR FATHER MUST BE ROLLING IN

HIS GRAVE!

I MEAN, THERE IS NOT ANYBODY

AT HOME THAT COULDN'T BE LIKE,

"HEY, I WANT DEAN MALENKO TO

KICK HIS --."

WE WERE A PERFECT MESH FOR

EACH OTHER.

OVER THE TOP WITH A GERMAN

RELEASE SUPLEX.

IN THE RING, WE HAD GREAT

MATCHES.

AND THEN OUTSIDE OF THE RING, HE

COULD JUST BE SERIOUS DEAN

MALENKO AND I COULD JUST BE

OVER-THE-TOP JERICHO, AND PEOPLE

JUST HATED ME FOR IT BECAUSE

THEY REALLY RESPECTED HIM.

THE ICEMAN DEAN MALENKO, THE

MAN OF 1,000 HOLDS.

DEAN MALENKO'S WHOLE THING

WAS THE STONE-FACED, NO-NONSENSE

GUY.

FULL ARMDRAG TWIST, AND AN

ARM WHIP TAKEDOWN.

JERICHO WENT ABOVE AND

BEYOND.

IT WAS LIKE, "HE'S GOT 1,000

HOLDS?

I'M GONNA SHOW I GOT 1,004."

AND I WROTE 'EM ALL DOWN,

HERE WE GO.

HOLD ONE, ARMDRAG.

WENT THROUGH NUMBER TWO AND

NUMBER THREE, WHICH WERE MUCH

MORE COMPLEX SUBMISSION HOLDS,

AND THEN NUMBER FOUR AGAIN WAS

...

ARMBAR!

HE'S JUST RANTING.

NUMBER FIVE, THE SASKATCHEWAN

SPINNING NERVE HOLD.

THIS MUST BE MEATHEAD

MICROPHONE NIGHT.

YOU THINK SO?

HE'S GOT 998 TO GO.

GET THE HOOK, WE'RE OUT OF

SHUT UP!

THE SHOOTING STAR STAPLE

SUPERPLEX.

FANS, WE'RE GONNA STEP OUT

FOR A VERY SHORT BREAK.

NUMBER 10, RIGHT-HANDED

PUNCH!

AND THEN THEY GO TO

COMMERCIAL, AND HE COMES BACK

AND HE'S STILL NAMING THEM.

IT WAS HILARIOUS.

WE'RE -- WE'RE BACK, FANS.

HOLD NUMBER 712, ARMBAR.

CAN WE -- CAN WE ...

I WAS KIND OF THE COOL GUY ON

THE ROSTER, BUT THE UPPER

ECHELON DIDN'T THINK THAT, SO

THEY JUST LEFT ME ALONE.

AND THAT'S WHY I WAS ABLE TO DO

ALL THAT STUFF, AND GET AWAY

WITH IT.

JERICHO'S TRANSFORMATION FROM

A NONDESCRIPT CRUISERWEIGHT TO

AN EGOTISTICAL ANTAGONIST WAS

OPENING EYES.

AND HIS POPULARITY WITH FANS

CONTINUED TO GROW.

MEANWHILE, WWE HAD EMBARKED ON A

TRANSFORMATION OF ITS OWN.

THE COMPANY'S ATTITUDE ERA HAD

GIVEN WAY TO EDGIER CONTENT, AND

HELPED MONDAY NIGHT RAW BREAK

THROUGH WITH THEIR FIRST RATINGS

VICTORY IN NEARLY TWO YEARS.

AT THE TIME, ALL I COULD

THINK ABOUT WAS WWE, WWE, WWE,

WWE, SO I WAS KIND OF PULLING

FOR THE OTHER TEAM, EVEN THOUGH

I WAS ON THE WCW TEAM.

AND I WAS GONNA PLAY FOR MY TEAM

AS I HARD I COULD, AND I WAS

GONNA WHIP WWE'S -- SO THEN WHEN

I BECAME A FREE AGENT, THEY'D

GO, "WOW, THIS GUY SCORED 50

GOALS IN A YEAR.

WE WANT HIM ON OUR TEAM."

AND THAT'S WHAT I DID.

RIGHT NOW, JERICHO'S GONNA

VIE FOR THE TELEVISION BELT.

CHRIS WAS REALLY RESPONSIBLE

FOR A LOT OF HIS OWN

CHARACTERIZATION, THE WAY HE

PRESENTED THE CHARACTER IN THE

RING.

CHRIS WAS HUNGRY.

HE WAS DETERMINED.

HE WAS ABSOLUTELY FOCUSED ON

TRYING TO WORK HIS WAY INTO THAT

KIND OF HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION AND

BREAK THROUGH THE CRUISERWEIGHT

GLASS, IF YOU WILL.

WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION?

WE HAVE A NEW TELEVISION

CHAMP, CHRIS JERICHO.

HE WAS PROBABLY THE FIRST ONE

TO SEPARATE FROM THE

CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION.

I DO REMEMBER CHRIS ALWAYS

COMING UP WITH IDEAS, TRYING TO

BRANCH OUT AND TRYING TO BE

DIFFERENT.

JERICHO'S MOMENTUM WOULD

CONTINUE TO GROW WHEN WAS

PRESENTED WITH A UNIQUE CHANCE

TO CHALLENGE WCW'S UNDEFEATED

WORLD CHAMPION, GOLDBERG.

IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY HE WOULD

NOT LET GO TO WASTE.

[ YELLING ]

AND I SAID, "GOLDBERG, IF YOU

THINK YOU'RE SO BAD, WHY DON'T

YOU PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR

MOUTH IS?"

AND HE FOOLISHLY ACCEPTED, AND

TONIGHT YOU'RE GONNA SEE, FOR

THE FIRST TIME, BILL GOLDBERG

VERSUS CHRIS JERICHO, TITLE

VERSUS TITLE, ON FALL BRAWL!

HE WAS TRYING TO GET NOTICED,

SO WHAT DO YOU DO?

YOU GO AFTER THE BIGGEST STAR IN

THE COMPANY, AND YOU TALK SMACK.

I SMELL SHAM.

IT WOULD TAKE THREE OF THESE

GUYS TO MAKE A GOLDBERG.

I DON'T THINK ANYONE WOULD

MISTAKE THIS SAWED OFF GUY FOR

GOLDBERG.

I STARTED A LITTLE BIT OF A

STORY LINE WITH GOLDBERG.

IT WAS A LEGITIMATE THAT WE

STUMBLED INTO.

I WORKED MY -- OFF TO MAKE IT

GOOD, AND THEN I KEPT GOADING

HIM WITH "JERICHO - 1, GOLDBERG

- 0," AND THEN I WOULD CHALLENGE

HIM TO A FIGHT WHEN HE WASN'T

THERE.

I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT

GREENBURG, YOU ARE IN THE

BUILDING TONIGHT.

NO, HE'S AT A UNICEF

FUNCTION.

