Jericho makes a rare appearance on the ballot as he gets set for a match up with one of the lesser heralded luchadores, Super Calo. Jericho is out wearing the cruiserweight belt and a Rey Jr. T-shirt (storyline was he injured Rey because Rey needed surgery).

Calo isn’t exactly the most compelling babyface working from underneath, but by this point Jericho was becoming a very good heel personality. He pretty much calls and carries the match, and Calo for his part sells well enough. Jericho isn’t trying to do a million moves here like he sometimes did early in his career, and instead focuses on heeling the crowd after every little thing he does. It works for the most part. He also takes a crazy over the top bump when Calo makes his comeback. Calo also adds a suicidal dive senton to the floor. The nearfalls here are pretty good too, so this match is growing on me. Just like that it ends with Jericho doing the Liontamer (Walls of Jericho). 3 and 6/10.

This is the first time Chris Jericho makes the set with a match. Benoit we know for all his matches on the set so far. Benoit worked a lot with Jericho early in his WCW run and got him ready as he went forward. Jericho actually talks a bit about working with him in Japan and WCW, and how it brought him along. I’m admittedly not a huge fan of this part of Jericho’s career, but lets see if new eyes does the trick.

This is probably the best Jericho has looked to me in that early WCW run, but it’s still to busy. This is a four to four and a half minute match, and it looks like Benoit is letting Jericho run through as many high spots as he likes to keep him happy. When Benoit takes over after the first sprint of a minute, it gets more thoughtful. Benoit again shows all the personality where Jericho was a terrible babyface to get behind at the time.

Jericho gets a nice little run at the end coming back with more appropriate offense than his opening flurry, but this whole thing is a far to short sprint. I saw these guys do a Saturday Night or a PPV match from Sept. ’96, and at times it was better, but had all the trappings of overkill big moves without heart. This had a smidge more heart but a lot less time. 2 ¼ and 4/10.

This is what I’d call a contained spotfest in that everyone gets time to work there big flashy moves into the match, especially in the opening pairings and finish, but it’s got some sense to it. The pairing off and feeling out process helps. I find I liked watching Juvi vs Rey Jr more here than when watching a AAA match of there’s just minutes before because they adapt to the Japanese style and pace a bit more. No standing around or waiting for the choreography, they just do it. It helps there’s people in the match they have to tag, so they have more an overall sense of urgency. I’d say that’s the biggest thing that holds me back from loving Lucha – a lack of urgency and a sense of over planning.

The best pairing here was Ultimo and Liger and they didn’t disappoint. I marked out for Rey Jr vs Liger too. Jericho worked well in moments with Rey, and his “come on, ba-ba!” crap was slightly more tolerable than usual. I can’t believe after all these years it took an update of character in 2008 to make me really like him.

We only saw eleven minutes out of 17:35, but you got the idea this was a fun mix of guys in a decently to very well laid out juniors dream match. Guerrera took the pin off some big moves. I had fun, so thumbs up for this clipped match

My adult self wants to kick my teenage self right now. In the middle of some decent wrestling the fans at the ECW Arena decide to send the departing Jericho a message: “Bischoff sucks!” No real context to it. They just like chants. I used to love that goofy shit. If it happens now I’d feel it took attention away from the match. That was The Arena though. It was a show unlike any other.

Match feels like it’s slightly in a slower mode. It’s probably unfamiliarity as the men also hesitate several times throughout the match. Scorpio plays heel, but Jericho is to white meat babyface to begin with, plus he’s leaving for (gasp) WCW. Fans do dig the contest, and they get some good wrestling for their time. Nothing mind blowing, but the early mat work is good stuff not everyone can do. Hold and escape stuff. Scorp starts cheating and the flow gets messed up here and there. Scorpio was always hit and miss on whether his slowing it down worked or not. Jericho’s control stuff works well and it picks up a lot at the fifteen minute mark. They do work there asses off for a tough crowd.

They have a few more miscommunications as it nears the 20 minute mark, but they seem to draw the fans in more than a few minutes prior. Jericho does a senton which was fun, but then does a spinning plancha from the top which was so oddly indy of him. Then again, how great are the indies that you can do that and find out what works. Scorpio wins with a SHOOTING STAR PRESS out of nowhere.
WOW! I had no idea. Next to Brock Lesnar that’s the biggest shooting star I’ve ever seen. If you’re a Jericho or 2 Cold Scorpio mark, check this out. If not, well, it’s worth it if you are bored, but this is more a middle of the pack contest in these two men’s careers.

