WEBVTT

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Welcome back to the deep dive and get ready for

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a journey that's, well, it's going to redefine

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your understanding of what it means to be a performer.

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Today, we're diving into a question that honestly,

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it's fascinated me for years. How does one individual

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not just conquer one, but multiple entertainment

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worlds and stay not just relevant, but like at

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the absolute pinnacle of their game for over

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three decades? It's a rare feat, really. A true

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testament to talent, adaptability, and an almost

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relentless strive to reinvent. Our mission today

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is to unpack the incredible, multifaceted career

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of Christopher Keith Irvine, better known to

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millions around the globe as the one, the only

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Chris Jericho. He truly is a living legend across

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professional wrestling, music, acting, you name

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it. You've provided us with just a treasure trove

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of source material, primarily a really detailed

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Wikipedia entry. It gives us this great chronological

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journey through his life and career alongside

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these, you know, comprehensive lists of his achievements.

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So we're going to sift through this mountain

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of information, pulling out the most important

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nuggets of knowledge and insight. We'll explore

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not just the surprising facts, but those pivotal

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moments and that sheer force of will that allowed

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Jericho to constantly, constantly reinvent himself.

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here just to like recite facts. We're here to

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connect the dots on why he's often called Wrestling's

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David Bowie and what truly makes him one of the

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greatest of all time. So let's jump in. Okay,

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so we know him as the Ayatollah of rock and rolla,

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Y2J, the Lionheart, but the legend of Chris Jericho,

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it begins much more humbly. Born Christopher

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Keith Irvine November 9, 1970 in Manhasset, New

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York to a Canadian couple. Now, what really stands

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out to me here right from the jump is his heritage.

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He's of Scottish descent from his father's side

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and Ukrainian descent from his mother's. It's

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a blend that even looking back seems to hint

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at a broader, more diverse path, you know? It

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absolutely does. That dual background, both nationally

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and ethnically, it suggests a worldview that

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wasn't confined to just one place or one culture

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from the very start. And it's not just about

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heritage. His father, Ted Irvine, was a professional

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ice hockey player actively playing for the New

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York Rangers right when Chris was born. I mean,

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to grow up with that kind of exposure to professional

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sports, to competition, to performance, even

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indirectly, that must have profoundly influenced

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his understanding of what it takes to be a public

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figure. That's a fascinating point. Yeah. He

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had a direct pipeline to understanding the demands

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of professional life from day one. After his

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father retired from hockey, the family moved

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back to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which is

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where Irvine truly grew up. He holds dual American

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and Canadian citizenships, a detail many might

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not know, but it feels symbolic, doesn't it?

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Like he had a foot in two different worlds right

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from the beginning. It perfectly sets the stage

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for a career that would span continents and genres.

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Precisely. It was almost a foreshadowing, really.

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And his early interest in wrestling wasn't just

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like a casual pastime. It was quite specific.

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It was sparked by watching local American Wrestling

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Association, AWA events at the Winnipeg Arena.

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But the moment that truly solidified his desire

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to become a wrestler was seeing Owen Hart performing

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those incredible high -flying moves with stampede

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wrestling. That visual, that blend of athleticism

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and artistry, it really captivated him and set

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him on his path. You can almost picture it, right?

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That moment of inspiration. And it wasn't just

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Owen. He cited other major inspirations. Owen's

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older brother, Brit Hart, a true technical maestro,

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the legendary Ricky Steamboat, known for his

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incredible baby face fire, and Shawn Michaels,

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who ironically would become such a pivotal rival

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later in his career. When you look at that list,

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technical precision, aerial acrobatics, undeniable

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charisma, what does that tell you about the kind

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of performer he aspired to be? It's not a narrow

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focus, is it? Not at all. It reveals an incredibly

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sophisticated understanding, even at a young

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age, that success in wrestling isn't about just

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one style. It's about a synthesis, you know?

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Brett represented technical mastery, Owen the

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high -flying excitement, Steamboat the emotional

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connection, and Michael's the pure showmanship.

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For an aspiring performer to draw from such diverse

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top -tier influences, well, it suggests a deep

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desire for versatility. not just emulation. It's

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rare to see such a broad palette of inspiration.

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His first hands on experience, by the way, wasn't

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even in the ring. He was part of the ring crew

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for the Keystone Wrestling Alliance, literally

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learning the ropes from independent wrestlers

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like Catfish Charlie and Caveman Broda. So he

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was literally learning the foundations from the

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ground up, but he wasn't just a physical talent.

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He had brains, too. He attended Red River College

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in Winnipeg, graduating in 1990 with a diploma

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in creative communications. That's a detail that

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for me connects directly to his incredible promo

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skills and character work throughout his career.

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It's no accident that he's so articulate and

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charismatic, is it? It sounds like he was consciously

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honing those communication tools right from the

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start. Absolute, the foundational element. That

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background and creative communications undoubtedly

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sharpened his ability to craft compelling narratives,

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engage an audience, and critically adapt his

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persona as needed. You see the immediate application

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of that and his ability to cut a promo that just

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resonates. At just 19, he finally entered the

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Hart Brothers School of Wrestling, and serendipitously,

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that's where he met Lance Storm on his very first

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day. Storm would become a significant partner

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throughout his early career. almost like a destined

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companion. What a twist of fate. He was trained

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by Ed Langley and a local Calgary wrestler, Brad

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Young, and then just two months after completing

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training, he made his official debut as cowboy

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Chris Jericho on October 2, 1990, in Penocha,

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Alberta, his first match, a 10 -minute draw against

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none other than Lance Storm. Can you imagine

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starting your career against someone you just

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met and trained with, knowing you'd share so

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much of the journey? That's a unique bond. It

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truly is. It speaks to the tight -knit, almost

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familial nature of the wrestling community, especially

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in those formative independent years. But the

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origin of his iconic name Jericho is also a fantastic

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story. He initially wanted jack action, which,

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well, let's be honest, might not have had the

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same longevity or impact. But a remark from someone

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about the name being stupid led him to nervously

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blurt out Chris Jericho. Huh. And here's where

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the rock and roll connection truly begins to

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emerge. He took the name from the German power

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metal band Halloween's album Walls of Jericho.

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This early detail, picking a name from a metal

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band, clearly foreshadows the rock star persona

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that would define so much of his career. It wasn't

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just a random choice. It was almost destiny.

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a signal of the performer he was becoming. Absolutely.

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It's an early glimpse into the cross -pollination

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of his interests, demonstrating how he intuitively

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drew from various forms of entertainment to craft

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his persona. He then formed the Sudden Impact

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tag team with Lance Storm, and they truly paid

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their dues. They wrestled in Norse and Manitoba,

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sharing the road with future legends like Adam

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Copeland, who we now know as Edge, Jason Riso,

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or Christian, and Terry Jarron, better known

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as Rhino. They also honed their craft in Calgary's

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CNWA and CRMW. This period was invaluable for

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developing chemistry, gaining experience, and

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forging bonds alongside peers who would also

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become industry titans. It's a foundational chapter

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in his book of reinvention, just absorbing everything

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around him. So that early period sounds like

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a crucible for talent, rubbing shoulders with

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future stars and really laying the groundwork.

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From there, Jericho quickly cast his net wider,

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venturing into the global ring. And this is where

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his adaptability truly began to shine as he immersed

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himself in different wrestling cultures. His

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first major international steps took him to Japan,

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a territory known for its rigorous, hard -hitting

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style. What was that initial Japanese experience

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like for him? Oh, he was a baptism by fire, definitely.

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And it proved his willingness to step way outside

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his comfort zone. In October 1991, Jericho and

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Storm, as Sun and Impact, debuted in Japan for

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Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling, FMW, as part

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of their Super Radical Force to the West Tour.

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They faced some truly legendary names in a demanding

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environment, including Atsushi Onida, Karzan

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Goto, Eiji Iizaki, and Genosuke Honda. It was

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a crucial education and a style of wrestling

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that was far more physically intense and culturally

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distinct to what he'd known in North America.

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And he clearly made an impression because Ricky

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Fuji, who was trained by Stu Hart himself, invited

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them back. All right. Though Storm declined for

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the FMW third anniversary show in September 1992,

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Jericho went on to team up with Eric Freeze at

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Yokohama Stadium, defeating Eiji Azaki and Koji

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Nakagawa. This shows he was already building

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a reputation and making crucial connections internationally.