NO, MY PERSONAL SECURITY

GUARD SAW HIM.

I KNOW YOU'RE IN THE BUILDING

TONIGHT, GREENBURG.

AND IF YOU THINK YOU'RE SO BAD,

I WANT YOU TO COME OUT ONE MORE

TIME SO I CAN TEACH YOU RESPECT

ONE MORE TIME, AND GIVE ALL THE

JERICHOHOLICS WHAT THEY WANT.

I WILL KNOCK THE HAIR RIGHT OFF

YOUR HEAD, JERKY.

CHRIS JERICHO WENT OUT THERE,

MADE THINGS ENTERTAINING.

SET UP HIS OWN FEUD WITH

GOLDBERG AT THE TIME, JUST TO

GET HIS NAME OUT THERE.

HE COPIED GOLDBERG'S ENTRANCE,

HE GOT A PERSONAL SECURITY

GUARD, RALFUS, TO WEAR A HALF

BELLY SHIRT.

HE'S BASICALLY MOCKING

GOLDBERG.

JERICHO WOULD JUST GO FROM

BACKSTAGE, LIKE -- LIKE GOLDBERG

WOULD, AND GO THE WRONG WAY, AND

FIND HIMSELF OUTSIDE OF THE

ENTIRE ARENA.

CHRIS JERICHO HAS BEEN LOCKED

OUT OF THE BUILDING.

JERICHO AT EVERY TURN WOULD

FIND A WAY TO GET UNDER

GOLDBERG'S SKIN, MAKE FUN OF HIM

AND JUST BARELY ESCAPE, KNOWING

THAT ONE DAY THERE'S GONNA BE

THAT BIG PAYOUT.

IF NOTHING ELSE, YOU WANTED

TO SEE CHRIS JERICHO GET SMASHED

BY GOLDBERG.

YOU'RE NEXT, JERICHO!

WHICH WOULD BRING HIM INTO

THE NEXT LEVEL.

SO, CHRIS WAS VERY SMART IN

DOING THAT.

GOLDBERG!

GOLDBERG, COME ON GREEN BOY!

LET'S GO, YOUNG BOY!

THIS IS YOUR DADDY CALLING YA!

COME ON, GOLDBERG, COME ON!

OKAY.

HE'S NOT IN HERE.

HEY, WHERE'S GOLDBERG?

JERICHO SEEMED POISED TO

ENTER THE MAIN EVENT PICTURE AT

WCW, BUT NOT EVERYONE WAS IN

FAVOR OF THE MOVE.

I DON'T THINK GOLDBERG WAS

TOO PLEASED ABOUT IT.

HE DIDN'T WANT NOTHING TO DO ...

HE FELT LIKE THAT WAS GONNA

BRING HIS STATUS DOWN.

JERICHO WAS ON TOP OF HIS GAME

AT THAT POINT, AND WAS LOOKING

TO CREATE SOMETHING NEW FOR THE

COMPANY.

HE HATED IT.

HE HATED EVERY BIT OF IT.

EVERYONE DID.

HOGAN DID, BISCHOFF DID.

IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I MADE

GOOD UNDERNEATH THE RADAR.

AND THEN ONCE IT GOT OVER, THEY

TRIED TO SQUASH IT, BUT I

WOULDN'T LET THEM.

I THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD.

I MEAN, MY PROBLEM WITH JERICHO

IS THAT I THINK PEOPLE WANTED

HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCHES, NO

INTERFERENCE, NO SCREWED

FINISHES.

AND THEN TO HAVE SOMEONE LIKE

THAT COME OUT ON TOP WITH

SOMEONE THAT WEIGHED 300 POUNDS,

THAT COULD PICK THEM UP AND

THROW THEM IN THE 10TH ROW

ANYTIME THEY WANTED TO, I JUST

DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS MUCH

SENSE IN THAT.

THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR

NOT I SAW CHRIS JERICHO AS A

MAIN-EVENTER IS PROBABLY ONE OF

THE REASONS THAT CHRIS AND I

WENT SIDEWAYS FOR A LITTLE

WHILE.

AT THE TIME, BACK IN '98, WHEN

YOU LOOK AT THE HULK HOGANS AND

THE RANDY SAVAGES AND THE KEVIN

NASHES AND THE BILL GOLDBERGS,

AND THE LIST WENT ON AND ON AND

ON, THERE WERE A LOT OF REALLY

BIG NAMES OF GUYS THAT REALLY

WERE TRUE HEAVYWEIGHTS AND MAIN

EVENTERS.

I NEVER REALLY SAW CHRIS AT THAT

TIME IN THAT ROLE.

WCW MANAGEMENT MAY HAVE

VIEWED HIM AS AN AVERAGE

SUPERSTAR, BUT JERICHO SAW A

FEUD WITH GOLDBERG AS HIS TICKET

TO THE TOP, AND WOULD CONTINUE

TO MOCK THE WORLD CHAMPION.

WE KNOW THAT GOLDBERG IS NOT

HERE.

WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO FOOL HERE

THIS WEEK?

YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS I KNOW,

GOLDBERG IS HERE.

SO, GREENBURG, COME OUT HERE AND

LET ME GIVE YOU WHAT ALL THESE

JERICHOHOLICS WANT ME TO GIVE

YA, AND THAT'S A FIRST-CLASS

BUTT-WHIPPIN'!

COME ON, GOLDBERG.

THE BELL HAS SOUNDED AND

HERE, GUYS.

RING THE BELL.

RING THE BELL FOR WHAT?

JERICHO THINKS HE'S WON THE

MATCH FROM THE INVISIBLE MAN.

JERICHO - 3, GREENBURG - 0.

JERICHO HAD AN AGENDA, BUT

HIS AGENDA WAS ALWAYS THE SAME.

HE WANTED TO MOVE UP.

BISCHOFF WASN'T BEHIND HIM, AND

GOLDBERG WAS BEHIND IT, AND

JERICHO WAS STICKING TO HIS

GUNS.

THEY WEREN'T LISTENING TO ME

AND I WASN'T LISTENING TO THEM,

AND THAT WAS HOW IT WAS IN WCW.

SO ONCE YOU FIGURED IT OUT ...

IT'S LIKE, ONCE YOU REALIZE

THAT, "HEY, WAIT A SECOND, I'M

GOING NOWHERE ANYWAYS.

ALL RIGHT, I'LL JUST START NOT

LISTENING AND DO WHATEVER I

WANT."

JERICHO HAD A GROUNDSWELL OF

SUPPORT, FORCING WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING TO

BEGRUDGINGLY GO ALONG WITH THE

STORY LINE.

THIS IS THE CONFRONTATION

WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

OH, DID HE TAKE HIM OUT?

HE SPEARED HIM OUT OF HIS

BOOTS!

HOWEVER, AS NITRO REMAINED IN

A FIERCE RATINGS BATTLE WITH

RAW, WCW CREATIVE HAD NO

LONG-TERM PLANS TO SHOWCASE

JERICHO.

