A Lion's Tale_ Around the World in Spandex - Chris Jericho [122]
My heart skipped a beat and I flipped out. “No way? Absolutely! When?”
“Tonight in Philly.”
Philadelphia was a six-hour flight from Calgary. Even though it was already noon, I frantically called the airlines anyway but none of them had any flights that would arrive remotely on time. One of the ladies on the phone said, “I can’t get you into Philly until tomorrow night. But I can get you into New York City tonight by eleven...is that okay?” Who was I...David Spade in Tommy Boy? If I could just convince Paul to move the show to the Big Apple, I’d be all set.
I was crestfallen when I had to tell Chris that I couldn’t make it. I’d been waiting so long to work for ECW and was convinced that I’d missed my chance. However, if Paul had called me with such urgency once, he’d surely call me a second time, right?
Wrong.
I didn’t hear another word from Paul or ECW until Mick Foley saw my match against Dragón in Japan. When he hand-delivered the tape and gave it the Cactus stamp of approval, Paul finally decided to give me a chance.
I returned to my apartment in Calgary one night at 2 A.M. in December of 1995 and found a message from Dave’s roommate on my machine.
“Chris Jericho, Paul E. Dangerously. Please call me back as soon you can, night or day...I rarely sleep.”
Since I’d been waiting for over a year to talk to the guy, I figured there was no better time than the present. I picked up the phone at 2:30 in the morning and dialed his number. He answered within seconds.
“Paul? This is Chris Jericho.”
“Chris, I’m so glad you called. I have been trying to get ahold of you for a year.”
With only one sentence, I knew he was full of shit. He knew damn well that I’d been practically stalking him for over a year. But he told his lie with such conviction and gusto that I immediately liked the guy. He was like a used car salesman trying to sell me a rusted ’76 Volare when he went into his pitch.
“I saw your match with Ultimo Dragón and it was just unbelievable. Mick Foley, Perry Saturn, and Chris Benoit told me how good a person you are and I’d like to bring you in to make you a part of the ECW family. From what I’ve seen, there’s no reason why you couldn’t be the ECW heavyweight champion very soon.”
It was the perfect time for me to start in ECW, as Paul had just suffered his first wave of defections: Benoit, Eddy, Malenko, Steve Austin, and the Public Enemy all had left for the big-money pastures of WCW and WWF. In showcasing the new breed of smaller, more exciting performers, ECW had unwittingly become a feeder system to the big leagues. But the exodus left a huge open spot for me to fill.
Paul prided himself in scouring the world for the best undiscovered talent and he had decided to bring in Rob Van Dam, Rey Mysterio Jr. and this sexy beast to shore up his roster. He made it clear that he wanted me to work whenever I was available. He was planning on making my first appearance into a big deal and vignettes began appearing on the ECW TV show trumpeting the arrival of the Last Survivor of Stu Hart’s Dungeon, Lion Heart Chris Jericho.
Like the fans in Japan, Paul’s audience was savvy to the wrestling business. They were hardcore tape traders or insider newsletter readers and familiar with all the wrestlers on the worldwide scene. A strong segment of the fans knew who I was because of the popularity of the second Super J Cup and my matches with Dragón. For the fans who hadn’t heard of me, Paul’s decision to promote me as the Last Survivor of the Dungeon gave me credibility and brought respect to my name.
Trumpeting my legacy provided me with the tougher edge I needed to get over with ECW fans. My long blond hair and pretty boy good looks were going to be automatic strikes against me. Paul’s suggestion to me before my first match was to wet my hair, which would eliminate the glam rock element from my gimmick. In ECW, pretty boys were crucified, not welcomed.
My debut ECW show was going to