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Even Storm wasn't there. It speaks to his individual

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drive. Absolutely, he was proving his individual

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worth. By late 1994, he started competing regularly

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for Yannick Chirotinou's wrestling and romance,

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or war, as the Lionheart. This persona was about

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combining his technical skills with a more charismatic,

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heroic edge, a direct evolution from his cowboy

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beginnings. He lost the NWA World Middleweight

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Championship to Ultimo Dragoon, a title he'd

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actually won in Mexico and then later won the

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Inaugural War International Junior Heavyweight

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Championship from Ghetto in June 1995. only to

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lose it back to Ultimo Dragoon the very next

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month. Ultimo Dragoon was quite the perennial

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rival in those early days, wasn't he? Oh, yeah.

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He also competed in the second Super J Cup tournament

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in December 1995, showcasing his junior heavyweight

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prowess against talents like Hanzo Nakajima and

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Wild Pegasus. This exposure to high -level junior

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heavyweight wrestling in Japan was incredibly

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formative, refining his speed and agility. It

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provided crucial experience in a demanding, fast

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-paced style, pushing his athletic boundaries.

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In 1995, he took another interesting turn, joining

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the Fuyuki Gun heel stable as lion do. With Gido,

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he won the International Junior Heavyweight Tag

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Team Championship, but then lost it back to Lance

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Storm and Yuji Yasurouka. This willingness to

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play different roles, even as a heel and team

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with various partners, demonstrates his early

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commitment to versatility, never wanting to be

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pitch and hold. He wrestled a total of 24 tours

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for war. Think about that. 24 tours. That's an

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immense commitment, gaining invaluable international

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experience, not just in wrestling, but in cultural

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immersion. 24 tours. That's an incredible amount

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of dedication. Wow. While he was making waves

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in Japan, Jericho also ventured south to Mexico.

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In the winter of 1992, he truly leaned into the

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lucha libre culture, adopting the names Leon

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Duoro, meaning Golden Lion, a name actually chosen

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by the fans. Which is cool. And later, Corazon

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de Leon, or Lionheart, which would obviously

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stick with him. He first wrestled for smaller

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promotions in Nuevo León, then in March 1993

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with the Universal Reckling Association. How

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did this experience in Mexico compare to Japan

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and how did it influence his style? Well, it

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was a completely different flavor of wrestling,

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and he absorbed it all. By April 1993, he was

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competing in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre,

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or CMLL, Mexico's oldest promotion. There, he

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honed his craft against talents like Silver King,

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Negro Casas, and of course, once again, Ultimo

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Dregón. He held the NWA World Middleweight Championship

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for an impressive 11 months starting in December

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1993. This period was absolutely crucial for

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absorbing the lucha libre style, which is so

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distinct from the strong style or the more traditional

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North American approaches. The emphasis on aerial

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moves, quick transitions, and masked personas

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offered a whole new dimension to his performance

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repertoire. So he's got Japan and Mexico under

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his belt absorbing all these different styles

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and developing new personas, but he wasn't done

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yet with North America. In 1994, he reunited

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with Lance Storm in Jim Cornett's Smokey Mountain

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Wrestling, forming the Thrillseekers. They feuded

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with teams like the Heavenly Bodies and Well

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Done, giving him a taste of traditional southern

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wrestling, which is known for its storytelling

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and character work. This really feels like he's

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collecting different wrestling dialects, doesn't

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it? It's a perfect analogy, yeah. Each territory,

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each style, was like learning a new language

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of performance. It's a testament to his relentless

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drive that he continued to seek out diverse experiences,

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each adding a new dimension to his skill set.

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Then came a short but incredibly impactful stint

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in Extreme Championship Wrestling, or ECW, in

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February 1996. This was thanks to some serious

00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:11.500
recommendations from Chris Benoit, Dave Meltzer,

00:12:11.580 --> 00:12:13.899
and Perry Saturn, and a crucial tape of his match

00:12:13.899 --> 00:12:16.259
with Ultimo Dragon, which Mick Foley personally

00:12:16.259 --> 00:12:18.580
gave to Paul Heyman. Think of the buzz around

00:12:18.580 --> 00:12:20.580
him. A lot of influential names vouching for

00:12:20.580 --> 00:12:23.100
him. A lot of heavy hitters indeed. He quickly

00:12:23.100 --> 00:12:25.480
made an impact, defeating Rob Van Dam in his

00:12:25.480 --> 00:12:28.159
second appearance. He then won the ECW World

00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:30.220
Television Championship from Pitbull, hashtag

00:12:30.220 --> 00:12:33.500
two, at Hardcore Heaven in June 1996. Though

00:12:33.500 --> 00:12:35.379
he lost the title to Shane Douglas in a four

00:12:35.379 --> 00:12:37.480
-way dance at Heatwave the following month, his

00:12:37.289 --> 00:12:39.970
ECW run, though brief, was a powerful statement.

00:12:40.470 --> 00:12:42.809
It showcased his ability to adapt to a more extreme,

00:12:43.049 --> 00:12:45.110
gritty style and generated significant buzz,

00:12:45.529 --> 00:12:47.269
drawing the attention of the much larger world

00:12:47.269 --> 00:12:49.570
championship wrestling, WCW. Yeah, and if we

00:12:49.570 --> 00:12:51.929
truly connect this to the bigger picture, his

00:12:51.929 --> 00:12:54.389
early years were essentially a master class in

00:12:54.389 --> 00:12:57.549
professional development and like global networking.

00:12:57.870 --> 00:13:00.529
He wasn't just wrestling, he was collecting experiences,

00:13:00.990 --> 00:13:02.990
adapting his body and character to different

00:13:02.990 --> 00:13:05.809
demands, and showcasing a willingness to evolve

00:13:05.809 --> 00:13:07.850
that would become the defining characteristic

00:13:07.850 --> 00:13:10.620
of his entire career. He was picking up different

00:13:10.620 --> 00:13:13.360
styles and personas, Leondoro, Lionheart, Super

00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:16.740
Liger, even adapting to the hardcore ECW style,

00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:19.320
constantly refining his craft and preparing for

00:13:19.320 --> 00:13:22.000
the biggest stages. It raises an important question.

00:13:22.500 --> 00:13:24.539
What kind of internal drive does it take to be

00:13:24.539 --> 00:13:27.240
that nomadic, that absorbent, and that willing

00:13:27.240 --> 00:13:29.879
to constantly re -evaluate and rebuild your identity

00:13:29.879 --> 00:13:32.879
early on? This period provides so much insight

00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:34.840
into the foundation of his chameleon nature.

00:13:35.379 --> 00:13:37.759
So, with all that international seasoning and

00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:41.000
varied experience, Jericho arrived in World Championship

00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:45.379
Wrestling, WCW, in August 1996. A company on

00:13:45.379 --> 00:13:48.299
the precipice of huge growth thanks to the NWO.

00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:51.620
He debuted by defeating Mr. JL and his televised

00:13:51.620 --> 00:13:54.720
debut was against Alex Wright. His pay -per -view

00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:57.360
debut was a loss to Chris Spanoi at Fall Brawl,

00:13:57.740 --> 00:14:00.360
which interestingly wasn't just a defeat. It

00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:03.159
foreshadowed a series of classic, highly technical

00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:05.259
rivalries they'd have later. It was almost a

00:14:05.259 --> 00:14:07.460
precursor to some of his best work. It really

00:14:07.460 --> 00:14:10.039
was. It was a sign of the level of talent he

00:14:10.039 --> 00:14:12.230
was now going to be consistently facing. His

00:14:12.230 --> 00:14:14.669
initial WCW run saw him navigate the political

00:14:14.669 --> 00:14:17.110
landscape, which is famously tricky there. He

00:14:17.110 --> 00:14:19.570
faced NWO members like Six and even took on referee

00:14:19.570 --> 00:14:21.730
Nick Patrick in a remarkable one -armed match

00:14:21.730 --> 00:14:23.730
at World War III, which he won despite the odds,

00:14:24.110 --> 00:14:26.409
showing his competitive spirit. He also unsuccessfully

00:14:26.409 --> 00:14:28.049
challenged Eddie Guerrero for the United States

00:14:28.049 --> 00:14:30.049
heavyweight championship at Super Brawl's the

00:14:30.049 --> 00:14:32.190
seventh, marking the beginning of another significant

00:14:32.190 --> 00:14:33.950
rivalry that would push his technical limits.