HIS FEUD WITH GOLDBERG WOULD

FIZZLE, WITH HIS PATIENCE

REACHING A BREAKING POINT.

IF THERE'S 10,000 CHRIS

JERICHO SIGNS, THEN CHRIS

JERICHO MUST BE DOING SOMETHING

RIGHT.

AND THERE WAS A TON OF

JERICHO-GOLDBERG SIGNS.

WE HAD A LEGITIMATE MONEY-MAKING

ANGLE, AT LEAST I THOUGHT, AT

LEAST ENOUGH TO DO A

PAY-PER-VIEW WITH IT.

AND THEY WOULD NEVER DO IT.

THEY KEPT FIGHTING IT AND

FIGHTING IT AND FIGHTING IT AND

FIGHTING IT, AND THEN IT JUST

ENDED UP PETERING OUT WITH NO

PAY-OFF.

IF THAT ISN'T ENOUGH TO MAKE

THEM REALIZE THAT I CAN

CONTRIBUTE AT A HIGH LEVEL AND

MAKE SOME MONEY HERE FOR THESE

GUYS, THEN NOTHING WILL.

AND THAT'S WHEN I STARTED

PUTTING MY SIGHTS ON WWE FOR

REAL.

REMEMBER JERICHO BEING HEAD

AND SHOULDERS ABOVE EVERYBODY ON

NITRO FOR, LIKE, A LONG TIME.

IT WAS EVIDENT THAT HE WAS A WWE

GUY LIVING IN A WCW WORLD, YOU

KNOW?

AND IT WAS JUST -- IT WAS A

MATTER OF TIME.

BY THE BEGINNING OF 1999,

MONDAY NIGHT RAW HAD OVERTAKEN

MONDAY NITRO IN THE RATINGS,

WITH WWE IN THE MIDST OF A

THREE-MONTH WINNING STREAK OF

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

WWE RAW IS EMOTIONALLY

CHARGED, ANOTHER SELLOUT CROWD

ON HAND!

WWE COULD DO NO WRONG.

SELLING OUT BILLINGS NO MATTER

WHAT.

I MEAN, WHEN THEY GO ON SALE,

THEY'RE SOLD OUT, LITERALLY, IN

TWO TO THREE MINUTES.

WWE WAS PUTTING ON GREAT

SHOWS.

RAW, WAS JUST SUPER HOT AT THE

TIME, EVEN HOTTER THAN NITRO.

EVERYBODY WAS A PLAYER, AND

EVERYBODY HAD TO CARRY THE BALL.

THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GONNA

DO THOSE KIND OF NUMBERS, WHERE

YOU'VE GOT 11 SEGMENTS, AND

NOBODY CAN TURN OFF ONE OF 'EM.

IF YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS

COOKIN'!

I KNOW THAT I GOTTA GET OUTTA

HERE, AND GO TO A PLACE WHERE

EVERYBODY HAS A STORY, EVERYONE

IS A CHARACTER.

YOU GET A CHANCE TO MAKE IT OR

BREAK IT.

I CALLED VINCE RUSSO.

HE ARRANGED FOR ME TO FLY TO

VINCE MCMAHON'S HOUSE.

WWE GOT A TICKET FOR ME.

MY NAME WAS, LIKE, MR., YOU

KNOW, STEVENSON.

I GO THROUGH THE AIRPORT, AND I

LAND, AND THERE'S A LIMO DRIVER,

HOLDING A SIGN THAT SAID, "MR.

STEVENSON."

SO IT'S LIKE, "OKAY, I'M MR.

STEVENSON."

GO IN THE CAR, DRIVE ALL THE WAY

TO STANFORD AND GO TO VINCE'S

HOUSE.

CHRIS JERICHO CAME TO ME AND

GOT ON ALL FOURS AND BEGGED ME,

YOU KNOW, TO JOIN WWE.

THAT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT

HAPPENED, I LIKE TO THINK THAT.

CHRIS CONTACTED US, SO WE MET.

I'M A CONTRACTED EMPLOYEE OF

WCW, MIND YOU, AND HERE I AM

GOING TO VINCE MCMAHON'S HOUSE.

I KNOCK ON THE DOOR, SHANE

MCMAHON ANSWERS.

"UH, HELLO, I'M CHRIS JERICHO."

"YEAH, WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE, COME

I GO INSIDE AND THERE'S A BIG

TABLE, AND EVERYBODY'S SITTING

AT THE TABLE, THEY'RE HAVING A

MEETING.

AND HERE I AM, 27 YEAR OLD KID

WHO WORKS FOR WCW, AND I'M

SITTING IN ON A RAW MEETING.

VINCE IS AT HIS MOST ENGAGING,

AND "AH, HELLO!

HOW ARE YOU?

HA-HA-HA, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH."

SOMEONE SAID AN IDEA ABOUT THE

SHOW.

HE GOES, "CHRIS, WHAT DO YOU

THINK ABOUT THAT?"

I'M LIKE, "UH, SOUNDS GREAT,

VINCE."

BUT HE NEVER ONCE SAID, "YOU

KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO COME WORK

HERE."

HE WAS VERY SMART.

LIKE ANYTHING HE SAID COULD NOT

BE USED AGAINST HIM IN A COURT

OF LAW.

YOU WANNA MAKE SURE YOU DO IT

THE RIGHT WAY.

TO GET AROUND A CONTRACTUAL

OBLIGATION, AN INTERFERENCE,

TORTUOUS INTERFERENCE WITH

EXISTING CONTRACT, AS THEY SAY.

BUT I'M VERY HAPPY TO HAVE

CHRIS.

CHRIS WAS A MAN ABOUT IT, AND

HE LET ME KNOW THAT IT WAS HIS

DESIRE TO LEAVE.

I WASN'T WILLING TO OFFER UP THE

FARM, I WASN'T WILLING TO

COMPROMISE.

JERICHO MADE HIS INTENTIONS

TO JUMP TO WWE CLEAR.

BUT WITH SIX MONTHS LEFT ON HIS

CONTRACT, HE FACED A HALF-YEAR

OF LIMBO IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

I DIDN'T REALLY EVEN SIT OUT.

WHAT HAPPENED WAS I GOT HURT, BY

THE GRACE OF GOD, WAS ACTUALLY

OUT FOR TWO MONTHS.

WHEN I WAS READY TO COME BACK,

BISCHOFF WAS LIKE, "YOU'RE NOT

GONNA RE-SIGN, THEN YOU'RE

PUNISHED."

HIS WAY OF PUNISHING ME WAS JUST

TAKING ME OFF TV.

STILL LETTING ME WORK HOUSE

SHOWS AND STILL PAYING ME MY

FULL SALARY.

SO, BOY, THE JOKE SURE WAS ON

ME, RIGHT?

I WAS SORRY TO SEE CHRIS

LEAVE, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTOOD.

