The Rise of an Icon

Part VIII: Tension Rises

October 3, 2016, Monday Night RAW

Tonight on RAW, we have a huge #1 contender's 6-man ladder match for a shot at my championship at the Hell in a Cell PPV, but it's not in the main event. Charlotte vs. Sasha for the Women's Championship is. RAW is pulling out all the stops to get the ratings back up. High above the ring will be a contract that gives whoever wins the right to, ah, you get the idea. The participants are Big Cass (why), Rusev, Sami, Roman, Cesaro, and Sheamus (why), even though Jericho is entitled to a rematch. Great idea, but the booking just doesn't make sense. When the announcement is made backstage 4 hours before the show, Jericho gets furious. 

During the show, Jericho expresses his frustration in an interview.

"That stupid Santa-wannabe idiot, Mick Foley, decided not put me in this match, huh? He and the rest of the stupid idiots in the #1 Contender's match just made the list (of Jericho)!! I'll get my well-deserved title shot, one way or another. Those six idiots will get...."IT." -Chris Jericho

Towards the end of the match, Cesaro and Roman climb up the ladder to fight for the contract. Neither man is backing down. They're trading shots back and forth, and the crowd is loving it. Meanwhile, I'm backstage watching the match in the interview area. All of a sudden, Chris Jericho comes from under the ring (it's a surprise no one looked under there) and pushes both Cesaro and Roman off the ladder, sending them flying towards everyone else on the outside. The ladder rebounds off the ropes. Jericho catches it and places it under the contract. He climbs up the ladder and successfully grabs the contract, even though he is not a participant in the match. Everyone in the arena is in a state of confusion, and Jericho hurries up to the backstage area, gets in his car and leaves. 

October 10, 2016, Monday Night RAW

The confusion continues. Social media has been in a frenzy ever since the ending of the #1 contender's match last week. 

Mick Foley opens RAW to address the situation, but Kevin Owens interrupts him on behalf of his best friend, Chris Jericho, who has been banned from RAW. 

"How dare you? You were stupid enough to not put my best friend in the #1 contender's match last week, and now you're banning him for taking something that is rightfully his? Looks like all of those injuries you suffered over the years are messing with your brain, Foley. I demand that you give him the title shot he earned!"- Kevin Owens

I don't usually agree with Kevin, but he is correct. 

I'm sensing some animosity brewing between Mick and Jericho. Mick Foley announces that he will not give Jericho a title shot simply because he interfered in the main event last week. 

October 17-24, 2016, Monday Night RAW

Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens have been taking out almost every member of the RAW roster, including myself, hoping to persuade Mick into giving Jericho a title shot. Mick doesn't give an answer, and that means no Hell in a Cell main event.

October 30, 2016, Hell in a Cell

Mick finally comes out and gives Jericho his title shot. He announces that this match will take place inside Hell in a Cell and I know that he secretly hopes that Jericho gets the beating of his life. GMs are never unbiased these days. What does Mick have against Chris, I wonder? 

I respect Jericho, as I've said before, but respect goes out the window in a Hell in a Cell match. So, now there will be 3 Hell In A Cell matches: me vs. Jericho II for the Universal Championship, Roman vs. Rusev for the U.S. Championship, and the first ever Women's Hell In A Cell match, featuring Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte for the RAW Women's Championship. These kinds of matches can take years off your career. Undertaker. Shawn Michaels. Triple H. Mick Foley. These names are associated with this legendary match; this is the match to end feuds. 

At a crucial point in the Hell in a Cell match between Chris and I, he climbs up the cage to where I am and we trade back-and-forth shots. He tries to kick me in the gut, but I manage to catch him by his foot and choke slam him through the roof of the cell, recreating the infamous Undertaker vs. Mankind (Mick Foley) spot at King of the Ring 1998. Chris Jericho crashes to the mat. I climb down from the broken roof to the ring. Kevin Owens rushes to ringside to the aid of his fallen buddy, but he cannot get in the cell. However, he manages to rip the entrance door off the cell, gets in the ring while my back is turned, and Pop-Up Powerbombs me when I turn around, facing him. Jericho and I are both down. Kevin proceeds to drag Jericho on top of me to pin me, but I kick out, obviously. Jericho is too exhausted to get back up at this point, but Kevin ambushes me and when Jericho does make it back to his feet, he joins Kevin in the attack. Meanwhile, I'm propped up in the corner while the right foot of Kevin Owens is coming down on me. All of a sudden, I push Team Kevin & Chris (or Chris & Kevin, depending on your perspective) off of me, grabbing both of them by their throats and nailing a double chokeslam, Undertaker-style. That move is usually reserved for guys like the Big Show and Kane; I am strong enough to pull it off, but it has to be executed on the right people. I am feeding entirely off the adrenaline of the crowd when I chokeslam Kevin & Chris. 

 The chokeslam takes a lot of energy away from my body, ironically. I fall to the mat, covering Jericho with my arm. The era of Danger continues as I barely retain the Universal Championship.