WWE: Lionheart - How to keep yourself relevant?

Every once in a while, a superstar takes a break to keep himself fresh. After all, traveling on the road 300 days a year is not a small ask. These performers leave their families and friends behind to meet the stressful schedule of the organization, and when you do that, sooner rather than later you find yourself completely burnt out. Once you’re in a business like professional wrestling, you don’t get much time to do anything else, much less find another alternative, a second career. And for that reason, many times these superstars perform even when they’re hurt, and refuse to let the management know about it. Not only will they take a huge pay cut, but being on the shelf when putting your body on the line is the only source of income isn’t something a professional athlete would like to consider. Unlike baseball and NFL, there is a huge difference between what a main event star receives for his pay check, and what a jobber, curtain jerker, or whatever you call him, receives.

This is the reason why professional athletes turn to painkillers and drugs, and in a business like professional wrestling, or the ‘entertainment’ industry as it is now called, once you get knee deep into it, you can’t get out. This past week on RAW, Vince said something that caught my attention, about how this was ‘family entertainment’, and not ‘blood sport’. Vince is a brilliant businessman, but certainly not the kindest person on Earth by any stretch of imagination. So, what does one do when they’re burnt out? Most of the people can now afford to take some time off, but the real problem remains: How do you get yourself over when you return? After all, every superstar is replaceable, whether it is Austin, Undertaker, Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels. There is one superstar who has been in this business for over two decades, and still finds a way to reinvent himself, keep his character relevant. He is none other than Chris Jericho.

When Jericho first debuted in the WWF, he was the hottest free agent in the wrestling circuit, getting himself out of WCW. WCW was high on Jericho, but because the ship was run by the Hogans and Nashs who wouldn’t let their spots go, Jericho had no other alternative but to jump ships to the WWF. This was when he debuted with one of the greatest gimmicks, as the ‘Ayatollah of Rock n’ Rolla’, a brash, cocky superstar who referred to himself as ‘Y2J’. This was the dawn of a new era and a new millennium, and a new star was born. Chris Jericho instantly became a hit with the fans, and he went on to become the very first Undisputed WWF/E Champion! Jericho was on the roster for more than 5 years, and at this point, he wanted to take some time off and start something else he was passionate about, which was music. He started his own band called ‘Fozzy’, and left WWE for two years in 2005.

Now, for any returning superstar, it is hard to get the attention of the fans like before. Times change, and the fans move on to find an alternative, another superstar to cheer, and when you come back with the same old routine, that’s when the fans stop caring about you. Chris Jericho always knew that, and so when he planned to return to the WWE two years later, he altered his gimmick, going from ‘Y2J’ to the now more subtle, boyish looking babyface, who claimed to ‘save’ the WWE and the fans. This was the rebirth of Chris Jericho, and the emergence of a different style of performance, something that even the other superstars soon followed. When Jericho returned, he started using big words, wearing suits and claimed he was better than the fans. People never got to witness a heel with this demeanor, although WWE tried it before. Jericho again hit the nail on the head with his character, and soon became the top heel of the company. But like before, Jericho wanted to keep himself fresh, and hence took another long sabbatical from the wrestling business.

Jericho’s third, and latest coming was in 2012, after a series of eerie vignettes aired, suggesting the return of the superstar. But this time, Chris Jericho altered his character once again, and kept the fans guessing for a month. After the Royal Rumble, he turned on the fans, and explained his actions by saying everyone wanted to be like him. It’s not easy for an individual to be in the business for over 20 years, and it is definitely not easy for someone to remain relevant all the while. Chris Jericho has always performed to the best of his abilities, and that’s why he garners so much adulation and respect from his peers and fans alike.

If you ask the superstars, they would tell you how hard it is to keep their characters fresh. Most of the veterans find a way to alter their gimmicks, but if you ask someone who has been the best at it, they would name Chris Jericho. The fact that Jericho can be a bad guy for one second and get the crowd to cheer him the next proves how he has found a way to master the art. When all is said and done, Jericho will be remembered as one of the greatest innovators in the history of the business, not just because of his in – ring talents, but also because of the way he has always managed to connect with the audience, and kept himself fresh. That is one thing every superstar needs to learn, not just to get over with the fans, but to have a long lasting career in this business.