IT WAS A RIPE OPPORTUNITY FOR

HIM IN WWE.

JERICHO WAS WWE-BOUND, AND HE

QUICKLY TURNED HIS ATTENTION TO

CREATING A MEMORABLE DEBUT.

I WAS AT THE POST OFFICE,

WAITING IN LINE, AND I WAS

LOOKING AT THIS MILLENNIUM

CLOCK, COUNTDOWN TO THE

MILLENNIUM.

AND I WAS, "AH, THAT'S COOL.

THAT WOULD BE A COOL WAY FOR

SOMEONE TO COME INTO THE WWE.

THAT'D BE A COOL WAY FOR ME TO

COME INTO THE WWE!

AH!"

SO, I CALLED VINCE RUSSO AND

KIND OF TOLD HIM THIS IDEA THAT

I HAD, AND HE TOLD IT TO VINCE

AND VINCE LOVED IT, AND THAT'S

KIND OF HOW IT ALL STARTED.

THE COUNTDOWN TO THE

MILLENNIUM CLOCK BEGAN TO APPEAR

ON MONDAY NIGHT RAW AS WWE

PLAYED OFF THE WORLD'S CONCERN

FOR THE Y2K CRISIS.

AND I REMEMBER IT WAS KIND OF

COOL BECAUSE THE COUNTDOWN WOULD

JUST SHOW UP WEEKLY ON THE SHOW.

IT WAS CLOSE TO THE MILLENNIUM

AND, OF COURSE, EVERYONE WAS

TALKING ABOUT THE Y2K THING.

THE TIMING OF IT WAS PERFECT.

IT JUST FED INTO THE ANGST OF

AMERICA AT THAT TIME.

WE WERE ALL AFRAID OF THIS

ON-COMING MILLENNIUM THAT WE

DIDN'T KNOW IF THE COMPUTERS

WERE GONNA STOP, AND SO, HE

JUMPED ON THAT.

I WAS STILL TECHNICALLY UNDER

CONTRACT AT WCW WHEN THESE

VIGNETTES STARTED RUNNING, WHICH

I WAS SCARED TO DEATH, LIKE,

"I'M GONNA GET SUED."

ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO WEEKS

BEFORE, RUSSO CALLED ME AND

SAID, "OKAY, THE CLOCK IS GONNA

END IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROCK'S

PROMO."

I WAS LIKE, "THE ROCK, REALLY?

HE WAS HUGE."

SO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THIS NEW GUY

WITH THIS KIND OF INTRIGUING

IDEA INTERRUPT THE BIGGEST STAR

IN THE BUSINESS AT THE TIME, IT

WAS GENIUS.

ANTICIPATION WAS BUILDING AS THE

COUNTDOWN TO THE MILLENNIUM WAS

REACHING ITS END, AND CHRIS

JERICHO'S LIFELONG DREAM WAS

ABOUT TO COME TRUE.

THE ALLSTATE ARENA IN

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS IS SOLD OUT.

THE BUZZ IN THIS ARENA IS

EXTRAORDINARY, AND WE HAVE ALL

THE INGREDIENTS HERE TONIGHT FOR

A CLASSIC WWE RAW.

SO, HERE YOU GOT A GUY COMING

IN WITH A BIG BUILDUP, BIG

COUNTDOWN CLOCK.

NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT IS.

TO GET JERICHO NOTICED, YOU

WANNA GET HIM ASSOCIATED WITH AS

BIG A STAR AS YOU CAN.

THE ROCK WAS RED HOT.

HE WAS THE MAN AT THE TIME.

I'LL NEVER FORGET, THEY ASKED

HIM IF HE WANTED TO DO THIS, IF

WE WANTED TO GO TOE-TO-TOE WITH

ROCK.

AND HE'S LIKE, "HECK YEAH, I'LL

DO IT.

I'D LOVE TO.

THAT'S HOW I'M GONNA MAKE MY

NAME IN THIS BUSINESS."

AND GO ON AND CHECK YOUR BIG

FAT -- DIRECTLY INTO THE

SMACKDOWN HOTEL."

[ MUSIC ]

WAIT A MINUTE.

WHEN I WAS WAITING FOR THAT

CLOCK TO HIT ZERO, I WAS JUST

SAYING, "YOU KNOW WHAT?

LIKE, THIS IS IT.

THIS IS MY ONE CHANCE.

THERE IS NO SECOND CHANCE.

I'VE BEEN WAITING NINE YEARS FOR

THIS.

IT DOESN'T MATTER, ANYTHING THAT

I'VE DONE BEFORE THIS MOMENT.

ANY CHAMPIONSHIPS THAT I'VE WON,

ANY CLASSIC MATCHES THAT I'VE

HAD.

NONE OF IT MEANS A DAMN THING

RIGHT NOW.

I HAVE TO GO OUT THERE, AND I

HAVE TO KILL THIS."

WE'RE COUNTING DOWN!

THREE, TWO, ONE!

IT'S HERE!

WE'RE COUNTING IT DOWN.

[ EXPLOSION ]

[ LYRICS ]

BREAK THE WALLS DOWN!

"BREAK THE WALLS DOWN" HITS,

WHICH NO ONE HAD EVER HEARD AT

THE TIME.

PEOPLE WERE LIKE, "AH, YEAH.

WE THINK IT'S HIM.

WE'RE STILL NOT SURE."

AND THEN WHEN IT FLIPPED OVER

TO JERICHO, THEY HAD THIS

AMAZING REACTION.

THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO DO

SINCE I WAS ABOUT 12, TO BE IN

THE WWE.

THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERED TO ME.

ALL OF THESE OTHER PLACES THAT I

WORKED WERE JUST STEPPING STONES

TO END UP WORKING FOR VINCE

MCMAHON.

THAT IS WHAT I WANTED.

WELCOME TO RAW IS JERICHO!

[ MUSIC ]

THEY JUST WENT CRAZY.

WITHIN THE FIRST 10 SECONDS OF

APPEARING ON SCREEN, HE'S

ALREADY A BIGGER STAR IN WWE

THAN HE WAS THE ENTIRE TIME HE

WAS IN WCW.

AND I AM THE NEW MILLENNIUM

FOR THE WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT.

I REMEMBER THINKING HOW COOL

IT WAS THAT HE GOT THAT KIND OF

REACTION, BECAUSE HE WAS

SOMEBODY THAT I LOVED IN WCW,

AND HERE HE WAS COMING OUT, AND

THEY WERE TREATING HIM RIGHT

AWAY AS SOMEBODY SPECIAL.

YOU PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LED TO

BELIEVE THAT MEDIOCRITY IS

EXCELLENCE.

UN-UH.

JERICHO IS EXCELLENCE.

CHRIS JERICHO WAS A GREAT

FREE AGENT COMING OVER FROM WCW,

AND HE MADE ONE OF THE MOST

MEMORABLE ENTRANCES IN THE

HISTORY OF THE WWE, WHERE HE

CAME OUT AND HE INTERRUPTED ME.

