Column: Who Will Be Chris Jericho’s Partner?
Granted we’re in the ‘PG’ era of the WWE, 20 million 10 year olds world-wide are happy that Edge is out with an injury and won’t be back for at least six months. For the people who are just a little bit older, we now realize that arguably the biggest superstar in the company is now gone. Not only is he one of the biggest stars and best competitors, he’s also one-half of the Unified WWE Tag-Team Champions.
Enter Chris Jericho. Had the WWE faced this problem 10 years ago, with a champ down with an injury, both would have to vacate the titles. However, Jericho get’s to choose (and I say ‘choose’ lightly) his new tag-team partner. And in order to figure that out, we need to do a quick history lesson, as it could be one of three possibilities:
The Legacy: Vince has wanted either Rhodes or DiBiase (primarily the latter) to pull a Batista-like exit on Legacy, really since it began. Obviously, in 2005 Batista turned on his mentor and left Evolution. With Legacy as the ‘new’ Evolution, a turn for either Rhodes or DiBiase is pretty much inevitable.
Think back, exactly one year ago (damn the time flies, huh?): At the same pay-per-view, DiBiase and Rhodes formed to make ‘Priceless’, by turning on Hardcore Holly, to capture the titles. With the animosity between DiBiase and Orton slowly (but surely) growing, it wouldn’t be a surprise if either one turned on Legacy, for a chance to become the new Tag-Team Champ.
Dolph Ziggler: This seems like the most probable choice. Think back a few weeks ago; Jericho lost the Intercontinental Championship to Mr.. 619, but then picked up the Tag-Team titles with Edge the same night. On WWE.com, it was announced that Ziggler will challenge Mysterio for the IC at NOC, and this Friday on Smackdown, Ziggler teams with Jericho to take on Hardy and Mysterio (non-title match however). This might give Ziggler a great push towards working up to main-eventing, something the WWE needs to do with other young wrestlers as well.
Shawn Michaels: Yeah, I know what half of you are thinking right now. ‘HBK isn’t coming back till Summerslam or WrestleMania 26’ ‘Jericho would never take HBK as a partner’ but listen to what Jericho said last Monday. He wanted someone who would do whatever it took to get to the top, someone who was “Intelligent, devious, cunning”. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Jericho go on a ‘small’ rampage against HBK saying those exact same words? Now, granted the history, don’t expect this to happen, as those terms can be applied to Ziggler as well, but granted the head of the company calls himself a ‘genetic jackhammer’, anything is possible. If by some chance this does, we might be looking at another top-heel in the company. (What a great thing to boost viewership if HBK became the Federation/Attitude Shawn Michaels!)
These are the three most likely people I believe will stand with Jericho at Night of Champions, and become his new tag-team partner, but like I said, anything is possible.
John D.