00:14:34.389 --> 00:14:36.750
Right. Those early challenges were crucial for

00:14:36.750 --> 00:14:39.210
establishing him. But his real breakout came

00:14:39.210 --> 00:14:41.289
when he entered the cruiserweight champion era.

00:14:41.429 --> 00:14:44.490
He won his first WCW championship, the cruiserweight

00:14:44.490 --> 00:14:48.929
title, from six on June 28th, 1997. This opened

00:14:48.929 --> 00:14:51.490
the door for some truly memorable character development,

00:14:51.590 --> 00:14:54.330
where he began to truly find his voice as a performer.

00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:57.460
moving beyond just being a great wrestler. His

00:14:57.460 --> 00:14:59.419
Cruiserweight title reign was a proving ground,

00:14:59.620 --> 00:15:02.220
certainly, but it also became a canvas for his

00:15:02.220 --> 00:15:04.789
character. He defended against Ultimo Dragon,

00:15:04.990 --> 00:15:07.289
lost and regained the title from Alex Wright,

00:15:07.690 --> 00:15:09.669
and then had a crucial feud with Eddie Guerrero,

00:15:09.889 --> 00:15:12.509
again losing and regaining the title. These back

00:15:12.509 --> 00:15:14.429
and forth battles were vital for establishing

00:15:14.429 --> 00:15:16.610
his credibility, showcasing his technical prowess,

00:15:16.629 --> 00:15:19.029
but also allowing him to develop personality

00:15:19.029 --> 00:15:20.990
in the ring as he learned to work with these

00:15:20.990 --> 00:15:23.389
top tier talents. And this is where we really

00:15:23.389 --> 00:15:25.490
start to see wrestling's David Bowie emerge.

00:15:26.129 --> 00:15:28.990
At Sold Out in January 1998, he defeated Rey

00:15:28.990 --> 00:15:31.710
Mysterio Jr. for his third Cruiserweight Championship,

00:15:31.809 --> 00:15:34.350
but it was his actions after the match that absolutely

00:15:34.350 --> 00:15:36.809
defined his heel turn. He brutally assaulted

00:15:36.809 --> 00:15:39.129
Mysterio's knee with a toolbox, writing him off

00:15:39.129 --> 00:15:42.139
TV for six months. It was vicious, completely

00:15:42.139 --> 00:15:43.879
unexpected from a cruiserweight, and frankly,

00:15:44.179 --> 00:15:46.980
shocking television. How important was that specific

00:15:46.980 --> 00:15:49.580
act in changing his trajectory? Oh, that heel

00:15:49.580 --> 00:15:51.919
turn was nothing short of pivotal. It wasn't

00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:54.279
just a simple turn. It was a total reinvention

00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:57.259
of his on -screen persona. He immediately followed

00:15:57.259 --> 00:15:59.480
it up by adopting his trophy collector gimmick,

00:15:59.639 --> 00:16:01.940
which added layers of arrogance and showmanship.

00:16:02.419 --> 00:16:04.139
He'd collect and wear items from the defeated

00:16:04.139 --> 00:16:06.960
opponents, Rey Mysterio's knee brace, even did

00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:09.460
Guerrero's mask after a mask versus title match

00:16:09.460 --> 00:16:11.720
at Super Brawl Eighth, Prince Aiki's Hawaiian

00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:14.580
dress, or Disco Inferno's headband. This wasn't

00:16:14.580 --> 00:16:16.320
just about winning, it was about humiliation,

00:16:16.759 --> 00:16:19.179
about establishing a smug rock star -like persona

00:16:19.179 --> 00:16:21.940
that fed off his opponent's failures. It was

00:16:21.940 --> 00:16:24.500
theatrical, drew immense heat, and showed an

00:16:24.500 --> 00:16:26.279
incredible understanding of how to get under

00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:28.460
the audience's skin. And then, of course, came

00:16:28.460 --> 00:16:31.059
the legendary rivalry with Dean Malenko, the

00:16:31.059 --> 00:16:33.860
man of 1 ,000 holds. Jericho famously claimed

00:16:33.860 --> 00:16:36.279
to know the man of 1 ,000 for holds, mocking

00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:38.399
Milenko with incredible comedic timing and a

00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:41.779
brazen arrogance. On March 30, 1998, on Nitro,

00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:44.019
after defeating Marty Gennetti, Jericho pulled

00:16:44.019 --> 00:16:46.740
out a long humorous list of his 1 ,004 fictional

00:16:46.740 --> 00:16:49.320
holds with nearly every other one being an armbar.

00:16:49.559 --> 00:16:51.559
What made that particular segment so brilliant

00:16:51.559 --> 00:16:53.539
beyond just the humor? It was brilliant because

00:16:53.539 --> 00:16:57.059
it was so self -aware, so meta. It simultaneously

00:16:57.059 --> 00:16:59.720
mocked wrestling tropes, highlighted Jericho's

00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:01.860
own technical prowess, ironically by listing

00:17:01.860 --> 00:17:04.980
non - and cemented his character as a supremely

00:17:04.980 --> 00:17:07.579
confident obnoxious heel who could talk the talk

00:17:07.579 --> 00:17:10.599
as well as walk the walk. It was pure entertainment

00:17:10.599 --> 00:17:13.079
and a master class in character work using humor

00:17:13.079 --> 00:17:16.140
to generate legitimate heat. The few deepened

00:17:16.140 --> 00:17:18.599
with the infamous Lenny Lane deception, where

00:17:18.599 --> 00:17:20.859
Jericho bribed Lane to impersonate him against

00:17:20.859 --> 00:17:23.500
Milenko, further cementing his devious nature.

00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:26.319
Jericho went on to defeat Milenko at Uncensored,

00:17:26.579 --> 00:17:28.660
leading to Milenko's temporary departure, and

00:17:28.660 --> 00:17:30.759
Jericho continued his taunts by carrying a portrait

00:17:30.759 --> 00:17:33.519
of Milenko to the ring and insulting it nightly.

00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:35.519
He was just pouring salt on the wound. He was

00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:38.240
a truly detestable villain. And then after Milenko,

00:17:38.420 --> 00:17:40.759
disguised as the masked sickloppy, won a battle

00:17:40.759 --> 00:17:43.059
royal and defeated Jericho for the title at Slamberry,

00:17:43.380 --> 00:17:45.109
which generated one of the of the loudest crowd

00:17:45.109 --> 00:17:48.250
reactions in WCW history. Huge pop. Jericho leaned

00:17:48.250 --> 00:17:50.789
into, arguably, his most hilarious heel gimmick,

00:17:50.910 --> 00:17:54.529
the conspiracy victim. He claimed a vast conspiracy

00:17:54.529 --> 00:17:57.470
was afoot, blaming everyone from the WCW locker

00:17:57.470 --> 00:18:00.769
room to J .J. Dillon, Ted Turner, and hilariously,

00:18:01.029 --> 00:18:03.049
even President Bill Clinton in a Washington,

00:18:03.069 --> 00:18:06.160
D .C. vignette. That was pure gold. A fantastic

00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:08.980
way to develop an arrogant, paranoid Hila character,

00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:11.480
wasn't it? Absolutely. That conspiracy victim

00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:13.680
gimmick perfectly tapped into the real -life

00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:16.380
booking chaos and perceived favoritism within

00:18:16.380 --> 00:18:19.529
WCW at the time. It allowed Jericho to comment

00:18:19.529 --> 00:18:21.809
on the internal politics of the company and character,

00:18:22.269 --> 00:18:24.230
giving his complaints a layer of authenticity

00:18:24.230 --> 00:18:26.529
while making her incredibly entertaining to watch.

00:18:26.890 --> 00:18:29.910
He blended reality and fiction masterfully, transforming

00:18:29.910 --> 00:18:32.490
real -world frustrations into engaging storytelling.

00:18:32.990 --> 00:18:35.750
He regained the title twice, once via DQ against

00:18:35.750 --> 00:18:38.049
Milenko and then again from Rey Mysterio Jr.,

00:18:38.049 --> 00:18:40.450
but ultimately lost it decisively to Juventud

00:18:40.450 --> 00:18:43.609
Guerrero with Milenko as special referee at Roadwild.