AND THAT WAS A GREAT LAUNCHING

POINT FOR HIM.

HOW DARE YOU, LITTLE JABRONI,

COME ON THE ROCK'S SHOW AND NOT

EVEN HAVE THE CLASS TO INTRODUCE

YOURSELF?

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

I TOLD YOU EARLIER ...

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR

NAME IS.

CHRIS JERICHO MADE THE RIGHT

MOVE.

HE WENT TOE-TO-TOE, VERBALLY,

WITH THE ROCK.

AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS NO

BIGGER SUPERSTAR IN THE WWE THAN

THE ROCK.

ARGUABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST

INTRODUCTIONS TO THE WWE EVER.

IT PUT JERICHO UP ON TOP.

WHENEVER YOU'RE GOING AGAINST

THE ROCK ON THE MIC, IN A VERBAL

BATTLE, YOU'RE PUT AT THE TOP.

AND THAT'S WHERE THEY PUT

JERICHO RIGHT ON HIS DEBUT.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT ERA,

THAT NIGHT WILL STAND UP THERE

IN THE TOP THREE OR FOUR MOMENTS

IN THE HISTORY OF WWE.

AND NOW THAT THE Y2J PROBLEM

IS HERE, THIS COMPANY, FROM THE

FRONT OFFICE TO ALL THE AMATEURS

IN THE DRESSING ROOM, INCLUDING

THIS ONE, TO EVERYBODY WATCHING

TONIGHT, WILL NEVER [FAKE GAGS]

EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!

JERICHO'S DEBUT WAS NOT LOST

ON HIS FRIENDS DOWN SOUTH, WHO

WITNESSED THEIR FORMER COMRADE

HOLD HIS OWN IN WWE.

WE HAD NITRO GOING ON THE

SAME NIGHT, AND WITHOUT LETTING

MANAGEMENT SEE, WE ALL GOT IN A

SEPARATE ROOM AND HAD TO TURN

THE TV ON.

I THINK WE EVEN HAD SOMEBODY AT

THE DOOR, ACTUALLY CASING THE

HALLWAY TO MAKE SURE NOBODY

CAUGHT US.

THE SCENE WAS VERY MUCH LIKE A

PRISON SCENE, SO TO SPEAK, WHERE

THERE'S ONE OF OUR INMATES THAT

KIND OF GOT OUT, AND HE'S FREE.

WE WERE HAPPY FOR CHRIS BECAUSE

WE SAW SOMETHING IN CHRIS THAT I

DON'T THINK WCW PLAYED OUT TO

THE FULLEST.

ALL MY HARD WORK PAID OFF AND

I MADE IT.

HERE I AM IN THE WWE.

THE MOMENT OF THAT REVEAL WAS

STILL ONE OF THE BEST MOMENTS IN

MY CAREER FOR SURE.

JERICHO MADE A REMARKABLE

FIRST IMPRESSION, BUT THE

PRESSURE WAS NOW ON THE NEWCOMER

TO SHOW WHAT HE COULD DO FOR AN

ENCORE.

THAT WAS ON THE GREATEST

DEBUTS IN THE HISTORY OF THIS

INDUSTRY.

BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF CURIOUS

MINDS.

IS HE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT

HERE?

WILL CHRIS JERICHO BE ABLE TO

PLAY BALL WITH THE BIG BOYS?

NOT A KNOCK ON WCW, THIS IS

NOW THE BIG LEAGUES.

AND TO DEBUT AGAINST THE ROCK,

VINCE HAS DONE HIS PART TO MAKE

YOU A STAR, NOW IT'S ON YOU.

HOWEVER, THE HUNGRY

SUPERSTAR'S EARLY CAREER IN WWE

WAS ANYTHING BUT A SUCCESS.

THERE WAS A REAL WAR BETWEEN

WCW AND WWE, BETWEEN THE GUYS.

SO WHEN I CAME TO THE WWE, I WAS

NOT LIKED, BECAUSE I WAS COMING

FROM ENEMY TERRITORY.

"OH, THIS GUY'S A WCW GUY.

YOU KNOW, SCREW THIS GUY."

I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE OR

WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE, BUT

JUDGING FROM THAT PEACH FUZZ

YOU'RE TRYING TO GROW ON YOUR

CHIN, I CAN TELL I GOT MORE

SHOWER TIME THAN YOU'VE GOT RING

TIME.

IT WASN'T, "HEY, GLAD YOU'RE

HERE, WELCOME TO WWE."

THERE WAS NONE OF THAT HORSE

-- .

IT WAS SILENCE.

HE'D WALK INTO A LOCKER ROOM AND

GUYS WOULD STOP TALKING.

I REALLY DIDN'T FIT IN AT

FIRST.

I WAS KIND OF A LONE WOLF.

AND I THINK THE FACT I CAME IN

FROM WCW, THERE WAS A LOT OF

PEOPLE WAITING FOR ME TO FAIL

WHEN I FIRST CAME IN.

AND QUITE FRANKLY, I KIND OF

GAVE THEM WHAT THEY WANTED.

AND THERE WAS A DIFFERENT STYLE

IN THE WWE.

THE MATCHES I WERE HAVING WERE

NOT GOOD.

I WAS ...

NO IDEA WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO.

AND, UH, JERICHO HAD A

STUTTER STEP THERE.

WALKED RIGHT INTO A HIPTOSS.

AFTER A WEEK OR TWO, I WAS

ALREADY BRANDED, "THIS GUY

SUCKS, HE'S BAD."

[ CROWD CHANT: JERICHO SUCKS! ]

IT'S HARD TO GET INTO THE WWE

SYSTEM.

IT TAKES A WHILE TO UNDERSTAND

HOW WE DO TV, AS COMPARED TO WCW

DID TV.

THERE'S ALWAYS THAT ADAPTION

PERIOD.

I REMEMBER I WAS SITTING IN

CLEVELAND AT THE PAY-PER-VIEW

WHERE THE HARDYS AND EDGE AND

CHRISTIAN TORE THE HOUSE DOWN

WITH THE LADDER MATCH.

JEFF HARDY.

LOOK OUT!

BIG DROP, THE LADDER.

FOR GOD'S SAKES!

AND DROP THE LEG, THE HUGE LEG

DROP!

AND I WASN'T ON THE SHOW.

TWO MONTHS AGO, I WAS DOING THIS

DUELING PROMO WITH THE ROCK AND

NOW I'M SITTING HERE A HEALTHY

SCRATCH 'CAUSE I HADN'T REALLY

BEEN GIVING MUCH OF A CHANCE,

AND THE CHANCES I HAD BEEN

GIVING, I DIDN'T EVEN RESPOND.

I DIDN'T LIVE UP TO THE HYPE.

IT WAS LIKE GETTING BODY SHOTS

FROM MIKE TYSON.

IT WAS LIKE BAM, BAM, BAM --

HOLD ON, HOLD ON.

