I was going to delay this article and move away from all things Jericho, but the more I thought about it the more fitting it seemed to just carry on. It’s a natural second article to write in conjunction to last week’s review of “A Lion’s Tale,” so this week we’re looking at Chris Jericho’s second autobiography “Undisputed: How To Become The World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps.”
A large part of “Undisputed” is the same kind of thing as “A Lion’s Tale”. It’s written in the same self-deprecating, comical style with more than a dose of honesty remaining. The book follows the same structure as its predecessor. It begins in 2007, with Jericho getting his stuff together to go to the renowned “Storm Wrestling Acadamy,” run by his long-time friend and former tag team partner, Lance Storm, to get back into ring-shape for his 2007 return. As Jericho is contemplating his return to the ring, his mind wanders back to his debut, where “A Lion’s Tale” left us hanging. The novel takes us through Jericho’s WWE career from 1999 and his unforgettable debut (surprisingly, Jericho expresses regret over his debut, saying he would have done it totally differently if he was redoing it) interrupting The Rock to his departure at the hands of Eric Bischoff on Raw and ends as the countdown to the second coming was about to begin.
Jericho recounts most of the talking points of his first stint in the WWE. He recounts his difficult early period, where he had to come through a lot of back stage politics through to his phantom title win, how badly booked his world title run was (He became “Undisputed” champion after 1,372 matches, hence the title). Working with two of the biggest legends the business has ever seen in Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair to his final feud with John Cena in 2005. Also uncovered is a chapter called “The Big Fight,” which covers Goldberg’s debut. For all the WCW fans out there, this is interesting reading regarding a man who’s wrestling life and persona was shaped in WCW – so it’s not unreasonable to say the attitudes he developed regarding wrestling were a by-product of that environment.
This leads me into an ideal opportunity to criticise this book a little. One of the key selling points about “A Lion’s Tale” was its’ honesty. I’m not saying that “Undisputed” is dishonest, far from it. However, I get the impression that it’s far from being the whole truth if you catch my meaning. Yes I understand that Jericho would’ve known, or at least suspected, that he wasn’t done with the WWE and would be back for another tour of duty and therefore wasn’t going to bury anyone for fear of the future. While Jericho isn’t shy in criticising people like Goldberg and Chyna, who everyone knows are not exactly on good terms with the WWE (understandably so), but he’s very reserved when talking about people like Triple H – whose backstage issues with Jericho are legendary – gets off pretty lightly.
The point being that I think Jericho has left a lot unsaid. Sure, the logic is understandable, but if he was worrying about upsetting those in power at the WWE it would’ve made for a better book to have delayed the release till he knew he was done with the WWE and printed things as they actually happened without fear of retribution. However, it should of course be said that it isn’t unfeasible that the situation between himself and Triple H for example have been exaggerated and that there really isn’t anything worthwhile writing home about. I guess I’m just a bit of a cynic, and possibly a bit of a mark for backstage rumours with my opinion on that.
Alongside the wrestling material, there is quite a bit on his band “Fozzy.” In a way it’s fitting having this in. “A Lion’s Tale” focused on Jericho’s ascent into the upper echelons of the wrestling world, “Undisputed” mirrors that with Fozzy’s ascent to…well…maybe not the upper echelons of the metal world, but certainly to levels of respectability. It’s interesting to see the similarities between paying your dues in the wrestling world to the music world: there is a lot that they share in how you come through the ranks and prove yourself to a wider audience.
In reviews that I’ve read of “Undisputed”, reviewers have said that the Fozzy material detracts from the book, I actually disagree with this. I think that it makes a welcome tangent, especially if you’re a music fan it serves to be a welcome insight into some of the larger than life personalities in the music industry: again, much like the wrestling sections highlight the personalities of icons in the ring.
Unfortunately however, the book does carry some of the tragedy of “A Lion’s Tale.” Given that the novel takes place between August 1999 and November 2007, this means that the deaths of two of Jericho’s closest friends in the wrestling fraternity are chronicled in the book: Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit. There’s a recollection of a conversation that he had with Vicki after Eddie’s funeral where she told Jericho that Eddie was envious that Jericho had been able to walk away from the business on his own terms as opposed to being pushed out or being forced into retirement by injury. He also discusses what happened with Chris Benoit, and manages to convey what the impact of his actions were on the people that were close to him as well as adding some humanity into a man who has been vilified as a monster. Jericho makes absolutely no attempt to defend his actions, but seeks explanation into how a man who was very much “What you see is what you get,” how the guy who loved his kids so much he would change his schedule on a monthly basis to spend as much time with them as possible could commit acts which are incomprehensible. There is an oft repeated line however when he’s talking about a classic match that Benoit was involved in: “It’s unfortunate that the match has been buried and technically doesn’t exist anymore.”
The debate of Benoit’s legacy and actions will rage on, but this is not the place for that argument. To paraphrase Jericho himself: if you want that to have that debate, go somewhere else because it’s irrelevant to “Undisputed.”