00:18:43.849 --> 00:18:46.349
The cruiserweight division was indeed a dynamic

00:18:46.349 --> 00:18:48.309
place, but it was becoming clear Jericho Star

00:18:48.309 --> 00:18:51.039
was already outgrowing it. His run in the cruiserweight

00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:53.480
division truly elevated it and showcased his

00:18:53.480 --> 00:18:56.480
range. Then he transitioned to the world television

00:18:56.480 --> 00:18:58.980
champion picture, winning the title from Stevie

00:18:58.980 --> 00:19:03.079
Ray on August 10th, 1998. During this time, he

00:19:03.079 --> 00:19:05.839
famously called out WCW world heavyweight champion

00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:08.140
Goldberg repeatedly, but they never actually

00:19:08.140 --> 00:19:10.460
wrestled, which, as we know, became a significant

00:19:10.460 --> 00:19:12.720
point of contention for Jericho and a major career

00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:15.660
turning point. Indeed. Jericho later cited Eric

00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:18.599
Bischoff, Goldberg and Hulk Hogan's refusal to

00:19:18.599 --> 00:19:21.240
book him in a a pay -per -view squash match loss

00:19:21.240 --> 00:19:23.619
against Goldberg, which Jericho believed would

00:19:23.619 --> 00:19:26.240
be a huge draw, and legitimize him on a bigger

00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:29.160
stage, even in defeat as a major reason for leaving

00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:32.299
WCW. He felt a valuable opportunity for both

00:19:32.299 --> 00:19:34.440
performers was being squandered due to backstage

00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:37.619
politics. He lost the TV title to Conan, and

00:19:37.619 --> 00:19:39.500
then embarked on a bizarre, memorable feud with

00:19:39.500 --> 00:19:41.779
Perry Saturn in a series of strange matches,

00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:43.980
including loser must wear a dress bounce and

00:19:43.980 --> 00:19:47.180
a dog collar match. It was wild. A dress match.

00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:51.819
Only in late 90s WCW could that happen. Ha. After

00:19:51.819 --> 00:19:54.019
this, a pivotal decision was made. She signed

00:19:54.019 --> 00:19:56.400
with the World Wrestling Federation, or WWF,

00:19:56.599 --> 00:20:01.099
on June 30th, 1999. His WCW theme, One Crazed

00:20:01.099 --> 00:20:03.579
Anarchist, later even lent his name to a Fozzy

00:20:03.579 --> 00:20:05.640
single showing how deeply ingrained these eras

00:20:05.640 --> 00:20:08.519
were for him. It's clear that his WCW run, despite

00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:10.740
its frustrations in the chaotic booking, was

00:20:10.740 --> 00:20:12.720
absolutely critical in forging the incredibly

00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:14.940
well -rounded, charismatic, and adaptable character

00:20:14.940 --> 00:20:17.720
he would become. This was the launchpad for Y2J.

00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:20.200
So after conquering territories and mastering

00:20:20.200 --> 00:20:23.230
the heel and WCW, Chris Jericho made the jump

00:20:23.230 --> 00:20:25.789
to the WWF, entering the white -hot attitude

00:20:25.789 --> 00:20:28.829
era. And what an entrance it was. His iconic

00:20:28.829 --> 00:20:31.589
WWF debut was preceded by a countdown to the

00:20:31.589 --> 00:20:34.509
new Millennium Clock on WWF programming, a brilliant

00:20:34.509 --> 00:20:37.069
tease for wits. Jericho himself was inspired

00:20:37.069 --> 00:20:39.289
by seeing a similar clock in a post office, and

00:20:39.289 --> 00:20:41.369
Vince McMahon, recognizing the genius, approved

00:20:41.369 --> 00:20:43.849
it for his entrance. How crucial was that anticipation

00:20:43.849 --> 00:20:46.609
building in setting the stage for Y2J? Oh, that

00:20:46.609 --> 00:20:48.529
countdown was nothing short of a masterstroke

00:20:48.529 --> 00:20:51.319
of marketing and character introduction. It built

00:20:51.319 --> 00:20:54.140
massive anticipation, allowing the audience to

00:20:54.140 --> 00:20:56.519
imagine who this mysterious new force would be,

00:20:56.759 --> 00:20:59.420
rather than just being told. When he finally

00:20:59.420 --> 00:21:03.859
debuted on August 9, 1999, on Raw is War in Chicago,

00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:06.400
famously interrupting The Rock, arguably the

00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:08.279
biggest talker of the business, he didn't just

00:21:08.279 --> 00:21:10.720
arrive, he announced himself. He proclaimed Raw

00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:12.859
is Jericho, and that he had come to save the

00:21:12.859 --> 00:21:15.519
World Wrestling Federation, introducing his Y2J

00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:18.420
moniker, clever play on the omnipresent Y2K bug

00:21:18.420 --> 00:21:21.400
fear. The Rock's quick -witted verbal mockery

00:21:21.400 --> 00:21:24.099
in response was instant classic television, immediately

00:21:24.099 --> 00:21:26.160
establishing Jericho as a top -tier performer

00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:28.440
who could go toe -to -toe with the best. That

00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:31.299
segment alone cemented him as a force. He made

00:21:31.299 --> 00:21:34.220
his in -ring debut as a heel on August 26th on

00:21:34.220 --> 00:21:37.140
SmackDown, losing by disqualification to Road

00:21:37.140 --> 00:21:39.000
Dogg after powerbombing him through a table.

00:21:39.579 --> 00:21:42.490
It was a strong, aggressive introduction. His

00:21:42.490 --> 00:21:45.210
first long -term feud was with China for the

00:21:45.210 --> 00:21:48.289
WWF Intercontinental Championship, leading to

00:21:48.289 --> 00:21:50.890
him winning his first IC title from her at Armageddon

00:21:50.890 --> 00:21:54.450
in December 1999. This immediately showed he

00:21:54.450 --> 00:21:56.269
was going to be a championship -level talent

00:21:56.269 --> 00:21:59.089
in the company. That feud had a unique twist

00:21:59.089 --> 00:22:01.630
with him briefly becoming co -champions, a rare

00:22:01.630 --> 00:22:03.970
occurrence, before he attained sole champion

00:22:03.970 --> 00:22:06.950
status at Roll Rumble 2000. This early period

00:22:06.950 --> 00:22:08.890
established his championship pedigree right away.

00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:11.299
He then engaged in a memorable feud with Kurt

00:22:11.299 --> 00:22:13.779
Angle, losing the IC title but then winning the

00:22:13.779 --> 00:22:16.240
European title at WrestleMania 2000 in a triple

00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:18.180
threat match. It showed his ability to always

00:22:18.180 --> 00:22:20.240
be around the gold even if the titles were changing

00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:22.440
hands quickly. He was consistently in the mix

00:22:22.440 --> 00:22:25.440
for gold, always relevant. There was even a brief,

00:22:25.619 --> 00:22:29.259
albeit unrecognized, WWF Championship reign against

00:22:29.259 --> 00:22:32.240
Triple H due to a fast count by referee Earl

00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:34.819
Hebner. The company doesn't officially acknowledge

00:22:34.819 --> 00:22:37.079
it, but it demonstrated he was absolutely main

00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:40.160
event ready. He won his third IC title from Benoit,

00:22:40.420 --> 00:22:42.980
lost it back quickly, and then had a grueling

00:22:42.980 --> 00:22:45.500
last man standing match lost to Triple H at fully

00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:48.079
loaded 2000, despite Stephanie's interference.

00:22:48.660 --> 00:22:50.559
These feuds weren't just about win - wins and

00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:52.680
losses, they were about building his reputation

00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:55.099
as a top -tier performer who could deliver against

00:22:55.099 --> 00:22:57.660
anyone. His ability to have compelling matches

00:22:57.660 --> 00:22:59.619
and feuds with different styles of wrestlers

00:22:59.619 --> 00:23:02.420
was evident throughout this period. He won his

00:23:02.420 --> 00:23:04.660
fourth IC title in a ladder match against Chris

00:23:04.660 --> 00:23:07.859
Burnoy at Royal Rumble 2001, a match often cited

00:23:07.859 --> 00:23:10.559
as a classic. He then successfully defended it

00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:13.180
against William Regal at WrestleMania X7, a huge

00:23:13.180 --> 00:23:15.859
stage, before losing it to Triple H days later.