So I’m having an awesome wrestling watching Saturday with MFP (My Friend Paul) when we start discussing the merits of HBK’s second career. Both of us were huge marks for the guy in the 90s, MFP more than most. We both agree his 1996 run was pretty awesome, but we’ve always had differing opinions on the first year of the comeback. MFP loved the comeback match at SummerSlam ’02, I just thought it was impressive HBK got through it. He liked the original Elim. Chamber match more than I did that November. We both agree that the HBK/HHH Hell in a Cell had awesome sections, but was mostly masturbatory in layout, and went about ten minutes too long. This feeds into our sub-conversation at times about both men’s preoccupation with all things Flair when they get in with each other, but we avoided that on Saturday. Let’s just say MFP and our buddy Tommy have never quite gotten over the mess of a finish that was their Royal Rumble ’04 Last Man Standing Match.

Somewhere in there we begin to discuss where the comeback of HBK got good enough in the ring to where we both felt he was really back, and the HBK/Jericho Mania match comes up. I was down on it, remembering it as a stiffer HBK, a by-the-spots Jericho (which is another sub-conversation for another review), and the wrong man winning. Paul was less harsh, probably because he’s a dirty HBK apologist, but more likely because he remembered it being a decent match. Both of us had not seen the match since March of 2003 though, and we were off to watch Hogan vs Rock (strictly for the spectacle and Patterson lay out, we swear). Tonight I’m going to give this match a fair shake.

In full disclosure, I happened to watch the Judgment Day PPV (May ’08) match between these two earlier in the day. They match was pretty damn good. Not great, but good. It wasn’t my intention to compare the two, but it may happen in my head. Technically this one should be better with a younger rested Michaels and a Jericho “in his prime” (debatable, I know).

This is “come on bay-bay” Jericho, for those who know what I’m talking about. The match issue is Jericho wanting to be the next HBK when he started, but now (jealously) wanting HBK to recognize him as the great Y2J. The WWE video package sold me, and JR is doing his grand Mania history laden commentaries as this goes on. Crowd isn’t as hot as you’d hope.

This is Michael’s first time back at Mania in 5 years. Unfortunately, he comes down the ramp shooting confetti guns at various points, looking goofy as hell. Early going is decent stuff. HBK controlling with wrestling hold reversals. Simple stuff, but it looks smooth. Jericho does look at times over prepared to get to his spots, but he creates movement when Michaels can’t. We get a HBK high spot or two before Jericho’s control segment, which is executed well. Better than I remember so far as we head to the meat of the match.

They really walk through some stuff here, which is what I remembered hating. It’s 50/50 who is at fault, as it’s obvious Jericho wants to perfectly follow along and HBK isn’t as mobile as he was, or would become again. Jericho does the Walls of Jericho on the outside, but then breaks the count – what a dumb heel. Jericho focuses his offense on HBK’s back, which gets the desired heat. He’s gotten a lot better at not relying on his spots since this match. HBK’s selling lacks the passion and charisma it usually has, but it’s good enough. At times this is a good logical progression, and at times it has a house show feel.

I think my only real problem with the match is HBK not having his wind all the way, or showing the same spirit as he normally would. On Jericho’s part it’s more my lack of enthusiasm for his offense or how he progresses through a match. He takes me out of the moment by telegraphing the choreography. Otherwise this is a fine logical match with high lights and a story.

Great spot where Jericho nips up and does the Michaels pose, only to have HBK nip up and do all his signature stuff. He shoehorns in a moonsault, but they do do the fish out of water pin spot, as well as tease Jericho’s submission. Jericho comes back with all his signature stuff. HBK won’t stay down. Jericho seems to blow up as it loses steam, so they go back to the Walls of Jericho. Jericho still blown up as they move to more of his offense I don’t like (personal bias, I know, but it’s my review).

Jericho gets a great reaction for hitting HBK’s Sweet Chin Music. HBK is actually a lot more mobile in the second half of the match than in the first half. More than I remember, so I’ll eat my words on some of this. Jericho does try to return to working on the back, but Michaels reverses everything. They tease the top rope elbow. I love the teasing of most big moves in this match. That’s where WWE main eventers are huge pros with their match lay outs. HBK hits the elbow but missesthe kick. Jericho puts him in the Walls. Fans buy into it big. He reaches the ropes. Jericho gets frustrated and runs right into a desperate kick. Both down and this is where they are supposed to get the “both men are down” pop, but they don’t. Sometimes the audience was unfair to these guys, and this was one of those times. HBK wins in 22 minutes with a cool roll up reversal where Jericho looked in control. Eerily similar to their match in May ’08 I referenced, but that one was tighter and played to start out a feud.

Well, I’ll say this. Better than I remembered. It isn’t one of my favorite all time HBK matches, but it’s better than I remembered. Anywhere from 3 ½ to 4 stars. I still like Angle/Lesnar in the main better, but this was just as good as HBK/Flair Mania 24 from an in ring perspective. Not the same emotional content though or the overall product. I liked it more than HBK vs McMahon in 2006. It can’t touch HBK vs Angle or the three way at Mania 20. I’d put this at the same level as HBK vs Cena from Mania 23. If I had to chose I like the Cena match more, but I respect this match a lot more than I would have if I had not watched it again. Enjoyable viewing.