Despite my criticisms of “Undisputed,” I still really recommend this book. It’s a highly enjoyable read that that chronicles one of the most talented performers the company has seen, as well as seeing what some of the major stars are like behind the curtain. The criticism I levelled weren’t a detraction from the book whatsoever, I just felt that with some of the stuff that has possibly been left out it could have been so much more had it been pushed back till he was out of reach of WWE politics. It’s still one of my favourite wrestling books of all time and think it that it should be on the “must read” list of anyone who considers themselves to be a serious wrestling fan.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter @MichaelBrown_91
PS: Could you guys let me know if you think this has worked, doing two related reviews back to back? Or would you have preferred to have had these spaced out with stuff between them? Feedback is appreciated on all levels, I’m still trying to find my feet!
Two reviews on a row doesn’t bother me. As long as the columns are good, I won’t get bored.
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I remember when Jericho took those acting classes with Eric Stoltz where he used a melon to represent the guy that cause his mom’s accident.
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Yeah, I was trying to leave it pretty spoiler free outside the obvious and wrestling stuff though 😛 . A balancing act I’m still trying to get in regards to this!
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Two in a row is good for me. The first one is still fresh in my memory and I actually went out and bought A Lions Tale. Not read it yet but it had better be good lol 🙂
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You’re in for a treat! The pacing is excellent and you’ll end up reading it in a handful of sessions…think I read it cover to cover if I recall correctly! (No refunds if you don’t enjoy it though :))
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Off topic, but I thought I’d put this here…
Sorry, Ray.
http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/wwe/Behind-the-Scenes_of_Raw_1_000_Commercial_Kane_s_Two_Personalities_Lilian_Garcia.html
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Yeah it’s just criticism in comparison to ALT (Available in all good bookstores 😉 ) You gave a very fair review, good work!
Capt – No problem! Interesting video! Will put in on sidebar later!
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Groovy!
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Sorry guys – I’ve been trying to get this 500th column together, write a different column myself and figure out if WR twitter was hacked or not. So that’s why I have not spent much time discussing rasslin’ here.
Sorry, Michael, for the off topic BTW.
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I’m glad you guys enjoyed it! And no problem regarding being off topic, I just was concerned about it descending into a Benoit debate, which I didn’t really want to happen here!
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As mentioned in your last review, this is in my top 3 of books, and I rarely put it down from the moment I got it, till I finished it (I was one anti-social bugger at Christmas thanks to this book!).
I was really looking forward to this book, especially considering where the last one left off. But I was really surprised by the things I were reading about how he was thought backstage, and was in the doghouse.
I didn’t see any problem with throwing his Fozzy moments in as much as he did, it was a big part of that time frame, so it was good to see it mentioned, and also showed it wasn’t such an easy path for him to go down.
As for the Benoit stuff, I have seen a few people question this, but for me, it should be in the book. We’re seeing his account of how he felt, what he thought, and I felt the chapter came off quite well. Again, it was an important time, Benoit was a close friend, and would have looked poor had he skipped it.
Another good review and enjoyable column. Look forward to many more from you!
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I read it cover-to-cover during a hungover day spent in bed!
One of my thoughts reading it, which I actually meant to include in the review, was that he seems to say he was doing the wrong side in hindsight. What would’ve been more interesting is why he was acting the way he was and his thought process when he had some dodgy attitudes that developed in his early WWE stint. There’s never any attempt at an explanation, just “in hindsight, it was a bad thing to do.”
I liked the Fozzy stuff too, but some people didn’t like it and felt it detracted to the book. I respectfully disagree with that, any excuse to get stories about Ozzy in is well worth it imo!
Benoit…yeah. I thought he dealt with it as well as he could’ve. No doubt some people would rather that he didn’t discuss it, but he was friends with Benoit along with being a inspiration/role model. Rightly or wrong, it wouldn’t have been right if he hadn’t mentioned it.
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For as much as I enjoyed Jericho’s first book, I still haven’t gotten around to reading “Undisputed.”
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Good review which I enjoyed reading even having read the book. The book itself is a very well written book with a good balance of Jerichos comedic and seriousness. It’s true what you say though, he’s obviously not burning any bridges with people he still needs to rely on, yet slating those who he has no need for.
I enjoyed the book very much, having read Bret Harts just a few weeks before it is on a different level and I love the way he constantly refers back to Foley (who I believe he’s never lost to… ever)
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Yeah, the Foley references are quite funny it must be said! But I do prefer Foley’s first and second to “Undisputed,” purely because I think Foley calls it as he sees it and doesn’t really worry about the politics in the book if he brings something up. “A Lion’s Tale” didn’t have that consideration and was better for it (and I do think Jericho is a better writer than Foley…not by much, but slightly). But the honesty in Foley’s pushes them above.
There’s another couple of points I’m wanting to make about Jericho’s writing, but I’m going to save them for contrast in later reviews about things that are cardinal sins in writing – wrestler’s autobiographies in particular!
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