Undisputed_ How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps - Chris Jericho [94]
Who was he—Bushwacker Luke?
I collapsed to the floor laughing and said, “Come on, Bruce! How do you expect me to sell that?”
After an awesome and very sweaty twenty-two minutes, Rock finally beat me with the Rock Bottom. As he was pinning me, his voice barely audible over the screams of the crowd, he whispered in my ear, “Thank you so much, Chris. That was my favorite match of my career.” It was the last time I ever wrestled him and was a perfect end to one of the best rivalries of my career.
Afterwards, Rocky took Jessica and me out for dinner along with my new close personal friend Bruce Willis and his three daughters. Bruce was down-to-earth and really easy to talk to, and we spent most of the night talking about music and our respective bands (did you forget The Return of Bruno?). Eventually the conversation turned to Hollywood, and Bruce told Rocky that maybe it was time for him to stop wrestling, because Hollywood wouldn’t be happy if he continued and it might limit his opportunities. It wasn’t too long before Rock heeded his words and left the WWE for good. It was time for him to move on and I’m proud of him and the great work we did together in wrestling.
When we finished eating Bruce asked me when I was leaving Hawaii. I told him we had an early flight to Anaheim the next morning and he replied, “Oh, that’s too bad! I’m taking my daughters and their friends to the big water park in Waikiki tomorrow for a birthday present. If you guys weren’t leaving, I’d love to have you come along. I rented out the whole place just for us.”
Rented out the whole place? Kind of makes my bitching about the $79.95 I have to pay for a day pass at Adventure Island a moot point, don’t it?
CHAPTER 26
Wacky Roll-Up Guy
After my program with Hogan, the plan was for me to work with Edge. But everything changed when Edge suffered an apparent torn rotator cuff and was scheduled to be out for a couple months. To explain his injury, we did a big angle where I trapped his shoulder in the crotch of the steel ring steps and bashed it with a chair. He was carried out on a stretcher, leaving the crowd incredulous at their hero’s demise. The good news was we had a ready-made angle as soon as Edge returned, but in the meantime I needed someone to work with.
Enter John Cena.
Cena was a blue-chip prospect whom the WWE had signed out of a wrestling gym in California. He had a great body, a great look, and, most important to me, he had personality. I had seen him do this amazing promo where he would make a statement, then rewind himself as if he was on tape and say it again. He would re-create the exact movements he just made, only backwards. I’d never seen anything like it before and I knew he had something special immediately.
Cena made his debut against Kurt Angle on Smackdown! and they tore the house down. I thought I could do the same with him and made the suggestion to Vince to work with John. Vince didn’t seem too impressed with Cena at that point, but he agreed and booked the match for the Vengeance PPV in Detroit. The finish was me going over, but a few days before the show I called Vince to give him my thoughts.
“I’d really like to put this guy over, Vince. He’s unique, he looks great, and he’s got a lot of passion. Let’s build him up a little.”
Vince expressed that he didn’t think it was the right way to go, but I was obstinate.
“I’m telling you, boss, there’s something special about this guy. Let me put him over.”
I think he got tired of arguing with me and agreed to change the finish. At the PPV Cena pinned me after reversing the Walls of Jericho into a small package and got a small push afterwards. He hadn’t started using the AA or the STFU and won most of his matches with various quick pins, so I nicknamed him Wacky Roll-Up Guy. But his push didn’t last long, and only a few weeks after his big victory over Jericho, he was back to wrestling in the opening matches.
Who would have thought that this guy would end up being the