Yeah, whilst the match itself wasn't a squash by any stretch, I don't think there was anyone in the world that believed Jericho had a cat in hell's chance of winning. And as is often said, the fact that it went on after Rock and Hogan meant that it was doomed from the get go.
Like you say, the build up was terrible and really didn't help things. There was that really stupid angle where they tried to get heat on Jericho by putting him in a segment where he had to pick up the **** of HHH's dog (which he then ran over with a car, iirc). Way to make a main event talent look good hey?
I don't hate on Jericho as a heel and holding the undisputed title as much as I used to, but there were so many small things that if they had done better would have made it just seem so much better for mine. For a start, I don't see why they felt the need to have Jericho grow that ridiculous and stupid goatee, and have him start wearing ring attire that would look more suited to Disco Inferno. They could have just kept him as the same character he was when he was a face (and got over really well) but played up other aspects of it, but instead they made him look like a joke, and everything just went downhill. The fact that he then just started losing to everyone meant his credibility was shot, and imo he didn't really recover from that until he left the company and came back in 2008.