YOU NEED A SECOND TO, LIKE,

REGROUP BEFORE YOU CAN START

FIGHTING BACK A BIT.

AND THAT'S WHAT I HAD TO DO.

IT TOOK SOME TIME.

EVEN THOUGH CHRIS JERICHO WAS

STRUGGLING TO ADAPT TO HIS NEW

ROLE IN WWE, MONDAY NIGHT RAW

ITSELF WAS LENGTHENING ITS

RATINGS LEAD OVER MONDAY NITRO.

THE BACKSTAGE POLITICS AT WCW

LED TO THE CONTINUED

DETERIORATION OF THE COMPANY.

THERE WERE TOO MANY CHIEFS

AND NOT ENOUGH INDIANS.

YOU GET SOMEBODY LIKE NASH WITH

CREATIVE CONTROL, AND SOMEBODY

WHO LIKE HOGAN WITH CREATIVE

CONTROL, AND NEITHER ONE OF THEM

WANNA DO BUSINESS WITH EACH

OTHER, WHERE DO YOU GO THEN?

WHO LOSES?

COMPANY LOSES.

NASH CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE

SCREWING WITH WCW PROGRAMMING.

WELL, WHAT DO YOU GOT IN

MIND, SCOTTY?

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE ALL

THE BELLS AND WHISTLES IN THE

WORLD.

I HAVE THESE GUYS THAT ARE

FAMILIAR TO THE AUDIENCE, BUT

THEY'RE NOT REALLY DOING

ANYTHING.

WE GOTTA TAKE THIS THING

SERIOUS, MAN.

I AM TAKING IT SERIOUSLY.

AND NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT

IT, HEY, WE GOT IT IN THE BAG,

MAN.

IT'S KNOWING WHAT YOU'RE

DOING, AND HAVING THE PASSION TO

DO IT.

TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE HAVE

GOOD STORY LINES, YOU HAVE TO

HAVE TO HAVE GOOD CHARACTERS.

IT'S ALL ABOUT GIVING THE RIGHT

ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE TALENTS TO

GROW.

BY THE END OF 1999, CHRIS

JERICHO WAS FINDING HIS FOOTING

IN WWE, WINNING THE

INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP,

AND ONCE AGAIN BECOMING A

FAVORITE AMONGST THE SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT AUDIENCE.

HE CAME IN WITH VERY HIGH

EXPECTATIONS.

HE WAS SCALED BACK ALMOST

IMMEDIATELY.

AND HE EVENTUALLY GOT HIS

CONFIDENCE BACK TO THE POINT

WHERE FANS WERE -- THEY WERE

READY TO ACCEPT CHRIS JERICHO.

OH, HE COULD GET UNDER THE

CROWD'S SKIN.

YOU KNOW, HE'D CUT THAT HEEL

PROMO, AND HAVE EVERYONE WANTING

TO SEE HIM GET HIS -- KICKED.

BUT HE FLIP-FLOPPED THAT AND THE

FANS WOULD RESPECT HIM ALL THE

SAME.

WELCOME TO RAW IS JERICHO!

THE SUCCESS OF JERICHO AND

MONDAY NIGHT RAW DID NOT GO

UNNOTICED BY WCW'S TALENT.

AND SEVERAL OF THE COMPANY'S

MAINSTAYS WOULD FOLLOW IN

JERICHO'S FOOTSTEPS BY JUMPING

TO WWE IN EARLY 2000.

WRESTLING, TO THESE GUYS, IS

MORE THAN A PAYCHECK.

THEY WANNA TAKE ON THE BEST,

AND THE BEST IS HERE IN THE WWE.

THE FLOODGATES JUST OPENED

BETWEEN THE TWO COMPANIES, AND

IT BROUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM

WCW WHO ACTUALLY BECAME HUGE

STARS IN THE WWE.

IT WAS TIME TO MOVE ON.

IT WAS TIME TO SEE IF THE GRASS

WAS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE.

WWE WAS TAKING GUYS, AND TAKING

THEIR STRENGTH AND GOING OUT AND

PUTTING A MAGNIFYING GLASS ON

IT.

AND STINKO MALENKO!

STINKO?

I KNOW YOU LIKE TO CALL

YOURSELF THE MAN OF 1,000 HOLDS,

BUT THIS IS THE ARENA OF 20,000

JERICHOHOLICS, AND NONE OF THEM

GIVE A RAT'S -- HOW MANY MOVES

YOU KNOW.

WITH SUPERSTARS MIGRATING TO

THEIR COMPETITION, WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING'S RATINGS

CONTINUED TO SINK IN THE NEW

MILLENNIUM.

ALL THE WHILE, JERICHO AND WWE'S

MOMENTUM CONTINUED TO GROW.

AND JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY,

WHICH ONE OF YOU HAS THE BIGGER

PACKAGE?

YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO RELATE

TO PEOPLE TO GET THEM TO REACT

TO YOU A PARTICULAR WAY, AND

CHRIS KNOWS WHAT PEOPLE LIKE AND

DON'T LIKE.

AND FOR HIM, IT'S EASY TO TURN

ON THE CHARM OR TURN ON THE

OPPOSITE.

STEPHANIE IS VERY DELICATE.

SHE'S LIKE A LITTLE FLOWER.

FLOWER?

I'D HAVE TO SAY THAT LITTLE

STEPHANIE BABY LOST HER FLOWER A

LONG TIME AGO.

HEY, YOU CAN'T ...

HOW DO YOU DO?

WORKING WITH STEPHANIE WAS

THE FIRST CHANCE I HAD TO REALLY

BE CHRIS JERICHO.

THAT'S WHAT TOOK ME TO THE NEXT

LEVEL.

FROM THE CAMPUS OF PENN STATE

UNIVERSITY, AND THE SOLD OUT

BRYCE JORDAN CENTER, WE ARE ON

OUR WAY TO BACKLASH!

HELLO, AGAIN, EVERYONE, I'M JIM

ROSS ALONGSIDE JERRY THE KING

LAWLER.

AND WE WELCOME YOU TO WWE RAW.

AND, KING, WE'RE KICKING OFF

TONIGHT'S BROADCAST WITH A HUGE

ONE-ON-ONE ENCOUNTER, CHRIS

JERICHO AGAINST THE GAME TRIPLE

H.

IT WAS A GOOD FOUR OR FIVE

MONTHS BEFORE I PROVED MYSELF

THAT I WAS AT LEAST WORTHY OF

HAVING A MATCH WITH A CHAMPION,

BECAUSE TRIPLE H WAS AT THE TOP

OF HIS GAME, WORK-WISE,

PERSONALITY-WISE.

ALL THIS WORK THAT I'D BEEN

DOING.

SOMEONE HAD NOTICED AND SAID,

"WE GOTTA GIVE THIS GUY ANOTHER

CHANCE."