00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:18.440
Beyond singles competition, he also had significant

00:23:18.440 --> 00:23:21.720
tag team success, proving his adaptability. Yes,

00:23:22.059 --> 00:23:25.539
he became WWF tag team champion twice, first

00:23:25.539 --> 00:23:28.140
with Chris Benoit, defeating Austin and Triple

00:23:28.140 --> 00:23:30.259
H in a match where Triple H legitimately tore

00:23:30.259 --> 00:23:32.440
his quadriceps. Talk about an intense match.

00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:34.700
Crazy match. And then again with The Rock, defeating

00:23:34.700 --> 00:23:37.500
the Dudley Boys. He even competed in a triple

00:23:37.500 --> 00:23:40.259
threat for Austin's WWF championship at King

00:23:40.259 --> 00:23:43.500
of the Ring 2001, where Booker T interfered,

00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:45.940
kickstarting the invasion angle. It feels like

00:23:45.940 --> 00:23:48.400
he was constantly at the very center of the action,

00:23:48.740 --> 00:23:51.500
a utility player who could perform any role asked

00:23:51.500 --> 00:23:54.119
of him. That's a great way to put it. Yeah. Heroine,

00:23:54.119 --> 00:23:56.660
loyal to the WWF during the invasion storyline,

00:23:57.160 --> 00:24:00.960
despite his WCW and ECW past, a strategic move

00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:03.140
that further endeared him to the company leadership

00:24:03.140 --> 00:24:05.640
and ensured he was positioned as a top star when

00:24:05.640 --> 00:24:08.900
the dust settled. This raised his profile significantly

00:24:08.900 --> 00:24:11.779
as he was seen as a defender of the WWFs. That

00:24:11.779 --> 00:24:14.480
loyalty clearly paid off and it set up an incredible

00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:17.259
storyline. He developed a jealousy towards The

00:24:17.259 --> 00:24:19.480
Rock, seeing him as someone who hadn't paid his

00:24:19.480 --> 00:24:21.980
dues in the same way, which created a fantastic

00:24:21.980 --> 00:24:24.759
rivalry. He capitalized on this by winning the

00:24:24.759 --> 00:24:27.779
WCW Championship from The Rock at No Mercy in

00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:30.700
October 2001 after debuting a new finisher, The

00:24:30.700 --> 00:24:33.779
Breakdown, onto a steel chair, his very first

00:24:33.950 --> 00:24:37.690
world title. This was a massive career defining

00:24:37.690 --> 00:24:40.250
moment signaling his arrival at the absolute

00:24:40.250 --> 00:24:42.750
top. And then the culmination, the moment that

00:24:42.750 --> 00:24:45.609
etched his name into the history books. He unified

00:24:45.609 --> 00:24:48.829
the WWF and world the WCW titles at Vengeance

00:24:48.829 --> 00:24:52.130
on December 9, 2001. He defeated Stone Cold Steve

00:24:52.130 --> 00:24:54.720
Austin and The Rock on the same night. This made

00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:57.900
him the first ever undisputed WWF champion, a

00:24:57.900 --> 00:25:00.180
truly historic achievement, unifying the two

00:25:00.180 --> 00:25:01.940
major championships from the Monday Night Wars.

00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:04.339
This achievement also made him the fourth Grand

00:25:04.339 --> 00:25:06.940
Slam champion under the original format, an indicator

00:25:06.940 --> 00:25:08.740
of his comprehensive success across multiple

00:25:08.740 --> 00:25:11.200
titles. It's hard to overstate the magnitude

00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:13.440
of defeating both Austin and Rock in one night

00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:15.980
to claim that top spot. Unbelievable. Defeating

00:25:15.980 --> 00:25:17.900
two of the biggest stars in wrestling history,

00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:20.819
the faces of the Attitude Era, on the same night

00:25:20.819 --> 00:25:24.049
to become the champion. He then defended the

00:25:24.049 --> 00:25:26.289
undisputed title against The Rock at Royal Rumble

00:25:26.289 --> 00:25:30.710
2002 and Austin at No Way Out 2002, solidifying

00:25:30.710 --> 00:25:33.769
his reign as the undisputed king. But he eventually

00:25:33.769 --> 00:25:35.970
lost the title to Royal Rumble winner Triple

00:25:35.970 --> 00:25:38.930
H in the main event of WrestleMania X8 on March

00:25:38.930 --> 00:25:42.130
17th, 2002. It was the end of an era, but he'd

00:25:42.130 --> 00:25:44.529
already made history. Yeah, even after losing

00:25:44.529 --> 00:25:46.690
the top title, his career continued to be marked

00:25:46.690 --> 00:25:48.990
by high profile feuds and championships in the

00:25:48.990 --> 00:25:52.460
mid 2000s. He was drafted to Smackdown. but quickly

00:25:52.460 --> 00:25:54.880
moved back to RAW, a move that speaks to his

00:25:54.880 --> 00:25:56.960
strong will and preference for creative control,

00:25:57.420 --> 00:25:59.400
as he was apparently unwilling to work for Stephanie

00:25:59.400 --> 00:26:02.250
McMahon. He then feuded with Ric Flair, losing

00:26:02.250 --> 00:26:04.910
a SummerSlam, and then won his fifth Intercontinental

00:26:04.910 --> 00:26:07.490
Championship from Rob Van Dam, only to lose it

00:26:07.490 --> 00:26:09.710
back to Kane two weeks later. This rapid title

00:26:09.710 --> 00:26:11.549
shifting was a common feature of this era. He

00:26:11.549 --> 00:26:13.529
formed a successful tag team with Christian,

00:26:13.950 --> 00:26:16.529
winning the World Tag Team Championship, further

00:26:16.529 --> 00:26:19.029
showcasing his versatility and ability to connect

00:26:19.029 --> 00:26:21.690
with different partners. Then came his involvement

00:26:21.690 --> 00:26:24.710
in the Royal Rumble 2003, where he chose entry

00:26:24.710 --> 00:26:27.029
Hashtag2 to start against Shawn Michaels, whom

00:26:27.029 --> 00:26:29.799
he claimed to be better than. Christian, disguised

00:26:29.799 --> 00:26:32.519
as Jericho, attacked Michaels and Jericho eliminated

00:26:32.519 --> 00:26:35.180
him, though Michaels later caused Jericho's elimination.

00:26:36.160 --> 00:26:39.680
This was pure Jericho mischief, laying the groundwork

00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:42.519
for a truly epic rivalry. That setup perfectly

00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:45.250
fueled their iconic rivalry. He defeated Jeff

00:26:45.250 --> 00:26:47.490
Hardy at No Way Out, but ultimately lost to Shawn

00:26:47.490 --> 00:26:50.190
Michaels at WrestleMania IXX. He delivered a

00:26:50.190 --> 00:26:52.150
low blow post -match as a sign of disrespect,

00:26:52.289 --> 00:26:54.069
refusing to let Michaels have the last word.

00:26:54.670 --> 00:26:56.829
This led directly to his notorious Goldberg feud

00:26:56.829 --> 00:26:59.950
in 2003, fueled by Goldberg's past refusal to

00:26:59.950 --> 00:27:02.769
fight him in WCW. Jericho used his highlight

00:27:02.769 --> 00:27:04.750
reel segment, his own talk show, to verbally

00:27:04.750 --> 00:27:07.789
dismantle Goldberg. And the infamous limousine

00:27:07.789 --> 00:27:09.829
incident storyline where Lance Storm was the

00:27:09.829 --> 00:27:12.009
assailant and Jericho the conspirator deepened

00:27:12.009 --> 00:27:14.150
the animosity. He eventually lost to Goldberg

00:27:14.150 --> 00:27:16.450
at Bad Blood, but the feud itself was highly

00:27:16.450 --> 00:27:19.400
personal and memorable. What a saga. He won his

00:27:19.400 --> 00:27:21.700
sixth Intercontinental title from RVD, immediately

00:27:21.700 --> 00:27:24.700
losing it back in a steel cage. Then came the

00:27:24.700 --> 00:27:26.960
Trish Stratus and Christian love triangle, a

00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:29.819
classic WWE soap opera, where his romance with

00:27:29.819 --> 00:27:31.859
Trish turned out to be a bet with Christian.

