Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho (Ladder - WWE - 10/5/2008)
Apr 2, 2020 16:10:30 GMT -5
Post by superstarsleeze on Apr 2, 2020 16:10:30 GMT -5
I used to think this match was the best of the bunch, but now I think it is #3 in a great feud. Great Ladder match! Shawn's forte in these he does not just do highspots, he creates creative, organic highspots with the ladder. There is a lot of violence and physicality to this match. Of course, there is the KING-SIZED bump Jericho takes that is just insane.
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michaels - No Mercy 2008
The feud so hot that they simply had to put the strap on Jericho. Jericho really floundered when he initially came back in 2007 and this feud saved his career and established him as a main event draw for the rest of his career. Up until this feud, Chris Jericho was a song & dance man. He was great on the stick and very charismatic, but he did not do much in the way of having those truly great matches and hot feuds. This feud with Michaels changed his career and his legacy. I remember at the time clamoring for this feud to extend to Mania. In retrospect, I think it should have been Jericho defending against the chasing John Cena. Have Cena win in his big return match, but drop it back to the nefarious Jericho to set up the heated rubber match at Mania. I always felt like Jericho was Cena's personal job boy. He was on such a roll would have liked to seen more. Anyways on to the match...
I had watched this match a lot back in the day because it was on one of the many DVD sets I bought in the pre-Network days. I always remember that king-sized Jericho bump takes on the ladder. I remember thinking this was potentially one of the best ladder matches I have ever seen. I think it falls just short of HBK/Razor Summerslam '95, but this is still a tremendous physical match. Characteristic of many HBK Ladder Matches is the creative yet organic use of the ladder. It begins with Jericho trying to send HBK into the ladder, but he jumps onto it and uses it as a springboard to reverse crossbody Jericho. The match continues the heated exchanges of the previous matches, but it does seem dialed down compared to the Great American Bash and Unforgiven. Those felt more like bar fights. This felt more like a car crash ladder match built around BIG ladder high spots. For example, Shawn dove onto the ladder causing it catapult into Jericho's face busting his lip (and maybe cracking his tooth?). This is similar to spot that broke Mercury's face. I thought they did a great job creating meaningful transitions with the ladder. Michaels control segment on Jericho's knee began with Jericho missing a move and wrenching his knee into the ladder. I thought the knee work was some of the best of the match. It was short and I wished it a more integral part of the match. The best part was again the transition when Jericho kicked the ladder in such a way it spun around and hit Michaels RIGHT IN THE INJURED EYE! It was killing me that there was no blood. Cmon! Alright I just got to let it go. Jericho did a great job targeting the eye. Again, it was the ladder and Michaels sending Jericho into the turned the tide. I thought they took a little long on the HBK/Foley Mind Games spot through a table only to do it from a ladder. It didnt look quite as cool either. I HATE when people do offensive moves on ladder. Elbow drop and Lionsault. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Put the ladder under your opponent! I liked the ladder stopping Sweet Chin Music, did something (Michaels' head or the ladder) hit Jericho's face. He came up clutching his face and his tooth was chipped. Then comes the crazy the spot where Jericho takes that insane bump from the top of the ladder to the floor. I would have shit a brick in my pants if that happened to me. Cade comes to Jericho's aid. SWEET CHIN MUSIC! It is a race to the top. Tug of War over the belt was a great finish. I love the headbutt to the injured eye to give Jericho the win.
I feel like this match is more of a standalone match than a continuation of the feud. There was less sense of personal anger and hatred in the match. The eye injury was not a central focus. It got brought and it was used, but it was not the crux of the match. Like you can say the headbutt to the injured eye is what won the match for Jericho, BUT it was not presented as such. I dont know if it was because the heel was going over and they did not want to glorify it too much. I feel like the Unsanctioned Match is the true climax to the feud and this was just tacked on after the fact. This match excels at creating meaningful big time ladder highspots that are memorable and are consequential in the match. I have this a notch below the Bash and Unforgiven matches, but this is still a great capoff for the best blood feud in WWE history. ****1/2
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michaels - No Mercy 2008
The feud so hot that they simply had to put the strap on Jericho. Jericho really floundered when he initially came back in 2007 and this feud saved his career and established him as a main event draw for the rest of his career. Up until this feud, Chris Jericho was a song & dance man. He was great on the stick and very charismatic, but he did not do much in the way of having those truly great matches and hot feuds. This feud with Michaels changed his career and his legacy. I remember at the time clamoring for this feud to extend to Mania. In retrospect, I think it should have been Jericho defending against the chasing John Cena. Have Cena win in his big return match, but drop it back to the nefarious Jericho to set up the heated rubber match at Mania. I always felt like Jericho was Cena's personal job boy. He was on such a roll would have liked to seen more. Anyways on to the match...
I had watched this match a lot back in the day because it was on one of the many DVD sets I bought in the pre-Network days. I always remember that king-sized Jericho bump takes on the ladder. I remember thinking this was potentially one of the best ladder matches I have ever seen. I think it falls just short of HBK/Razor Summerslam '95, but this is still a tremendous physical match. Characteristic of many HBK Ladder Matches is the creative yet organic use of the ladder. It begins with Jericho trying to send HBK into the ladder, but he jumps onto it and uses it as a springboard to reverse crossbody Jericho. The match continues the heated exchanges of the previous matches, but it does seem dialed down compared to the Great American Bash and Unforgiven. Those felt more like bar fights. This felt more like a car crash ladder match built around BIG ladder high spots. For example, Shawn dove onto the ladder causing it catapult into Jericho's face busting his lip (and maybe cracking his tooth?). This is similar to spot that broke Mercury's face. I thought they did a great job creating meaningful transitions with the ladder. Michaels control segment on Jericho's knee began with Jericho missing a move and wrenching his knee into the ladder. I thought the knee work was some of the best of the match. It was short and I wished it a more integral part of the match. The best part was again the transition when Jericho kicked the ladder in such a way it spun around and hit Michaels RIGHT IN THE INJURED EYE! It was killing me that there was no blood. Cmon! Alright I just got to let it go. Jericho did a great job targeting the eye. Again, it was the ladder and Michaels sending Jericho into the turned the tide. I thought they took a little long on the HBK/Foley Mind Games spot through a table only to do it from a ladder. It didnt look quite as cool either. I HATE when people do offensive moves on ladder. Elbow drop and Lionsault. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Put the ladder under your opponent! I liked the ladder stopping Sweet Chin Music, did something (Michaels' head or the ladder) hit Jericho's face. He came up clutching his face and his tooth was chipped. Then comes the crazy the spot where Jericho takes that insane bump from the top of the ladder to the floor. I would have shit a brick in my pants if that happened to me. Cade comes to Jericho's aid. SWEET CHIN MUSIC! It is a race to the top. Tug of War over the belt was a great finish. I love the headbutt to the injured eye to give Jericho the win.
I feel like this match is more of a standalone match than a continuation of the feud. There was less sense of personal anger and hatred in the match. The eye injury was not a central focus. It got brought and it was used, but it was not the crux of the match. Like you can say the headbutt to the injured eye is what won the match for Jericho, BUT it was not presented as such. I dont know if it was because the heel was going over and they did not want to glorify it too much. I feel like the Unsanctioned Match is the true climax to the feud and this was just tacked on after the fact. This match excels at creating meaningful big time ladder highspots that are memorable and are consequential in the match. I have this a notch below the Bash and Unforgiven matches, but this is still a great capoff for the best blood feud in WWE history. ****1/2