HOW VALIANT AND TOUCHING IT

IS, TRIPLE H, THAT YOU'VE COME

DOWN FOR THE HONOR OF YOUR WIFE.

I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY TOUCHING.

BUT I THINK IF YOU THINK SHE'S

REALLY SPECIAL, I THINK YOU

SHOULD PUT THAT TITLE ON THE

LINE.

I THINK YOU SHOULD MAKE THIS

MATCH TONIGHT FOR THE WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT

CHAMPIONSHIP!

NO, NO.

WAIT A MINUTE.

THIS IS FOR STEPHANIE'S HONOR,

THAT'S ALL.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

YOU WANT A SHOT AT THIS?

YOU WANT THIS?

YOU'RE ON, COME ON!

[ BELL RINGING ]

AND HERE WE GO.

WWE TITLE ON THE LINE.

CHRIS JERICHO'S CLIMB UP THE

WWE RANKS WOULD BE REINFORCED

WITH A SHOCKING VICTORY ON

MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

JERICHO GOT EVERYTHING TO GAIN

HERE AND NOTHING TO LOSE IN THIS

IMPROMPTU MATCHUP FOR THE WWE

TITLE.

YOU'RE LIKE ROOTING FOR HIM

THE WHOLE WAY.

SOMETIMES PEOPLE INTERFERED, AND

I WAS JUST WAITING FOR ONE OF,

YOU KNOW, TRIPLE H'S BAD GUY

BUDDIES TO INTERFERE OR

SOMETHING.

SPINNING HEEL KICK!

BUT HE GETS A THREE COUNT AND

BECOMES THE CHAMPION.

NO!

WE GOT A NEW CHAMPION!

NO WAY!

MY GOD, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

THE WINNER AND NEW WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT

CHAMPION, CHRIS JERICHO!

NO!

DON'T SAY IT!

JERICHO HAS DONE IT, AND

TRIPLE H IS BESIDE HIMSELF!

HE CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

AND QUITE FRANKLY, NEITHER CAN

I!

I WAS LITERALLY IN SHOCK WHEN

I SAW JERICHO GET HIS HAND

RAISED, I THINK IT SOLIDIFIED

HIM IN THE FANS' EYES AS A

MAIN-EVENTER.

CHRIS JERICHO WINNING THE

CHAMPIONSHIP IS A MOMENT WHERE

YOU THINK, "IT CAN BE DONE.

IF YOU ARE ENTERTAINING ENOUGH,

AND YOU ARE SKILLED ENOUGH,

YOU'LL GET A CHANCE AT

GREATNESS."

HE HAD SUCH CHARACTER TO HIM,

AND WAS SO CAPTIVATING THAT HE'S

GONNA GET THERE EVENTUALLY.

HE'S GONNA FIND A WAY.

"I'M NOT JUST GONNA BE

PIGEON-HOLED IN THIS LITTLE

CATEGORY," AND HE KIND OF NEVER

WAS AFTER THAT.

I WAS JUST AS EXCITED AS I

WAS DISAPPOINTED WHEN HE HAD TO

GIVE IT BACK.

TRIPLE H BULLIED THE REFEREE TO

MAKE HIM SAY IT WAS A FAST

COUNT.

THEN YOU GO BACK THERE RIGHT

NOW AND YOU GET MY WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT BELT

FROM AROUND THE WAIST OF THAT

SAWED OFF MIDGET, CHRIS JERICHO.

THE WHOLE STORY LINE WAS

EXPLAINED TO ME, "AND LATER ON,

YOU HAVE TO GIVE THE TITLE

BACK."

AND I WAS LIKE, "OH, I MEAN,

HEY, IT'S, YOU KNOW, BETTER THAN

NOTHING."

AND I EVEN WENT AND ASKED VINCE

ABOUT IT.

I WAS LIKE, "SO, I'M SUPPOSED TO

WIN AND THEN JUST GIVE THE TITLE

BACK?"

HE WAS LIKE, "WELL, YOU KNOW,

IT'S ALL OF COURSE A STORY

LINE."

HE SAID, "DON'T WORRY, YOU'LL

HAVE IT AGAIN" KIND OF AS AN

ASIDE, AND I WAS LIKE, "WHAT?

WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"

JERICHO HAS RELINQUISHED THE

WWE TITLE.

EVEN THE DECISION WAS

REVERSED, THE OVATION THAT

JERICHO GOT FOR BEATING TRIPLE H

WAS EYE-OPENING.

IT SHOWED THAT JERICHO WAS A

BIGGER STAR IN THE EYES OF THE

FANS THAN SOME PERCEIVED.

THAT JUMPED JERICHO

IMMEDIATELY INTO THE STATUS OF

THE MAIN EVENT PLAYERS.

THAT'S THE ONE THING ABOUT OUR

AUDIENCE.

THEY ALWAYS A NEW GUY TO BREAK

THROUGH THE GLASS CEILING.

AND EVERYBODY THAT NIGHT SAW

THAT THEY SAW THAT

CAREER-DEFINING MOMENT FOR CHRIS

JERICHO.

WITH ANOTHER MAIN EVENT

PLAYER IN THE FOLD, RAW

CONTINUED TO DOMINATE NITRO IN

THE YEAR THAT FOLLOWED.

THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR WOULD COME

TO A SHOCKING CONCLUSION IN

MARCH OF 2001, WITH VINCE

MCMAHON'S PURCHASE OF WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

I HAVE ACQUIRED WCW.

THAT'S RIGHT, I BOUGHT MY

COMPETITION.

I WOULD TELL ANYBODY, HULK

HOGAN OR NASH OR HALL, IT WAS

JUST AS MUCH MY INPUT AS IT WAS

THEIRS AS TO WHY THAT COMPANY

WAS SO SUCCESSFUL.

AND THE MISUSAGE OF GUYS LIKE ME

THAT STARTED THE DOWNFALL.

WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH WCW?

FORMER WORLD CHAMPION

WRESTLING SUPERSTARS WOULD

BECOME A PART OF WWE

PROGRAMMING.

SO TOO WERE THERE WCW WORLD

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

VINCE MCMAHON WOULD CAPITALIZE

ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY,

AND UNIFY THE INDUSTRY'S TWO

MOST IMPORTANT TITLES.

BUT THE QUESTION REMAINED, WHO

WOULD BE CROWNED THE MODERN

ERA'S FIRST UNDISPUTED CHAMPION!

THE SAN DIEGO SPORTS ARENA IS

ABSOLUTELY SOLD OUT, AND FANS

TURNED AWAY, BECAUSE TONIGHT WE

WILL CROWN AN UNDISPUTED

CHAMPION.

AND TONIGHT, IT WILL BE ONE OF

FOUR MEN: STONE COLD, THE ROCK,

Y2J OR KURT ANGLE THAT WILL BE

MAKE THEIR MARK ON THE GREAT NEW

LEGACY THAT WILL NEVER BE

TARNISHED AS THE FIRST

UNDISPUTED CHAMPION IN THIS

BUSINESS.

