A Lion’s Tale: Around The World in Spandex
Chris Jericho could have written an excellent wrestling book. With his stories of making his way though the ranks of the sports-entertainment world by wrestling in bar, bars and even kids’ birthday parties, he shows the passion and dedication it takes to becoming one of the biggest stars in the industry. But where A Lion’s Tale falls short is that there is no payoff for all the blood, sweat and tears he left in rings on almost every continent.
Jericho shows the sense of humor that has made him one of the more entertainers around. His charisma has allowed him to do other things besides wrestle, like front a band, appear on reality shows, and appear on MSNBC as a commentator, and it shows in the pages of the book. Some of the jokes get repetitive, but just when he hits the point of being obnoxious; he gets back to the business of what life is like inside and outside the ring.
Jericho is at his best when his career finally settles in the United States, after stints in Canada, Mexico, and Japan. His time in Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling is particularly compelling when he describes how backstage politics and massive egos almost caused him to quit the business. Even non-wresting fans can appreciate Jericho’s problems dealing with no-nothing bosses and corporate run-arounds. He also gives insight into how in-ring characters and their storylines are created, and occasionally shot down, and the art of making thousands of people hate you.
When Jericho finally escapes the horrors of WCW and heads to Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), you expect his life story to take off like the fireworks of his entrance to the ring. But the story just STOPS. I mean, he walks to the ring for the first time to face the now Hollywood star The Rock, and the story ends. Most of the people know Jericho as the over-the-top “Y2J” character created for the WWE, yet there is only the creation of the persona that appears in the book. It would be like reading Brett Farve’s autobiography, and it ended with him taking the field at Lambeau for the first time, with no mention of his NFL career.
Maybe it would have been better if Jericho waited to publish this book until after his recent return to WWE. Then it could have been published under the WWE Books banner, which could be the reason why there is so little WWE information in the book. I am always entertained by Jericho’s pre-match interviews and in-ring skills, and I did enjoy this book to a certain extent. But A Lion’s Tale ends up being the equivalent of watching a five-star promo before the main event, then having the show cut to black after the opponents hit the ring.
