A PIECE OF MY MIND: THE CHRIS JERICHO INCIDENT, THE YOKOZUNA MEMORIAL EVENT AND MORE
By Sal Corrente on 2/14/2009 9:17 AM
The recent incident between the fans and Chris Jericho in Victoria, British
Columbia, is a sad one on all levels. When I first started in the business
fans were scared to death of the wrestlers. I can remember being in the
Westchester County Center one night when Afa “The Wild Samoan #1†ran into the
crowd after a fan, he wasn’t able to catch him because the people all
scattered. In today’s society, and with fans being aware the Pro Wrestling is
Sports Entertainment, I am not sure fans would run. Many of them are just
looking to provoke an altercation. In this incident, the fans were certainly
not acting respectfully and from what I saw from the videos available, the
building security was pathetic at best.
In Chris Jericho’s case, it’s a tough call to make. It is easy for someone
like me to sit here and say he should have handled it better. We have all been
provoked at one time or another by fans inside the building and outside. Many
of us will never know what real harassment is. Can we even imagine what
someone like Jackie Robinson went through? How many punches could have been
thrown? I assume that, as this incident runs through Jericho’s mind, he is
considering how he could have handled it better. It’s a bad deal. Fans
everywhere should be embarrassed for these people in Victoria. The building
needs to think about getting better security people. If people are going to be
allowed to congregate like that then real uniformed police should be on hand.
In Jericho’s case, I am sure this is one of those moments that will alter his
life in many ways. How he enters buildings, leaves buildings how he deals with
fans as a whole. It truly is a shame that some people do not know how to
conduct themselves.
The other thing that needs to be examined is insulting fans. As a manager I
have been asked to do this ... basically been ordered to do it. I don’t
believe in it and don’t like doing it but I am very good at it. I don’t
believe I need it to “get over†and get my heat. I yell at the fans but
insulting them just makes no sense and it shows me that a guy needs that kind
of “cheap heat†because he really can’t work. In the case of Chris Jericho,
the guy is a tremendous worker if it’s true that actions speak louder than
words. Then if Chris Jericho is going to be one of your top heels let him work
and get his heat. How hard is it to figure out why insult people that are
paying you money to come and see you.
I was on my way to LA today as I boarded the plane in Atlanta.I looked behind
me and there was WWE Producer/wrestler Jamie Noble. I introduced myself and we
started chatting a little. He was familiar with WrestleReunion. We eventually
started talking about our careers and realized that we were on the Yokozuna
Memorial Show together. I remembered Shannon Moore being on the show but I
didn’t remember Jamie being on it.
It was a night that won’t easily be forgotten if I ever
forget it. It was so hard realizing that someone I basically started with was
gone. The Undertaker, Kane, Tim White (WWE Referee) The APA (Bradshaw and
Farroq) along with Billy Kidman, and Kanyon were all there. I got a chance to
see all the wrestling members of the Anoai and Fatu family as well The Great
Samu, Afa “The Wild Samoanâ€, Rikishi (JR Fatu), Ecki Fatu (Umaga), The Tonga
Kid (Sam Fatu).
As far as I know everyone there that night donated their
services and got them to the event for free. I am always busy traveling as was
everyone else, but paying tribute to someone who broke into the business with
you was a must. I have been in this business now since nineteen eighty one.
That’s an awful long time.
It always strikes me funny when I run into a guy and find
out we worked on one or numerous events together and I don’t remember it. I
used to think that I would remember every match every guy every city. It just
doesn’t happen that way. But it’s always fun to revisit the past and remember
the good old days. These blogs give me a chance to do just that.
The photo with this article was taken at WrestleReunion 1 in Tampa. It is of
Jimmy “Superfly†Snuka and “Rowdy†Roddy Piper. It is probably the first and
last time many people saw these two guys on the same side of a tag team match.
