As you all know, I’m currently reading the Chris Jericho book. I have discussed this in the past, and yes, I’m a slow reader and haven’t finished just yet. I’m getting there, though. But as I was going through the later chapters, I came across a very interesting story. So, I thought I would share it with the rest of you who may not have read the book… or maybe even those of you who were thinking about reading the book but haven’t made up your mind to spend the money to get it.

Well, I’ll tell you right here and now, it’s definitely worth buying.

On to the story.

Those of us who actually wrestle with the dreams of making it in the business one day… the wrestlers that actually want to make it to the WWE… you may find this story very odd. The rest of you who are just outsiders looking in - not only are you very lucky to not be in the wrestling business - but you will have a totally different appreciation to how stupid the WCW truly was. We’ve heard all the rumors and such about how the company wasn’t run the way that a multi-million dollar company is supposed to be run. Well, here’s the prime example.

Jericho was introduced to Eric Bischoff through Chris Benoit. Benoit introduced them at a party and Eric said that if Benoit put his stamp of approval on Jericho… then, he had a roster spot for him. They set the meeting up and Jericho agreed to a three year contract worth $165,000 per year. Is it that easy? Jericho gets invited by a buddy to a party… he introduces him to the boss… and then, he’s signed to the contract right afterwards.

Or not.

The part of the story that’s insane is - Jericho never signed the contract. Chris told the story that he actually turned the contract back in to Bischoff and WCW’s offices without actually putting pen to the paper. He stated that he was just curious as to what might happen and if they’d even notice. Somehow, the multi-million dollar company… the number one wrestling company in the entire world (at the time) didn’t even noticed that Chris Jericho didn’t sign the contract! Not only did they not notice that he didn’t sign it… but he actually wrestled for the company for over more than ONE YEAR before he ever went back to sign the deal.

First off, if WCW offered me a contract, I’d sign it right away. I’d sign it in blood, if I had to. That’s how bad, not only myself, but how bad other wrestlers want to make it in the World of Wrestling. So, Jericho not signing was totally stupid on his part. You have to take advantage when the opportunity is there. On the other hand, how stupid was it that WCW never even noticed it?

Bischoff showing up to work in sweat pants, leather jacket and backwards ball cap is crazy enough. Bischoff and crew not writing the shows in advance and writing the show thirty minutes before a live Nitro went on the air is insane. All the wrestlers doing whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted was another thing that was totally normal in the circus that was WCW, as Jericho tells it in his book. But to not notice that a legally binding contract wasn’t actually signed is a totally different problem. Wasn’t there office workers that were supposed to keep all that stuff on file and double check it?

Anyway, I just thought this was a great story to tell on this blog. Read the book. It’s very good. Jericho seems very truthful about the wrestling business, as I know it. He writes the book as if he’s talking to a friend (the reader). I totally dig the way it’s written and I dig the stories that he tells in it.

Tomorrow - I will review the Hitman Hart book that I finally finished a week or so ago.