"It was just weird" - Ex-WWE Superstar disliked his debut against Chris Jericho
Mark Jindrak did not enjoy his first singles match on WWE RAW against Chris Jericho.
Jindrak re-debuted on the red brand in 2003 after previously making main-roster appearances during the WCW invasion angle in 2001. He competed in several matches on Sunday Night Heat before losing a four-minute encounter against Jericho on the July 7, 2003 episode of RAW.
Speaking on Rene Dupree’s Cafe de Rene podcast, Jindrak said the match was less about his re-debut and more about Jericho’s Montreal-related promo:
“I debuted on RAW in Montreal and I wrestled Chris Jericho… That kind of was the sh**s, that lead-in, because it was my first match on RAW and they didn’t make a big deal [of it]. The deal was Chris Jericho had cut a promo dissing the Montreal Screwjob or whatever, so it wasn’t even about me. It was just weird.”
Jindrak spent four years in WWE between 2001 and 2005. Before joining Vince McMahon’s company, he won the WCW World Tag Team Championship twice with Sean O’Haire.
Mark Jindrak had no issues with WWE’s treatment of WCW stars
Shane McMahon,leading young WCW talents Mark Jindrak,Sean O' Haired,Chuck Palumbo,Kanyon and Shawn Stasiak to the ring back in 2001. https://t.co/shIfI3yz72
Many former WCW stars have spoken about the challenges they faced after joining WWE in 2001. While some went on to achieve success following Vince McMahon’s WCW takeover, others struggled to make an impression.
Jindrak, a rookie at the time, did not think his WCW past had any impact on his chances of succeeding in McMahon's company:
“I think we were all given a fair shot, the young guys… I was fortunate because there were only 10 guys originally in WCW that signed right away with WWE. They kind of shut s*** down and kept us at home for a few months.”
Jindrak also said in the interview that Triple H “blatantly buried” him during a Ruthless Aggression episode in 2020. He also disputed the NXT founder’s claims that Ric Flair did not want him in Evolution.
Please credit Cafe de Rene and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.