A Lion's Tale_ Around the World in Spandex - Chris Jericho [90]
I knew my absence was going to spoil a lot of Jim’s plans, so I dialed his number immediately.
Jim didn’t understand or appreciate the Japanese style of wrestling and I thought the best way to make him understand my choice was to compare it to a similar situation that he’d been through: “You had a dream to start your own wrestling company and you left WCW and the WWF in order to make it happen. You took a chance and fulfilled your dream. Well, I want to do the same thing. Working in Japan is one of my dreams.”
To my surprise, he understood and gave me his blessing. I think he was probably relieved that he wouldn’t have to worry about my guarantee anymore. We agreed that he would explain to the fans that I was missing the tapings because I was touring Japan, but it was no secret to either of us that, in the long run, I’d basically given my notice and he’d basically accepted it. However, I still wanted to wrestle for Smoky for as long as I could, and Jimmy still had plans for the Thrillseekers.
He was planning to run a show at the Knoxville Coliseum that would climax all of the major angles of the year and was so sure of its success, he claimed if it didn’t sell out he would “strip naked and sing ‘Back in Black’ in the center of the ring.”
Please God, let it sell out.
One of Cornette’s big plans for the show was to build a feud between the Thrillseekers and the team he managed, the Heavenly Bodies. The Bodies were made up of Tom Pritchard and Jimmy Del Ray and had been the top heel team until they’d lost a loser-leaves-SMW match, which was an excuse for them to start full-time with the WWF. Cornette received permission from Vince to bring them back for his big show. It was to be our biggest win and the beginning of a serious push for the Seekers.
The build for the angle had started at the previous taping in Warrensville, North Carolina, (I don’t know where the heck it is either), when the fine fans in the Ville presented us with a cake to welcome us into the company. In the middle of our ceremony Cornette came out to spoil the party and to put us in our place.
“Well, well, Thrillseekers. You’re doing all your fancy moves and you’ve got your fancy videos and all those fancy costumes. But all that doesn’t mean a thing because when it all boils down, in the ring you just ain’t that fancy.”
The crowd booed but we took the insult in stride, as if he’d meant it as constructive criticism. “You know what, Jim? You’re right and as a result, we’re just going to step back and give you this cake. We want you to have it.”
He went to take a bite and I shoved his face into it.
(Wrestling Rule #24: Whenever a cake appears in the ring, someone will end up wearing it.)
Cornette got his revenge when he orchestrated an attack by two masked man who beat the hell out of us in a parking lot later in the week. The ambush was of course accidentally recorded by an ardent fan and the tape exposed the masked men as the Heavenly Bodies. The shit was on.
CHAPTER 29
MY WHITE WHALE
The angle was a huge success and our match with the Bodies for the big show called Night of the Legends was one of the most anticipated matches on the card. It was going to be a huge night for us and I wanted to debut a new move that would be as monumental as the occasion...the Shooting Star Press.
The Shooting Star Press was the move that had been originated in Japan by pioneering high-flyer Jushin Liger and had later been the trademark of my old friend Bret Como (and the Zebra Kid). I’d never done it before but I’d been conned into thinking I could do it by Ultimo Dragón, one of my future greatest rivals. He’d seen me do the Lionsault in Mexico and thought that the Shooting Star wasn’t too far off. He was wrong.
When I practiced off the diving board of a swimming pool near SMF, I nailed it every time. Even when I didn’t nail it, the worst thing that happened was I took a refreshing plunge into the pool. I wasn’t stupid enough to think it would be as easy from the top rope, but I was stupid enough to try it without a practice mat in