Should Chris Jericho headline a HOF class or be a "B" level entry?

[slik]

What do you think?

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Headline

[McLegend]

Who would be going in with him?

95% chance Jericho would headline.

[slik]

Who would be going in with him?

95% chance Jericho would headline.

Ummmm, we'll say, THE DEMON KANE and The Dudley Boyz

[McLegend]

Jericho easily over The Dudley's.

Kane could give him a run, because people love him. Jericho would take it though.

[McLegend]

However if HHH would go in the same year as Jericho he would get pushed back to the Midcard.

[Destor]

However if HHH would go in the same year as Jericho he would get pushed back to the Midcard.

:lol:

[DAMN iNATOR]

Jericho, Trips, Rock and Daniel Bryan should all be future headliners.

[slik]

However if HHH would go in the same year as Jericho he would get pushed back to the Midcard.

I legit lol'd at that

[Mr. Nerfect]

Lol at McLegend, but yes, Jericho is a headliner. I wonder who Jericho would want to induct him. Lance Storm? Man, I hope they show those Thrillseeker videos from Smoky Mountain...

[Ruien]

Jericho is a headliner but with need a strong B cast going in with him. WWE will run out of huge headline names soon enough. Y2J is big enough to be one of the headliners for a down year but the other people going in need to be solid too.

[Jordan]

I feel like Jericho would be a headliner for sure, and as for who would induct him... I'd say HBK or Edge and Christian.

[Cool King]

It would probably be Stephanie.

If not her, then The Rock.

[Rammsteinmad]

Dean Malenko or Lance Storm to induct him. :D

[BigCrippyZ]

I honestly think Jericho, Rock, HHH, Kane, Bryan and Taker are all great headliners. Can't really think of anyone else. Except maybe Vince, but he won't go in until he's dead I'm pretty sure.

[Rammsteinmad]

Nah, not Kane. Guy's had a great, very long career. But he hasn't really "done" a lot in that time in terms of achievements. Just can't see him being a headliner to be honest.

[Stickman]

Jericho is a headliner no doubt about it. He would go down as one of the GOATS if HHH couldn't keep his ego out of other people's business.

[Anybody Thrilla]

It would be tight if Ralphus could induct him, but he's probably dead or something.

[Nicky Fives]

Depends who goes in with him, but not too many names would be ahead of him and take his headline spot....

[Disturbed316]

Headline. He was the first undisputed champion damn it!

[Mr. Nerfect]

Nah, not Kane. Guy's had a great, very long career. But he hasn't really "done" a lot in that time in terms of achievements. Just can't see him being a headliner to be honest.

I get what you're saying, but this is the WWE Hall of Fame. The machine will get it over. A WWF Title win from Steve Austin, a prominent feature of the Attitude era, the Rumble record, his "evolution," his eventual unmasking, winning a title at WrestleMania in a couple of seconds, his World Title run and beating The Undertaker in Hell in a Cell, his longevity, his comedy stuff with Daniel Bryan, his Authority stuff and whatever it is he's doing now. They'll paint Kane as WWE's most success monster, the star of multiple horror films, a staple and fixture of multiple eras, and an overall swell company guy. 18 championships, a Money in the Bank and numerous Rumble records. They'll do sappy videos about how dedicated the guy has been to his gimmick over the years too, and his speech will be amazing. Plus, Taker would induct him.

I definitely see him headlining as a capstone to his career.

[Heyman]

What do you think?

Headliner, without question.

Very few people in the wrestling industry have achieved more than Chris Jericho.

During the attitude era, if Rock or Austin hadn't been there, and if Triple H hadn't had the political pull that he did, Jericho would have been THE guy.

The WWE tried to give the 'ball' to a few other guys ranked higher on the proverbial totem pole than Jericho, but they all failed for various reasons:

1) Kurt Angle had drug problems and so the WWE couldn't really commit to him.
2) Randy Orton was an immature douche backstage
3) Brock Lesnar wasn't passionate about WWE and bailed
4) Chris Benoit wasn't charismatic enough
5) Triple H just wasn't "likeable" enough as a face.

Looking back in retrospect, Jericho should have been the guy to take the torch from Rock/Austin in 2003, and then pass the torch to Cena in 2005.

Jericho is 100% a headliner HOF candidate.

[Hanso Amore]

I often wonder how his career would be had they not missed him early.

Yes, he could have hit it off sooner, but at the same time that mismanagement led to him being burned out and leaving in 2005. When he came back he was better than ever and did his best work. I also wonder had he stayed if he would have been more like Christian than what he was...he came back at the top because they needed him.

Also, had he been on the road during the Benoit murders, how that all would have hit him different.

I think his 2005 break was key to his success. Just like HbK came back after 4 years better than ever, Jericho would never have been as great if he stayed.

[Emperor Smeat]

Headliner.