I HAD NO IDEA, IN THE

FURTHEST RECESSES OF MY MIND,

THAT I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA WIN,

BUT I DIDN'T CARE.

LIKE, JUST TO BE INCLUDED IN

THAT WAS LIKE, "THAT'S PRETTY

COOL.

THE TOP FOUR GUYS, YOU KNOW?

THAT'S NOT TOO BAD."

OH, IT'S ANOTHER STUNNER!

AUSTIN DEALT THE STUNNER.

[ CROWD COUNTING: ONE, TWO,

THREE! ]

[ BELL RINGING ]

AUSTIN WILL BE BACK TO MEET

THE WINNER OF THE ROCK-JERICHO

MATCHUP.

FOR A COMPANY TO HAVE ENOUGH

FAITH IN YOU TO HOLD BOTH TITLES

AND MAKE THEM ONE, YOU HAVE TO

BE THE BEST.

THE YEARS OF GRIT, HARD WORK

AND DETERMINATION WERE ABOUT TO

PAY OFF FOR CHRIS JERICHO.

WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE PEOPLE

THAT WERE IN THAT SITUATION,

LAST GUY YOU PICK?

AND THERE'S A ROCK BOTTOM.

MY GOD, DON'T TELL ME!

THE ROCK BOTTOM!

NO, NO!

OH, MY GOD!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

THE WINNER OF THIS BOUT AND

NEW WORLD CHAMPION, CHRIS

JERICHO!

I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS!

IT WAS REALLY DONE, THE SETUP

OF IT.

AND IT WAS SUCH A SURPRISE

BECAUSE NOBODY EXPECTED IT.

AND HERE WE GO, IMMEDIATELY

NOW.

WAIT!

IS THE UNDISPUTED

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH.

BUT IN ORDER TO MAKE HISTORY,

CHRIS JERICHO WOULD HAVE TO

DEFEAT WWE'S TWO BIGGEST STARS

OF THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

BUT AT JERICHO'S TIME, HE WAS

THE RIGHT GUY FOR IT.

THEY WENT ALL THE WAY WITH CHRIS

JERICHO, AND IT WAS A SMART MOVE

TO MAKE AT THE TIME.

MY GOD, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS.

JERICHO'S GOT A LEG HOOKED.

MY GOD, DON'T TELL ME.

THAT WAS TWO.

MY GOD, IT CAN'T BE

HAPPENING.

[ BELL RINGING ]

MY GOD ALMIGHTY!

JERICHO HAS DONE IT!

THE WINNER OF THIS BOUT AND

UNDISPUTED CHAMPION, CHRIS

JERICHO!

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, I CANNOT

BELIEVE THIS!

JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU EXACTLY

HOW GOOD CHRIS JERICHO IS,

BECAUSE THESE ARE THE TOP TWO

GUYS.

THESE ARE THE TOP TWO GUYS OF

THE ENTIRE ATTITUDE ERA.

CHRIS HAD ALWAYS BEEN A STAR,

BUT NEVER BEEN THE GUY.

THEY OBVIOUSLY SAW SOMETHING IN

HIM HERE THAT HE WOULD BE THE

GUY THAT COULD CARRY THE

COMPANY, AND THEY GAVE HIM THE

KEYS TO THE CAR AND HE DROVE IT

MAGNIFICENTLY.

I KNOW IT MEANT A LOT TO

JERICHO.

ONCE AGAIN, IT IS AN INSTANCE

WHERE IT SHOWS THE COMPANY

BELIEVES SO STRONGLY IN THIS

GUY.

HE BEAT THE ROCK AND STONE COLD

IN THE SAME NIGHT AND BECAME THE

FIRST UNIFIED CHAMPION.

HE'S THE ONLY HUMAN ON THE FACE

OF THE EARTH THAT'S GONNA BE

ABLE TO WALK AROUND AND SAY HE

WAS THE FIRST UNDISPUTED

CHAMPION IN THE HISTORY OF PRO

WRESTLING, AND THAT'S COVERING A

LOT OF GROUND.

WHEN I THINK OF CHRIS

JERICHO, THE IMAGE I WILL

FOREVER HAVE IN MY MIND IS HIM

HOLDING BOTH TITLES UP.

AND THAT'S -- UH, THAT'S A VERY

ICONIC IMAGE.

IT'S THE FIRST ONE EVER.

NO ONE CAN EVER TAKE THAT AWAY,

AND TO BE THE UNDISPUTED

CHAMPION, BEAT THE ROCK AND

STEVE AUSTIN ON THE SAME NIGHT.

I MEAN, TO THIS DAY, PEOPLE

STILL TALK ABOUT IT.

SO IT'S A MONUMENTAL MOMENT IN

THE BUSINESS, AND WHEN I DIE,

IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE ON THE

WWE GRAVESTONE, SO TO SPEAK.

"FIRST UNDISPUTED CHAMPION CHRIS

JERICHO.

HE TRIED HARD."

CHRIS JERICHO'S CORONATION

WITH THE INDUSTRY'S TOP PRIZE

WAS A FITTING ACHIEVEMENT FOR A

SUPERSTAR WHO DEFIED THE ODDS

AND MADE AN INDELIBLE MARK ON

BOTH WWE AND WCW DURING SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT'S GREATEST ERA.

WHEN HE WENT TO WWE, THEY

STARTED MAKING HIM A STAR.

AND HE ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE AND

DELIVERED THAT STAR QUALITY.

WELCOME TO RAW IS JERICHO!

CHRIS HAS GOT A CHIP ON HIS

SHOULDER.

WIN, LOSE OR DRAW, HE WANTS TO

BE RESPECTED.

NO MATTER IF HE WAS THE

CHAMPION OR IF HE WAS IN THE

MATCH WITH A MID-CARD GUY, HE

WOULD ALWAYS GO ABOUT IT IN THE

MANNER THAT HE WANTED TO STEAL

THE SHOW.

WHAT MAKES JERICHO SPECIAL IS

HE HAS NO FEAR.

HE DOESN'T FEAR FAILURE.

IF HE FEELS SOMETHING TRULY IN

HIS HEART, IF HE BELIEVES IT, HE

GOES OUT AND MAKES IT HAPPEN.

IF THERE WAS A SECRET WEAPON

TO WINNING THE MONDAY NIGHT

WARS, I THINK CHRIS JERICHO WAS

DEFINITELY THAT SECRET WEAPON

AND GAVE MONDAY NIGHT RAW THE

OVERALL EDGE.

MY LEGACY IS THAT I WAS ONE

OF THE GUYS THAT MADE THAT SHOW

WORTH WATCHING.

I'M VERY PROUD OF THE CAREER

THAT I'VE HAD, AND ALL THE

PLACES THAT IT'S TAKEN ME.

I WOULDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT

THE WAY MY CAREER HAS GONE.

[ CROWD CHANT: Y2J! Y2J! Y2J! ]