00:27:32.359 --> 00:27:34.480
Stratus' betrayal led to a match at WrestleMania

00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:37.799
XX in 2004, which Jericho lost. He won a handicap

00:27:37.799 --> 00:27:39.859
rematch at Backlash, and then, always seeking

00:27:39.859 --> 00:27:42.380
gold, captured a record -breaking seventh Intercontinental

00:27:42.380 --> 00:27:44.680
Championship from Christian and a ladder match

00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:47.579
at Unforgiven in September 2004. breaking Jeff

00:27:47.579 --> 00:27:49.640
Jarrett's long -standing record. However, he

00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:51.519
lost it to Shelton Benjamin at Taboo Tuesday,

00:27:51.859 --> 00:27:53.660
once again showcasing the competitive nature

00:27:53.660 --> 00:27:55.880
of that title. This period truly highlights his

00:27:55.880 --> 00:27:58.079
ability to stay relevant and collect championships,

00:27:58.279 --> 00:27:59.819
demonstrating that he was constantly chasing

00:27:59.819 --> 00:28:02.440
new accomplishments. And speaking of innovation,

00:28:02.980 --> 00:28:05.920
Jericho made a monumental, often overlooked contribution

00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:08.779
to the industry. He suggested the concept of

00:28:08.779 --> 00:28:10.819
the Money in the Bank ladder match. You know,

00:28:11.140 --> 00:28:13.059
the multi -person ladder match where a briefcase

00:28:13.059 --> 00:28:15.000
containing a contract for a world title shot

00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:17.640
suspended above the ring. He even competed in

00:28:17.640 --> 00:28:20.259
the inaugural one at WrestleMania 21 in 2005,

00:28:20.319 --> 00:28:23.059
which Edge won. This is a monumental contribution

00:28:23.059 --> 00:28:25.920
to the industry, literally shaping future WrestleMania

00:28:25.920 --> 00:28:28.119
events and annual storylines for years to come.

00:28:28.299 --> 00:28:31.059
He literally changed the game with that innovation.

00:28:31.319 --> 00:28:34.359
Wow. He then feuded with John Cena, turning heel

00:28:34.359 --> 00:28:36.880
by betraying Cena, showing he could flip his

00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:40.180
character at will. He lost a You're Fired match

00:28:40.180 --> 00:28:42.880
for the WWE Championship to Cena, leading to

00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:46.240
his contractual departure on August 25, 2005.

00:28:46.440 --> 00:28:49.480
It was a dramatic exit, setting the stage for

00:28:49.480 --> 00:28:52.339
his next act. This period highlights the immense

00:28:52.339 --> 00:28:54.539
trust the company placed in him. He was not just

00:28:54.539 --> 00:28:57.079
a champion, not just a performer, but a unifier,

00:28:57.500 --> 00:28:59.380
literally changing the landscape of the championship

00:28:59.380 --> 00:29:01.859
lineage and even innovating match concepts like

00:29:01.859 --> 00:29:05.359
money in the bank. It makes you wonder, how many

00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:07.559
wrestlers can truly claim to have shaped the

00:29:07.559 --> 00:29:09.420
industry in such a fundamental way, not just

00:29:09.420 --> 00:29:11.200
with their performances, but with their character

00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:13.460
innovations and their creative input? Very few.

00:29:13.680 --> 00:29:16.079
Very, very few. So after a couple years away,

00:29:16.279 --> 00:29:18.339
focusing on his burgeoning music career with

00:29:18.339 --> 00:29:20.900
Fozzy, Chris Jericho made a much -anticipated

00:29:20.900 --> 00:29:23.920
return to WWE. And this wasn't just any return.

00:29:24.099 --> 00:29:26.700
It was built up with cryptic 15 -second binary

00:29:26.700 --> 00:29:28.880
code videos that ran for weeks, referencing The

00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:31.160
Matrix and biblical links, generating massive,

00:29:31.160 --> 00:29:33.559
massive hype. It was a masterclass in building

00:29:33.559 --> 00:29:36.740
anticipation, wasn't it? Absolutely. That viral

00:29:36.740 --> 00:29:39.099
marketing campaign was brilliantly executed,

00:29:39.579 --> 00:29:41.859
a modern approach to a classic wrestling reveal.

00:29:42.029 --> 00:29:45.369
He returned as a face on November 19th, 2007,

00:29:46.089 --> 00:29:48.210
interrupting Randy Orton, declaring his intention

00:29:48.210 --> 00:29:52.569
to save WWE fans from Orton's villainy. He debuted

00:29:52.569 --> 00:29:54.589
his Codebreaker finisher, immediately giving

00:29:54.589 --> 00:29:57.130
him a new impactful move that became synonymous

00:29:57.130 --> 00:29:59.809
with his return. This wasn't just a reappearance,

00:29:59.849 --> 00:30:02.289
it was a total reinvention of his entrance, his

00:30:02.289 --> 00:30:04.690
offense, and his entire motivation. He quickly

00:30:04.690 --> 00:30:07.029
reestablished himself, feuding with Randy Orton

00:30:07.029 --> 00:30:10.450
and JBL. He then won his record eighth Intercontinental

00:30:10.450 --> 00:30:13.529
Championship from Jeff Hardy in March 2008, a

00:30:13.529 --> 00:30:15.430
testament to his consistent main event presence

00:30:15.430 --> 00:30:18.250
and his ability to collect gold. But then came

00:30:18.250 --> 00:30:20.049
one of the most acclaimed, most talked about

00:30:20.049 --> 00:30:22.950
feuds of his entire career, one that truly elevated

00:30:22.950 --> 00:30:25.630
him to another level of character work. The iconic

00:30:25.630 --> 00:30:29.269
Shawn Michaels feud in 2008. Oh, yeah. It began

00:30:29.269 --> 00:30:31.509
subtly when Jericho was appointed special guest

00:30:31.509 --> 00:30:34.150
referee from Michaels versus Bautista at Backlash,

00:30:34.410 --> 00:30:36.130
where Michaels feigned a knee injury to win.

00:30:37.000 --> 00:30:40.400
Jericho, ever the astute observer, accused Michaels

00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:43.079
of cheating. He later apologized, but Michaels

00:30:43.079 --> 00:30:45.799
admitted the ruse, then attacked Jericho. It

00:30:45.799 --> 00:30:48.359
was a classic slow burn, a psychological drama

00:30:48.359 --> 00:30:50.619
that built week after week. And this is where

00:30:50.619 --> 00:30:53.259
we really see that David Bowie comparison shine

00:30:53.259 --> 00:30:56.400
again, a complete character overhaul. On June

00:30:56.400 --> 00:30:59.000
9, 2008, Jericho brutally attacked Michaels on

00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:00.920
the highlight reel with a low blow and sent him

00:31:00.920 --> 00:31:03.299
crashing through the Jeritron 6000, damaging

00:31:03.299 --> 00:31:06.259
Michaels' eye. This shocking, deeply personal

00:31:06.259 --> 00:31:08.460
act cemented his heel turn and was so impactful

00:31:08.460 --> 00:31:10.839
it was named Feud of the Year by both Pro Wrestling

00:31:10.839 --> 00:31:12.819
Illustrated and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

00:31:12.940 --> 00:31:15.559
It was truly compelling, gritty, and deeply personal.

00:31:15.980 --> 00:31:18.400
That feud redefined Jericho's character once

00:31:18.400 --> 00:31:21.539
again, shifting him from a charismatic face to

00:31:21.539 --> 00:31:24.920
a cold, calculating, suit -wearing villain. He

00:31:24.920 --> 00:31:27.819
adopted this new persona, inspired by Anton Shiger

00:31:27.819 --> 00:31:30.599
from No Country for Old Men and legendary wrestler

00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:33.440
Nick Bachwinkle, presenting a more sophisticated,

00:31:33.759 --> 00:31:37.299
almost detached, yet terrifying heel. He defeated

00:31:37.299 --> 00:31:39.440
Michaels at the Great American Bash by deliberately

00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:41.799
attacking his injured eye, and then escalated

00:31:41.799 --> 00:31:44.380
the rivalry further by punching Michaels' wife

00:31:44.380 --> 00:31:47.359
Rebecca at SummerSlam, leading to an unsanctioned

00:31:47.359 --> 00:31:50.339
match at Unforgiven. The emotional stakes were

00:31:50.339 --> 00:31:52.740
incredibly high, demonstrating his willingness

00:31:52.740 --> 00:31:54.420
to push boundaries for character development.

