Outside the Longbox – Breaking the Code: Behind the Walls of Chris Jericho
We’re all about comics here at Panels on Pages, but a geek cannot live on comics alone. Outside the Longbox is our chance to spotlight something outside our typical four-color realm – be it movies, music, TV or whatever.
Essential viewing for all Jerichoholics.
The first ever Undisputed Champion in World Wrestling Entertainment. Multiple-time World Champion. Record-setting Intercontinental Champion. Numerous Tag Team Champion. Television personality. Best-selling author. Rock star. Only one man can lay claim to all this, and his name is Chris Jericho. And he finally has a DVD set that’s nearly worthy of his talents. I’ve been a fan of his for a very long time, so I’ve been eagerly anticipating a Jericho-centric set for awhile now. As usual, the Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla didn’t let me down.
The main bio/documentary traces the journey of Chris Irvine as he transforms into Chris Jericho. His stories of his early years are interspersed with interviews with his father and friends. This soon gives way to his training at the Hart Brothers School of Wrestling, where he bonds with fellow aspiring wrestler Lance Evers, the future Lance Storm. The outgoing Jericho and the dour Storm might have been at opposite ends of the personality spectrum, but they complemented each other well and became frequent tag team partners and in-ring rivals. After learning the basics in Canada, Jericho traveled the world wrestling and honing his craft, learning everywhere he went and picking up new skills. In Mexico he added to his already high-flying style by adding lucha libre maneuvers to his arsenal. In Smoky Mountain Wrestling he tagged with Storm as the Thrillseekers and worked on his mic skills. Japan stressed the more technical style of pro wrestling. A run of shows in Germany to mostly the same crowds every night taught him how to vary his matches to make them more exciting. This lead him to ECW, and from there to mainstream exposure in WCW, and finally to a headliner in WWF/WWE. All of these things are discussed at lengths by Chris himself, and extrapolated on by friends and coworkers. It’s a great piece that covers everything from his beginnings up through today. The rest of the first disc is filled with the interviews, promo spots, and skits that show off Jericho’s talent on the mic and his sense of humor that endeared him to fans.
Y2J shows Edge how to execute a Codebreaker.
The other two discs contain matches throughout his career handpicked by Jericho himself. Included are his first match, against friend Lance Storm, the duo’s debut in SMW, and a championship match from Japan against Ultimo Dragon. From his ECW days is a bout against Cactus Jack a.k.a. Mick Foley. A trio of cruiserweight matches from WCW featuring Eddie Guerrero, Juventud Guerrera, and Dean Malenko round out this stage of his career.
His years in the WWF/E bring high profile opponents like Kurt Angle, Triple H, The Rock, Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels (twice), John Cena, Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, Undertaker and Edge. Some of the matches are fantastic (both of the HBK ones, Mysterio, Rocky) and others have great significance in Y2J’s career (the “erased” world title match against Triple H, the title unification match against Austin, the “You’re Fired” match against Cena). Y2J and Matt Striker also provide alternate commentary for three matches: his debut against Storm, the Japanese match with Dragon, and the Wrestlemania XIX match against HBK. In one of these, Chris answers a lingering question I’ve had as to why he changed his Liontamer submission into more of a traditional Boston Crab.
Though close, the set isn’t perfect. Jericho’s entertaining whether playing a face or heel, and I would’ve liked to see more of his promo work, especially from his 2008 feud with Shawn Michaels. Some of the match choices are a bit odd. The one against Hogan, for instance. It’s not bad, pretty good for a Hogan TV match actually, but it doesn’t serve much of a purpose other than to see Y2J wrestling a legend. Why include this, and not his match against Ricky Steamboat, one of his admitted idols? And then there’s the elephant in the room named Chris Benoit, who’s name is never mentioned. I wasn’t expecting a match of theirs to be included, but one line about how he was one of Jericho’s best opponents would’ve been nice.
Aside from those minor flaws, the set is fantastic, and I highly recommend it to anyone who calls themselves a Jerichoholic. I give Breaking the Code: Behind the Walls of Chris Jericho 5 out of 5 old-school Liontamers.
Filed Under: Columns • Outside the Longbox
Great review. It seems that this DVD really covers a lot of Jericho’s career and the matches seem like they have a healthy variety from his career. I would have much rather seen a Jericho/Steamboat match included than the Hogan match but whatever. It’s obvious to me why Benoit wasn’t mentioned but it’s still a shame. I’m going to have to search this dvd out now. You sold me on it.
Why did he change how he did the Lion Tamer into more of a traditional Boston Crab?
Werent Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit tag team champions? How can you not show that or talk about that? Unless that’s also ‘erased’. Wtf….
So what does this mean for Randy Orton and his first championship title when his dvd comes out?
Jaydee: Thanks.
Ric: Two reasons. First, once the Lion Tamer is set in, the other guy can’t do the “inching his way to the ropes” bit in order to draw heat. Second, it’s nearly impossible to put bigger guys like Kane & Big Show in it, and when he moved up to main events he had to adapt to wrestling larger guys than he did in WCW.
MDG: The Canadian Chris’ tag reign was never mentioned. And (IMO, anyway) Orton’s first title run pretty much sucked and is better off not talked about, since he basically spent a month being Hunter’s whipping boy.
I hate that the Walls is now a shitty Boston Crab.
I’m a huge fan of his and bought this DVD! I agree the collection was weak – especially the Unified Championship match… they show a RAW match against the Rock followed by the Unified PPV match for two seconds against the Rock followed by the full length match against Stone Cold. I felt a bit jipped on that match.
As someone who’s been in the original incarnation of The Walls of Jericho. I’m glad its a boston crab now.
If the Jeff Hardy match is the same one I saw on Raw, I am happy it is included.
tool486: The Rock match is actually from the 2001 No Mercy PPV where Chris won his first world title. I think it’s a better match than their Vengeance match.
Juan: It’s an Intercontinental Title match from March of 2008, if that helps.
Crap, sounds like the right year, but I can’t remember if it was a title match, I just remember that it was an extremly awesome match on a very poor raw.
It is the match from RAW, I taped it years ago just to see that match, what a lame Raw for such a great match.
I remember (from my wrestling viewing days) that he was an excellent heel for Malenko.
Jericho reading his “Man of 1,004 holds” bit was probably the greatest thing in professional wrestling.
I normally never buy wrestling dvd’s, this one I may have to get.