Thread by @IanRiccaboni

🧵on @bandidowrestler vs @IAmJericho's @ringofhonor World Championship Match tomorrow on @TBSNetwork's @aew #AEWDynamite:

On the surface, these two Championship don't appear to have too much in common but there are some easy comparisons: both original fought in lower weight classes before competing for heavyweight titles. Jericho was a 4x WCW Cruiserweight champ, Bandido similar in Crash, WWA, etc.

But the paths to starting their careers are shockingly similar, as well. Bandido was a protégé of Ultimo Guerrero and a path laid out for him. In a Lion's Tale, Jericho speaks of having a reliable, but less lucrative path available to him in Canada involving future HOFers.

Both men, instead of taking a more reliable path, did the exact same thing: forged their own paths in Mexico. Instead of taking easier paths and accepting roles, both men took *big* chances. They longed for more.

Jericho made it to CMLL where he won one of the company's oldest titles, the now-retired NWA World Middleweight Championship.

Bandido did, too & both made their debuts even more well-seasoned, well-traveled, & bigger stars than they had been had they stayed the course.

There is even weird symmetry in some of their trainers and opponents. Franco Columbo (the wrestler, not the bodybuilder) had a hand in training young wrestlers when both Bandido and Jericho spent time in the CMLL orbit.

And the Ultimo Guerrero link creates shared enemies.

For instance, Jericho was on opposing sides as Great Sasuke in WAR, a man Ultimo Guerrero feuded with for the aforementioned NWA World Middleweight Championship.

But more directly, Bandido's former mentor and Jericho share a decade's long feud with Negro Casas in WAR and CMLL.

Jericho has stated Casas is "one of my biggest influences and mentors" but the two had nearly 30 documented bouts against one another. Ultimo Guerrero's bouts with and against Casas tally in the hundreds.

There is so much tape on both Bandido and Jericho at this point that it the advantage of the unknown does not exist. Both were even on All In, where Bandido teamed with one of Jericho's greatest rivals, Rey Mysterio Jr.b

But to keep up with Bandido, Jericho is going to need to fight from his Lion Heart style. Jericho needs to once again find lateral quickness, his rolodex of 1,004 moves & 1,004 counters, & find a way to neutralize Bandido's strength, which ranks pound-for-pound best in wrestling.

The irony is that both men had the victories that launched them into initial superstardom against bulls: Jericho defeating The Brahma Bull to become Undisputed Champion and Bandido slaying El Toro Blanco to win his first World Title.

There are obvious physical comparisons beyond the flowing hair of each that draw similarities but they're not quite mirror images. Bandido is stronger, Jericho has a deeper repertoire to pull from. But both have match enders. The Judas Effect & the 21-Plex mean the match is over.

.@TonyKhan signed this match for #AEWDynamite tomorrow (8 PM ET @TBSNetwork) because Bandido never got his rematch. But what he signed is a match of 2 men that have forged similar paths. I bet Jericho sees a lot of himself in Bandido & Bandido aspires to be a HOFer like Jericho.

To @bandidowrestler and @IAmJericho - may the best man win. I'm as excited to call this as the fans are to see this bout tomorrow night on #AEWDynamite!