00:31:54.759 --> 00:31:57.039
The emotional stakes were sky high, and it made

00:31:57.039 --> 00:31:59.440
for riveting television. Later that very night,

00:31:59.579 --> 00:32:01.720
in a surprising turn of events, Jericho won his

00:32:01.720 --> 00:32:04.140
first world heavyweight championship at Unforgiven

00:32:04.140 --> 00:32:06.619
as a last -minute replacement for CM Punk in

00:32:06.619 --> 00:32:09.259
a championship scramble match. This was a huge,

00:32:09.380 --> 00:32:11.519
unexpected moment, cementing him at the very

00:32:11.519 --> 00:32:13.619
top of the card as a world champion once again,

00:32:13.880 --> 00:32:16.339
proving his longevity and adaptability. It's

00:32:16.339 --> 00:32:19.059
exactly. He then had a brutal ladder match against

00:32:19.059 --> 00:32:21.559
Michaels at No Mercy, which he won, and although

00:32:21.559 --> 00:32:23.819
he lost the title to Batista, he regained it

00:32:23.819 --> 00:32:25.960
just eight days later in his steel cage match

00:32:25.960 --> 00:32:29.420
on Raw. He lost to John Cena at Survivor Series,

00:32:29.700 --> 00:32:31.460
but ended the year by winning the prestigious

00:32:31.460 --> 00:32:35.039
2008 Superstar of the Year Slammy. This period

00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:37.180
showcased his ability to thrive in the main event,

00:32:37.700 --> 00:32:39.779
his continued character evolution, and his mastery

00:32:39.779 --> 00:32:42.410
of generating genuine heat. He further cemented

00:32:42.410 --> 00:32:44.890
his legend status by feuding with veteran wrestlers

00:32:44.890 --> 00:32:47.329
like Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy Snuka,

00:32:47.430 --> 00:32:50.069
and Roddy Piper, even fighting actor Mickey Rourke

00:32:50.069 --> 00:32:53.349
at WrestleMania 25. He was truly embracing his

00:32:53.349 --> 00:32:55.450
role as a legend challenging other legends, a

00:32:55.450 --> 00:32:57.950
gatekeeper of sorts. Then came a new tag team

00:32:57.950 --> 00:33:00.769
dynamic with Jera Show. That tag team with Edge,

00:33:01.170 --> 00:33:03.519
and later with Big Show. was another successful

00:33:03.519 --> 00:33:06.140
reinvention, demonstrating his ability to elevate

00:33:06.140 --> 00:33:08.480
a tag team while still being a main event player.

00:33:09.160 --> 00:33:11.200
He became the first wrestler to win every original

00:33:11.200 --> 00:33:14.079
Grand Slam eligible championship with Edge. And

00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:16.519
when Edge was injured, Big Show replaced him,

00:33:16.779 --> 00:33:19.279
forming Jerry Show, which dominated and won the

00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:22.559
2009 Tag Team of the Year Slammy. This showcased

00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:25.279
his ability to adapt and form successful, compelling

00:33:25.279 --> 00:33:28.160
alliances, always staying fresh. Jericho was

00:33:28.160 --> 00:33:30.380
dominant, but they eventually lost the unified

00:33:30.380 --> 00:33:33.059
tag titles to D -Generation X, Shawn Michaels,

00:33:33.099 --> 00:33:36.539
and Triple H in a brutal TLC match. Jericho then

00:33:36.539 --> 00:33:38.779
won his third World Heavyweight Championship

00:33:38.779 --> 00:33:41.039
in an Elimination Chamber match and successfully

00:33:41.039 --> 00:33:43.380
defeated Edge to retain it at WrestleMania X's

00:33:43.380 --> 00:33:45.559
guest before losing it to Jack Swagger via Money

00:33:45.559 --> 00:33:47.859
in the Bank cash -in. It's a classic way for

00:33:47.859 --> 00:33:50.099
a champion to lose without being pinned. Yeah,

00:33:50.200 --> 00:33:53.089
it predicts a champ. His career continued to

00:33:53.089 --> 00:33:56.130
evolve after his 2010 kayfabe departure, explained

00:33:56.130 --> 00:33:58.569
by a punt to the head from Randy Orton, allowing

00:33:58.569 --> 00:34:00.549
him to step away gracefully for other projects.

00:34:01.170 --> 00:34:04.750
His third WWE run, from 2011 to 2018, brought

00:34:04.750 --> 00:34:07.269
further reinventions, starting with those now

00:34:07.269 --> 00:34:09.409
-familiar cryptic vignettes once again before

00:34:09.409 --> 00:34:12.030
his return for the Royal Rumble 2012. It became

00:34:12.030 --> 00:34:15.159
his signature way of coming back. This set up

00:34:15.159 --> 00:34:18.440
his incredibly intense feud with WWE Champion

00:34:18.440 --> 00:34:22.199
CM Punk over the Best in the World moniker. Jericho

00:34:22.199 --> 00:34:24.460
leaned into a deeply personal approach, using

00:34:24.460 --> 00:34:26.539
insults about Punk's family, trying to get inside

00:34:26.539 --> 00:34:29.280
his head. He lost to Punk at WrestleMania XE8

00:34:29.280 --> 00:34:32.019
in Extreme Rules, but those matches were critically

00:34:32.019 --> 00:34:34.239
acclaimed and further solidified his ability

00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:43.420
to create compelling, high stakes feuds. and

00:34:43.420 --> 00:34:45.880
have missteps and face consequences. He continued

00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:48.300
with sporadic feuds with Dolph Ziggler, Ryback,

00:34:48.400 --> 00:34:50.820
and Fandango, often taking several hiatuses for

00:34:50.820 --> 00:34:53.179
Fozzy tours, showing his commitment to both his

00:34:53.179 --> 00:34:56.039
passions. And then came arguably his most popular

00:34:56.039 --> 00:35:00.260
gimmick in years, the list of Jericho. After

00:35:00.260 --> 00:35:03.340
returning full time on Raw in January 2016 and

00:35:03.340 --> 00:35:05.980
initially feuding with AJ Styles, he formed an

00:35:05.980 --> 00:35:08.420
unlikely yet incredibly compelling alliance with

00:35:08.420 --> 00:35:11.360
Kevin Owens, ultimately helping him win the WWE

00:35:11.360 --> 00:35:13.780
Universal Championship. This is when the magic

00:35:13.780 --> 00:35:16.340
truly happened, right? The list took on a life

00:35:16.340 --> 00:35:18.960
of its own. It absolutely did. The list of Jericho

00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:21.159
became an absolute phenomenon. He would dramatically

00:35:21.159 --> 00:35:23.059
pull out a clipboard and write down names of

00:35:23.059 --> 00:35:25.019
anyone who bothered him, exclaiming, you just

00:35:25.019 --> 00:35:28.150
made the list. It was a simple yet ingenious

00:35:28.150 --> 00:35:30.670
tool that combined comedy, arrogance, and genuine

00:35:30.670 --> 00:35:33.289
heel heat. It became hugely popular and critically

00:35:33.289 --> 00:35:35.489
acclaimed as a highlight of Raw, demonstrating

00:35:35.489 --> 00:35:37.389
his deep understanding of audience engagement

00:35:37.389 --> 00:35:39.889
and character work, creating a simple yet effective

00:35:39.889 --> 00:35:42.269
tool for comedy and storytelling. It shows that

00:35:42.269 --> 00:35:44.710
sometimes the simplest ideas, executed perfectly,

00:35:44.969 --> 00:35:47.480
can become iconic. The list was everywhere, fan

00:35:47.480 --> 00:35:50.119
signs, merchandise. He continued his winning

00:35:50.119 --> 00:35:52.940
ways, capturing the WWE United States Championship

00:35:52.940 --> 00:35:56.199
from Roman Reigns in January 2017, becoming a

00:35:56.199 --> 00:35:58.559
Grand Slam winner under the current format, showing

00:35:58.559 --> 00:36:01.460
he could win any title at any time. He was even

00:36:01.460 --> 00:36:03.579
suspended above the ring in a shark cage during

00:36:03.579 --> 00:36:06.099
Owens' Universal title defense at Royal Rumble

00:36:06.099 --> 00:36:09.619
2017. Pure, classic heel gold, trying to influence

00:36:09.619 --> 00:36:14.179
the match from above. on Raw in February 2017

00:36:14.179 --> 00:36:16.980
was a dramatic and heartbreaking turning point.

00:36:17.480 --> 00:36:20.019
Jericho hosted it for Owens, genuinely believing

00:36:20.019 --> 00:36:22.619
in their friendship, only for Owens to brutally

00:36:22.619 --> 00:36:25.019
attack him, ending their alliance in a shocking

00:36:25.019 --> 00:36:27.320
betrayal that instantly turned Jericho face again.

