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When RAW Co-General manager Steve Austin announced that he was reinstating WWE's Intercontinental title earlier this year,
a lot lf Raw superstars began formulating a plan to make the title theirs. After all, Triple-H had been dominating the Raw
title scene, and without a secondary title to pursue, many wrestlers were left directionless. They wanted championship gold,
too.
The battle royal to decide the new champion was held at Judgment Day and was loaded with former I-C champs. Val Venis,
Test, Rob Van Dam, Lance Storm, Goldust, Chris Jericho and Christian entered the match. So did Booker T, the only entrant
never to have won the title. However, Christian outlasted every one of his opponents - an outwitted Booker - to claim his
second I-C title.
In the weeks that followed, Christian, who was already quite high on himself, became even more self-absorbed. He claimed
he was the new people's champion ( a boast that was squashed after Rock laid the smack down on it) and continued to pat himself
on the back even though he survived most of his title defenses thanks to underhanded tactics. However, on the July 7 Raw,
that good fortune came to an end when Booker T beat Christian for the title.
But Christian kept right on pursuing the championship. Nothing could convince him to give up the chase, not losing a high-profile
match to Booker a week later and not Booker pinning him in a tag team match two weeks after that. For the first time since
he because primarily a singles wrestler, Christian was displaying something akin to dedication!
Christian's tenacity paid off. On August 10, at a house show in Des Moines, Iowa, Christian met an injured Booker T for
the I-C title and won it back. One night later on Raw, it became apparent that the new champ's swagger had returned - even
if the respect of WWE's official and fans hadn't.
PWI wanted to talk to Christian, so Editor-In-Chief Dave Lenker, Senior Writer Bill Welsh and Contributing Writer Matt
Brock met with him to discuss his reign as Intercontinental champ. His feud with Booker T, and why he thinks he gets no respect,
among other topics and people in the WWE.
Dave Lenker: Thanks for sitting down with us, Christian. How's WWE's favorite Intercontinental champion doing?
Christian: What do you mean "How's WWE's favorite Intercontinental champion doing?" I'm the only I-C champion,
baby! The only one!
Lenker: I recognize that, Christian, but ah, never mind. How are you doing? You're looking a little banged up.
Christian: Because I'm defending the title so much, I can't help it, but they're only bumps and bruises. Nothing the greatest
Intercontinental champion of all-time can't get over.
Matt Brock: Oh, get over yourself, pal. Greatest Intercontinental champion of all-time, my cigar! Pedro Morales could've
wrapped you up like a piece of string! Magnificent Muraco would've chewed you up and spit you out! Heck, the Mountie might
Christian: Okay, who decided to bring the corpse along? I thought you jokers had retired him from interviews.
Lenker: Everyone else was unavailable, Christian, sorry about this.
Christian: Unavailable? Unavailable? Come on now, don't tell me that I'm getting disrespected here, too! Don't tell me
that you guys don't' take me seriously. I'm the Intercontinental champion, for Pete's sake! You guys are supposed to cater
to me and make me feel like a star, yet when it's time for my interview, the best you can do is drag Brock outta the closet?!
Really, all this disrespect is starting to get on my nerves.
Will Welsh: Christian, what's all this about disrespect? You have a prominent place on Raw's roster, you're getting tons
of TV time, and you're the Intercontinental champion. I don't see where you should have a gripe. Where's the disrespect?
Christian: It's all over the place! How come I wasn't on SummerSlam, huh? Don't you think the Intercontinental champion
should defend his title on the second-most important pay-per-view of the year?
Welsh: I definitely do.
Christian: Then where was I? Huh? Don't know? Okay, I'll tell you: I was in "Stone-Cold" Steve Austin's back
pocket. Our fine co-general manager has it in for me. He doesn't' like me, and he's trying to do everything in his power to
squash my championship reign! The U.S. champion was on SummerSlam, yet I wasn't, and I blame Austin. He made sure that I wasn't
booked.
Brock: that's a bunch of garbage, kid. I know Austin, and he wouldn't bother himself with a conspiracy like that. What
does he have to gain from keeping you off cards? It's not like he's going to get a bonus just because you weren't on the SummerSlam
card. He has no incentive to screw you over.
Christian: Yeah, he does. He doesn't' want to give me an opportunity to show that I'm a better Intercontinental champion
than he was! He's jealous, old man, just like you are, because you're both the same. This sport has passed both of you by,
and you're two of the last remaining dinosaurs around. See, there was a time that he had it all over me. When I debuted, he
was a king of the hill, but now age has taken its toll and he's upset that a young, handsome guy like myself has replaced
him in the pecking order. He's a bitter old man, just like you.