Unless his year's class is stacked in star names, don't see how he wouldn't be able to headline a class.

Even if the WWE didn't think he was for some odd reason, soon they are going to have to reconsider what counts as a headliner as the amount of big star names left dries up.

[Lock Jaw]

Headliner, and anyone who says otherwise is a stupid idiot.

[Bad News Gertner]

B name.

[Heyman]

I often wonder how his career would be had they not missed him early.

I don't think it's a question of having missed him. The WWE knew what they had in him, but simply fucked up for the following reasons:

1) Back in 2000, they over-estimated as to how long they'd have both Austin and The Rock for, and hence, felt no need to try and elevate other faces to that level.

2) Back in 2000, the WWE tried to use Jericho's popularity to put over Benoit and Angle, as opposed to having Angle and Benoit putting over Jericho. The WWE figured that they could use Jericho's popularity to get Benoit over, but Benoit simply wasn't charismatic enough to be THE guy.

3) Jericho's "phantom" World Title victory over Triple H should have been legit.

4) Jericho's first Undisputed World Title reign from Survivor Series 2001 to Wrestlemania 18 was made to look like a complete fluke and complete joke. Triple H then completely squashed Jericho at Wrestlemania 18, and a few matches after that.

5) The WWE completely pissed away Jericho between 2002 and 2005.

Jericho's run post 2007 was quite impressive (as a heel), but he could have and should have been so much bigger.

[Heyman]

Headliner, without question.

Very few people in the wrestling industry have achieved more than Chris Jericho.

During the attitude era, if Rock or Austin hadn't been there, and if Triple H hadn't had the political pull that he did, Jericho would have been THE guy.

The WWE tried to give the 'ball' to a few other guys ranked higher on the proverbial totem pole than Jericho, but they all failed for various reasons:

1) Kurt Angle had drug problems and so the WWE couldn't really commit to him.
2) Randy Orton was an immature douche backstage
3) Brock Lesnar wasn't passionate about WWE and bailed
4) Chris Benoit wasn't charismatic enough
5) Triple H just wasn't "likeable" enough as a face.

Looking back in retrospect, Jericho should have been the guy to take the torch from Rock/Austin in 2003, and then pass the torch to Cena in 2005.

Jericho is 100% a headliner HOF candidate.

I believe one major mistake the WWE made in 2001, was turning Jericho heel. They should have kept him face.

Again - Jericho fighting The Rock that one time in 2001 where both guys were faces, the fans were leaning towards Jericho in that one. You could have had a situation where BOTH men played huge roles in defeating the alliance while putting aside differences.

Here is what I would have done in retrospect:

1) Survivor Series 2001: No mole. The Rock nails Austin with The Rock Bottom, while Jericho simultaneously makes Angle tap (somehow someway, it would be legal for all 4 men to be in the ring).

2) Face Jericho and Face Rocky finally settle their differences at the December 2001 PPV. Jericho goes CLEALY over The Rock in the finals. After the match, The Rock shakes Jericho's hand and the two men hug.

3) Jericho is champ while Stephanie expresses her disapproval. Tension between Jericho/Steph occurs.

4) Triple H returns as a face like he did.

5) Jericho cleanly defeats Triple H at Wrestlemania. After the match, Triple H shakes Jericho's hand. Stephanie slaps Triple H. Triple H then pedigrees Stephanie and leaves in disgust. Jericho farts in Stephanie's face, and voila, you have something similar to Austin/Vince from 1998-2001.

-Rock, Austin, and Triple H putting over Jericho cleanly would have been best for business.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I was listening to the Squared Circle Gazette Radio on "It Should Have Been..." The idea of Chris Jericho being the guy behind the Austin hit-and-run came up. That actually would have been brilliant. It was the absence of Stone Cold Steve Austin that allowed Chris Jericho a clear route to superstardom in WWE. He became one of their most popular acts in 2000 without the Texas Rattlesnake there. Imagine if Austin had returned and had a blood-feud with Jericho?

But Jericho was white-hot at the time, so maybe riding out babyface Jericho was smarter. It did feel that they wanted him firmly stationed in that mid-card role, although they give him some teases. The heel turn in 2001 kind of upset me too, because I was beginning to really like Jericho against The Rock. He really felt like the underdog of that rivalry. If Rock had turned against Jericho you might have been on to something there.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Austin really felt like the right choice to win the belt at Vengeance. I remember Jericho winning feeling like a surprise. Austin should have won the Undisputed Title, probably beating Rock in the finals. Rock, Triple H, Jericho and Angle as the final four in the Royal Rumble. Well, I guess you need an Austin opponent too. Angle? Whatever. Triple H wins the Rumble, because it was the right call, and you set up Heel Austin vs. Face Triple H for the belt.

Jericho vs. Rock? Seems insane to re-write Hogan vs. Rock, but that being a success also felt like a surprise at the time.