My favorite thing about this match is how quickly it shatters the idea that Chris Jericho is someone that deserves to be known as the greatest of all time. It’s a gift to the cynics like me that so often scoff at the idea that Jericho approaches anything remotely close to GOAT status that the ridiculousness of that claim can now be boiled down to a single GIF. Any person who unironically tries to build a Jericho is the GOAT argument now has to contend with this match and write it off as either a fluke or discount it entirely. But those who have seen will know.
The worst thing about this match is that Orange Cassidy had to be a sacrifice to this blatant self-ruination. As a consequence of Jericho embarrassing himself on national TV, Cassidy has to have a bad match on his record despite doing absolutely nothing wrong between the bells. Cassidy had great punches and fire to start. But what more can he do when the man he’s working with can’t even bump for a Dragon Screw Leg Whip despite wrestling Hiroshi Tanahashi earlier in the year and can’t even be bothered to figure out how the finishing pinfall combination is supposed to work? I’m sorry, Orange, you deserved better than this.
