It's always the same, and yet it's never the same. Any time you witness a ladder match, you know going in that you're going to see one of the most brutal, sadistic matches ever conceived. You know that each participant is going to walk away battered, bruised, and lucky just to walk away. And yet, the variety of ways in which the unforgiving steel ladder can be used always results in a unique experience.
Unfortunately for HBK and unfortunately for all of us, his championship-winning moment was halted mid-progress by Lance Cade, who interfered just as fortune swung in HBK's favor. With Jericho tied up upside-down inside the ladder, there was no way for him to escape in time to prevent Michaels from climbing to victory—not without Cade's help, anyways.
Michaels fought on, taking on Cade directly and knocking him out of the match with some Sweet Chin Music—but too little too late as Jericho had escaped from his predicament and was poised to capture the Championship. Surprisingly, Michaels managed to reach the top of ladder in time to start a ferocious, literal tug-of-war with Jericho over the belt, but Lance Cade popped up one last time, and HBK had no choice but to partially turn his attention to Cade, allowing Jericho to gain the upper hand and eventually pull the belt away from Shawn and pull it down, securing his victory.
Tonight's battle delivered on all fronts, as the ladder was used in multiple ways time and time again—as a club, a battering ram, a launching pad, a landing zone, and much more. Both participants were visibly worse for wear at the end of the night, but few will argue against the fact that Jericho took the worst of it. Not only did he take a tremendous beating on both his legs, but he was also bloodied early on in the match, actually losing a tooth in the process.
Thus let it be noted—Shawn Michaels may not have won the Championship tonight, but he certainly accomplished his number one goal: to maim Chris Jericho in ways he hadn't before, and in ways Chris Jericho will never, ever forget.
Those iconic words closed the September 15th edition of Monday Night Raw as Shawn Michaels took his seat atop a 15-foot tall ladder to announce his intentions for No Mercy. On Sunday, October 5, 2008, Shawn Michaels will face Chris Jericho in the match that HBK himself put on the map, and as always—anything goes.
But it gets better. It was also announced tonight that on October 3, 2008, when WWE Friday Night Smackdown premieres on MyNetworkTV (check your local listings), there will be a multi-champion Triple Threat match featuring Chris Jericho vs. Matt Hardy vs. Triple H.
So not only does Chris Jericho have to face Shawn Michaels in yet another brutal match, but he's got to play The Game only two nights prior. Hey—if we can't have DX blazing trails on Raw, I can't think of a much better substitute than having Shawn Michaels and Triple H each holding the Championship of their respective brands!
With no reason to hold back and nothing considered illegal, out-of-bounds, or off-limits, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho battled at Unforgiven tooth and nail. Unlike the average quick-paced WWE match, the Michaels/Jericho encounter assumed a brooding, methodical form as a hush fell over the otherwise raucous crowd, watching and waiting for the outcome of each carefully planned assault.
Although Jericho threw everything he had at Michaels, including an unnecessary run-in from lackey Lance Cade, HBK was one step ahead of Jericho all night long. Countless chair shots, a hosedown with a fire extinguisher, the steel flooring and guard rails, even the belt from around Michaels' waist were just a few of the implements used to torture Jericho. Ultimately, the referee stopped the match due to a lack of response from Jericho, echoing the match at the Great American Bash which some would say truly set this feud in motion.
Yes, Michaels was victorious, but according to his actions in the ring (striking down the referee with Sweet Chin Music following the end of the match) and his own words later in the night, unsatisfied with the outcome. All of this, too, before Chris Jericho made an appearance in the World Heavyweight Championship Scramble Match, replacing the injured champion, CM Punk, and eventually winning the World Heavyweight Championship!
How must Shawn feel now, now that Jericho, a man he reviles has practically been handed the World Heavyweight Championship in a match he wasn't supposed to compete in, that he shouldn't have been able to physically compete in if Shawn was allowed to finish his work earlier in the night? That Chris Jericho was only inserted into the match due to a heinous attack on CM Punk by Randy Orton, the same man who put Shawn Michaels on the shelf in 2007 for 4 1/2 months? Certainly there's no love lost there.
I think it's more than safe to say the story doesn't end here.
On the August 25th episode of Raw, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho agreed to terms that would make any normal human being cringe, if not run away in abject fear. At Unforgiven, it's going to be HBK vs. Don't Call Him Y2J in an Unsanctioned Match.
Officially, somewhere in the piles of legal paperwork that both Shawn and Jericho will both have to look over and sign in the coming days will be the disclaimers, statements, and hold harmless agreements that will protect the WWE from the threat of future lawsuits instigated by either Jericho or Michaels as the result of this match, and protect Jericho and Michaels from each other in the courtroom as well. But nothing—and I mean nothing—will protect them from each other in the middle of the ring. And apparently, that's the way they want it.
This match is not recommened for the squeamish. It will be brutal. It will be bloody. It will be barbaric. Absolutely nothing will be off-limits, and neither man will be the same afterwards.
If you need any examples of how bad things are going to get, look no further than the last Unsanctioned match contested in WWE, at Summerslam 2002... ironically between Shawn Michaels and Triple H. And THAT match happened between two men who had been close friends, and were later able to overcome their differences. Not only have Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels never shared that kind of bond, but Shawn is experienced in this kind of match. And he's out for blood... and possibly a whole lot more.
WWE.com has also posted a rumor about the condition of Rebecca Michaels, reposted below:
"Following the volatile blow suffered at the hands of Chris Jericho at SummerSlam, rumors are abound that Shawn Michaels' wife Rebecca may have fractured her jaw.
As the world witnessed on Sunday night on pay-per-view, Jericho's
errant punch connected with Rebecca's jaw, causing immediate swelling
about her face. The severity of her injury, however, remains
unconfirmed as the Michaels family has maintained their privacy with
regards to this situation.
Stay tuned to WWE.com as updates become available on Rebecca's
condition and the future of The Showstopper himself, Shawn Michaels.
Plus, catch Raw this Monday at 9/8 CT on a special channel - for one night only - on Sci Fi."
