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My Favorite Matches: Match #3: Shawn Michaels VS. Chris Jericho, WrestleMania 19, 30th March, 2003.

WrestleMania 19 was a special WrestleMania to me. Being an Australian, WM19 took place around the time that Australian networks were in disputes with the WWE over the rights to screen their programming. Raw was the only show that remained on Australian airwaves, while Pay-Per-Views were shown in movie theaters. WrestleMania was no exception, so I ventured to Melbourne to see the show with my little sister. (At that point, PPVs were only being shown in selected cinemas in the capital cities. By mid-2003, the disagreement was resolved, and SmackDown! and PPVs were back on television.)

It would be a dream come true to attend WM live, however seeing it in the comfort of a movie theater with like-minded people is the next best thing, as you get a similar atmosphere to a live show, but with the advantage of the close-up action of film.

The highlight of that evening was by far Shawn Michaels VS. Chris Jericho, which blew every other match out of the water.

Being Michaels’ first WrestleMania since returning to the WWE in 2002, I was excited to see what he would pull out on the grandest stage of them all. Jerry “The King” Lawler, on commentary, seemed excited too, as he expressed his happiness to see the match start off with “actual wrestling moves” (the rest of the show was filled with more gimmicky or squash matches, like the Pillow Fight between Stacy Keibler, Torrie Wilson and the Miller Lite Catfight Girls, The Undertaker single-handedly taking out Big Show and A-Train, and Mr. McMahon VS. Hulk Hogan). His time away from the ring obviously agreed with him, as HBK seemed to be in the best shape of his career, bouncing around the ring and showing Jericho up with many light-footed manoeuvres involving the ropes.

There were some more violent spots outside the ring, including the Walls of Jericho and Jericho slamming Michaels back-first into the steel ring post.

Jericho remained in control for the first half of the match, which involved more high-flying moves, however the tide changed mid-match, with the two men going punch for punch, kip up for kip up, dropkick for dropkick, and putting on a more technical and in sync battle (which we will also see Michaels do in next week’s Match #2) . This included a reversal by Jericho of the hurricarana into the Walls of Jericho, a multitude of false pins, an imitation Sweet Chin Music, and a climactic countered cross body off the top rope by Michaels.
From there Jericho kicks the referee into the ropes, knocking Michaels from them. Jericho then attempts a superplex on a fallen Michaels off the ropes, but to no avail. Michaels puts the flying elbow on Jericho, followed by attempted Sweet Chin Music, which is crafted into the Walls again by Jericho. Michaels makes it to the ropes though, and Superkicks Jericho for his effort. A physically drained HBK crawls to Jericho, and turns his suplex into a surprise pin for the win.
I was shocked the match ended that way, as I thought it should’ve wound up at Michaels’ final tuning up of the band. However, it allowed Jericho to showcase some more of his reversal techniques and build suspense for the actual finish.

While the match wasn’t as face-paced and suspenseful as Michaels’ spectacle with The Undertaker from Match #4 last week, it shows Michaels’ range as a competitor. I also feel like in this match he allowed Jericho to take the spotlight, almost like a passing of the torch from one of the most talented wrestlers of his generation, to someone who most closely mirrors HBK’s style. This was again the case in the aftermath, when Michaels succumbed to Jericho’s snaky nature and hugged his competitor, only to be kicked in the balls, both literally and figuratively.