For those of you who didn’t see the big wrestling news last night, Chris Jericho has apparently upset the entire country of Brazil. While wrestling at a HUGE WWE live event. The biggest (first?) in the country. Here’s what happened, according to TMZ.com (and it hurts me every single time I have to cite them):
A WWE event in Brazil came to a screeching halt Thursday evening … when local law enforcement stopped a live match and threatened to arrest Chris Jericho for desecrating the Brazilian flag.
It all went down during a match between Jericho and C.M. Punk — who was proudly waving the flag in the ring. Jericho took the flag away, crumpled it up and kicked the flag out of the ring … and that’s when police stepped in and put a stop to the event.
We’re told Jericho was informed that desecrating the national flag is a crime in Brazil … punishable by incarceration.
Cops gave Jericho an option — apologize to the arena … or go to jail. Chris chose the former … grabbing the mic and telling the crowd he immediately regretted his actions. Cops allowed the event to continue.
Sources connected to the WWE tell TMZ … the flag stunt was NOT planned or approved by WWE officials.
The WWE has just released an official statement saying, “Chris Jericho has been suspended indefinitely due to an irresponsible act of denigrating the Brazilian flag at a WWE event in Sao Paulo on May 24. The WWE has apologized to the citizens and the government of Brazil for this incident.”
Jericho has tweeted about the incident … saying, ” Just for the record I love Brazil and wish we could’ve spent more time here. Beautiful country!”
They also found videos of the event:
Do you hear the fans? Does anyone sound ready to riot? Does anyone actually sound upset? No! They realize its a joke, Jericho is playing a bad guy, and its all part of the show. No one took it seriously nor did anyone feel threatened by Chris Jericho’s actions.
And yet, here is Chris Jericho, now indefinitely suspended from WWE due to his actions. Actions WWE says they had no part of.
What a crock of shit.
Once again, WWE deflects any responsibility by having one of their wrestlers take the fall. Add this to a long line of wrestlers being fired, or suspended, for their actions while WWE washes their hands of the incidents and feigns ignorance.
Remember when JBL did the goose step in Germany?
Or when Daniel Bryan choked Justin Roberts and was then fired – thus missing out on the huge Nexus angle.
Fit Finlay was fired after the Miz interrupted the Star Spangled Banner. You know, being a heel.
If anyone had a problem with desecrating a flag then footage of Shawn Michaels shoving the Canadian flag up his nose and then humping it on the mat before the infamous Survivor Series match would not be shown on a regular basis.
Where was the uproar over Ariel Celeste and Chandella Powell in the Brazil Flag ring girl outfit for UFC? Isn’t that desecrating the flag in a way? (Yes, its not the actual flag blah blah, I’m trying to make an overall point here.)
Chris Jericho = Scapegoat and its not right.
MASKED LIBRARY 
The Daniel Bryan thing was a work all along, just like this Jericho thing is.
By the way, it’s illegal here to do such things to the flag, why would we expect we can show the same discourteous nature in another country? Just because Canada was okay with Michaels doing it does not make it okay. But I digress.
This is Vince’s “clever” way of getting Jericho off television for awhile all while trying to make it seem like it’s legit. There was no reason for Punk to have a flag out there, that all of the videos aren’t being taken down for copyright by WWE and are in fact posted by WWE in some areas are all signs of this just being a way to get rid of Jericho for awhile.
I actually feel better now that WWE has taken down the TMZ videos.
Illegal yes. But there is also the difference between actually doing something maliciously and performance art. Its just playing the heel role to get boos. I don’t think its the same as actually attacking the flag.
And oh its totally to get him off of TV for his Fozzy tours and whatever else he wishes to do other than wrestle.
I completely agree with you Kevin but there are a couple of things you need to consider. WWE and Brazil have a big history. Lest we forget the first Intercontinental Champion was crowned there. But would it fair to the fans if WWE was banned from going to Brazil again because of the actions of one wrestler? Yeah it is covering your ass, but it’s also ensuring that fans will be able to see the WWE there again. Secondly, flag desecration is illegal in a lot of countries, granted I get it’s part of the story, but this is also another country too. Customs are different from country to country, and just because it’s part of a show doesn’t make it completely right or that non wrestling fans are going to appreciate it. In a way it’s similar to coming into your house and shitting on your coffee table (not that anyone would do that unless they came from a mental facility first), but those people need to be considered too.
This is a fantastic article that does expose WWE’s great ability to cover their ass, but at the same time, while not defending Chris Jericho; by suspending and and issuing that apology they’re taking the blame for it. You may not think so, but they are, they’ll still condone Jericho for doing it, but really the blame has shifted to them because, really, they are responsible for their wrestlers actions. I’ll stop babbling now.
Your mentioning of the Intercontinental title tournament is brilliant.