Lenker: All right, Christian, even if that is so - and I don't think it is - why didn't Eric Bischoff get you on the SummerSlam
card?
Christian: You saw what he had on his plate, didn't ya? He had to wrestle Shane McMahon! Considering that he's not a wrestler
and he was wrestling that night, it probably slipped his mind. That's forgivable. He's a brilliant man, but he's not superhuman.
Welsh: It seems like you're not exactly being fair, like you're holding Austin to a higher standard.
Christian: Fair, shmair. When this world starts being fair to me, I'll start being fair to it. Until that happens, I'm
going to keep my peepulation happy by holding on to this title.
Brock: Peepulation where'd you learn that word, at the local nickelodeon?
Lenker: Give it a break, Matt. You're here to interview Christian, not to belittle him.
Brock: Whatever you say, Mr. Editor-in-Chief.
Welsh: This was such a bad idea
Lenker: Let's get by this ok? Christian, what did you have against Booker T? He's a standup guy, so what was your beef
with him?
Christian: He wanted my Intercontinental title, that's what my beef was. He was trying to take my title, which means he
was trying to take money from my wallet, food off my plate, and peeps from my peepulation. I'm gonna have a problem with any
joker who tries that.
Lenker: But that's the nature of this business. If it wasn't him, it would've been someone else. A champion's job is to
defend his title to the best of his abilities, not to go show to show just coasting along. What were you excepting to happen
when you became champion - that you'd never have any title defenses?
Christian: Listen, I beat Booker once, then I beat him again, and then again and then again.
Welsh: But he eventually beat you, despite all those losses you handed him.
Christian: He got lucky.
Brock: Yeah, he got lucky enough to beat you in the rematch, too. And then, when you won the title back, you did it while
he had a bad back. You faced Booker when he was less than 100 percent and walked away and his title, but you're okay with
that. Yet you're not okay with the way he pursued the title when you held it. What doesn't add up here?
Christian: If he had kept his body in better shape, maybe he wouldn't' have injured himself. Blame him for letting himself
get injured.
Lenker: I can tell that this is a pointless argument. Why don't we move on. Will. You had a different idea for this "Press
Conference." I think you wanted to do some name association. Why don't you start?
Welsh: Okay, Christian, we're going to rattle off some names. Tell us the first thoughts that come into your mind. Let's
start with Eric Bischoff.
Christian: Genius. Changed the wrestling business. A great co-general manager to work for.
Welsh: Edge.
Christian: Who? Oh, Edge. Yeah, him. What do you want me to say about him other than he's injured? He's a non-issue. He's
not even a Raw wrestler. I wouldn't be surprised if he just retired.
Lenker: Have you no sympathy?
Christian: Sympathy is for losers like you three jackasses. That's why you're interview me and not the other way around.
You have sympathy, I don't, and that makes me a winner.
Welsh: Okay .. moving along. How about Spike Dudley? He was one of your first opponents after you wont the I-C belt.
Christian: Spike? Why are we talking about him? I picked him up at daycare the other day and kept an eye on him while
his mom ran some errands. Cute kid.
Lenker: He's a cute kid who gave you a good run the other day. He almost stole your title.
Christian: That was a fluke match. Sure, he had me on the ropes, but I beat him back. He's no threat. Basically just a
warm-up for me.
Welsh: If you say so, but it sure didn't look that way. What about Chris Jericho?
Christian: A good Canadian and an even better friend. My peeps are proud to support him in everything he does.
Welsh: The Rock.
Christian: Once a great people's champion, but past his prime now, unfortunately. The guy's too busy in Hollywood to even
see his people! How he can even call himself the people's champion is beyond me. Maybe he should strap on those wrestling
boots more often.
Lenker: Shawn Michaels.
Christian: Another has-been, like Austin. He's trying to recapture some of that old magid so he can feel young again,
but the only thing that he'll catch if he gets in the ring with me is a fist upside the head. No challenge whatsoever.
Brock: Goldberg.
Christian: He's an outsider, plain and simple. He doesn't belong here, and he never should have come here. Half the guys
don't even want him here. I don't want him here.
Brock: What? Can't he make a living?
Christian: Sure, he can make a living, but I just wish he'd do it somewhere else. Somewhere he's wanted.
Lenker: The fans sure seem to want him.
Christian: Apparently you're talking to a bogus group of fans. You talk to any of my peeps and they'll tell you that the
only place Goldchump belongs is far away from me.
Welsh: Okay, one last one: Christian.
Christian: Greatest Intercontinental champion of all-time. One of the most beloved wrestlers of all-time. First ballot
Hall of Famer. All around great guy with a great sense of humor.
Welsh: Anything else?
Christian: Oh, yeah, he's one heck of an interview too,
Credit:PWI
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