00:36:27.820 --> 00:36:30.119
It was a segment that sent shockwaves through

00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:32.199
the wrestling world and elevated both characters

00:36:32.199 --> 00:36:34.219
through the sheer emotional investment it generated.

00:36:34.599 --> 00:36:36.619
He immediately sought revenge, causing Owens

00:36:36.619 --> 00:36:38.699
to lose the Universal Championship to Goldberg

00:36:38.699 --> 00:36:41.380
at Fastlane. He then lost the US title to Owens

00:36:41.380 --> 00:36:44.760
at WrestleMania 33, regained it at Payback, and

00:36:44.760 --> 00:36:47.780
then, in a very dramatic exit, lost it back to

00:36:47.780 --> 00:36:50.239
Owens two nights later on Smackdown Live, being

00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:52.320
stretchered out. This was a dramatic farewell,

00:36:52.420 --> 00:36:54.599
but not his final one in wrestling. His last

00:36:54.599 --> 00:36:56.739
WWE in -ring appearance for this run was at the

00:36:56.739 --> 00:36:59.590
Greatest Royal Rumble in April 2018. His reason

00:36:59.590 --> 00:37:02.289
for departure is significant and speaks to his

00:37:02.289 --> 00:37:04.530
unwavering belief in himself and his creative

00:37:04.530 --> 00:37:07.929
vision. Jericho later revealed an incident at

00:37:07.929 --> 00:37:11.429
WrestleMania 33 in 2017 where his highly anticipated

00:37:11.429 --> 00:37:13.889
UF title match against Kevin Owens, which he

00:37:13.889 --> 00:37:15.489
believed should have been higher up the card,

00:37:15.949 --> 00:37:17.769
was placed second on the card by Vince McMahon.

00:37:18.449 --> 00:37:20.789
This decision, he stated, essentially led him

00:37:20.789 --> 00:37:23.269
to finalize his decision to seek work elsewhere

00:37:23.269 --> 00:37:27.219
after 15 years with WWE. This extensive WWE career

00:37:27.219 --> 00:37:29.300
is remarkable, not just for the sheer number

00:37:29.300 --> 00:37:32.079
of championships, a record nine intercontinental

00:37:32.079 --> 00:37:35.420
titles, the first undisputed WWF champion, but

00:37:35.420 --> 00:37:37.639
for his consistent ability to adapt and connect.

00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:40.320
The list of Jericho is a prime example of someone

00:37:40.320 --> 00:37:42.380
who deeply understands audience engagement and

00:37:42.380 --> 00:37:44.280
character work, creating a phenomenon out of

00:37:44.280 --> 00:37:46.800
a simple notebook. It truly raises an important

00:37:46.800 --> 00:37:49.269
question. How many wrestlers can claim to have

00:37:49.269 --> 00:37:51.210
shaped the industry in such a fundamental way,

00:37:51.530 --> 00:37:53.210
not just with their performances, but with their

00:37:53.210 --> 00:37:54.929
character innovations and willingness to push

00:37:54.929 --> 00:37:57.690
for creative respect? So Chris Jericho's monumental

00:37:57.690 --> 00:38:01.150
WWE run concludes. But his story, as we've seen,

00:38:01.349 --> 00:38:04.449
is far from over. This is where he truly cemented

00:38:04.449 --> 00:38:07.429
his legacy as a global wrestling icon, unafraid

00:38:07.429 --> 00:38:09.989
to explore new territories and challenge conventional

00:38:09.989 --> 00:38:14.030
wisdom. In November 2017, he made a truly shocking

00:38:14.030 --> 00:38:17.090
return to New Japan Pro Wrestling, NJPW, in a

00:38:17.090 --> 00:38:19.469
pre -taped vignette challenging Kenny Omega to

00:38:19.469 --> 00:38:22.710
Alpha vs. Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12. This was

00:38:22.710 --> 00:38:26.550
his first non -WWE match since 1999, nearly two

00:38:26.550 --> 00:38:29.369
decades. What made this return so groundbreaking?

00:38:29.610 --> 00:38:31.789
It was absolutely monumental, and it shattered

00:38:31.789 --> 00:38:34.070
a perceived barrier between major promotions.

00:38:34.329 --> 00:38:36.550
While some sources suggested Dave Meltzer reported

00:38:36.550 --> 00:38:39.510
Jericho as a free agent, and JPW also stated

00:38:39.510 --> 00:38:41.750
Vince McMahon gave permission, highlighting the

00:38:41.750 --> 00:38:44.130
delicate dance between companies. Regardless

00:38:44.130 --> 00:38:46.269
of the specifics, it was a game -changer, because

00:38:46.269 --> 00:38:48.809
it showed a top -tier WWE star could and would

00:38:48.809 --> 00:38:51.369
work elsewhere on a major stage. Although Jericho

00:38:51.369 --> 00:38:53.630
lost to Omega, the match received a rare five

00:38:53.630 --> 00:38:55.550
-star rating from Dave Meltzer Jericho's first

00:38:55.550 --> 00:38:57.889
ever. This proved, unequivocally, that he could

00:38:57.889 --> 00:38:59.710
still deliver at the absolute highest level,

00:38:59.769 --> 00:39:01.739
even outside his comfort zone. The five -star

00:39:01.739 --> 00:39:03.920
match outside of WWE at that stage in his career,

00:39:04.139 --> 00:39:06.500
truly incredible. He wasn't done with NJPW either.

00:39:06.820 --> 00:39:09.360
He continued his run, winning the IWGP Intercontinental

00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:11.699
Championship from Tetsuya Naito at Dominion 6

00:39:11.699 --> 00:39:14.199
.9, becoming the first person to hold both the

00:39:14.199 --> 00:39:18.199
WWE and IWGP Intercontinental titles. This wasn't

00:39:18.199 --> 00:39:20.599
just another belt. It was a huge statement about

00:39:20.599 --> 00:39:22.900
his global reach and his ability to conquer any

00:39:22.900 --> 00:39:26.199
promotion's top prizes. It undeniably solidified

00:39:26.199 --> 00:39:30.139
his global icon status. He then lost the IWGP

00:39:30.139 --> 00:39:33.000
IC. title back to Naito at Russell Kingdom 13.

00:39:33.559 --> 00:39:37.099
He also faced Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight

00:39:37.099 --> 00:39:39.440
Championship, one of the most prestigious titles

00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:41.179
in the world, and defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi

00:39:41.179 --> 00:39:44.000
at Russell Kingdom 14. These high -profile matches

00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:46.539
against NJPW's top stars cemented his status

00:39:46.539 --> 00:39:48.719
as an international draw and proved his in -ring

00:39:48.719 --> 00:39:50.980
quality had not diminished even as he approached

00:39:50.980 --> 00:39:53.400
50. He wasn't just working for major promotions

00:39:53.400 --> 00:39:55.699
either. He was also active on the independent

00:39:55.699 --> 00:39:57.940
circuit, showing his connection to the broader

00:39:57.940 --> 00:40:01.219
wrestling community. In September 2018, he made

00:40:01.219 --> 00:40:03.619
a surprise appearance at All In, the landmark

00:40:03.619 --> 00:40:05.820
independent show promoted by Cody and the Young

00:40:05.820 --> 00:40:10.019
Bucks that predated AEW. Disguised as Penta L0,

00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:12.780
he attacked Kenny Omega to promote his upcoming

00:40:12.780 --> 00:40:15.320
cruise, showing his knack for creative marketing

00:40:15.320 --> 00:40:17.960
and building buzz outside of established corporate

00:40:17.960 --> 00:40:21.730
structures. Chris Jericho's Rock N Wrestling

00:40:21.730 --> 00:40:24.710
Rager at Sea, launched in 2018, is a perfect

00:40:24.710 --> 00:40:27.110
example of his entrepreneurial spirit and ability

00:40:27.110 --> 00:40:29.789
to combine his passions. It literally combines

00:40:29.789 --> 00:40:32.590
rock and wrestling, featuring live bands, artist

00:40:32.590 --> 00:40:35.469
activities, and wrestling tournaments. Multiple

00:40:35.469 --> 00:40:37.789
cruises have followed, blending his two passions

00:40:37.789 --> 00:40:40.170
perfectly and creating a unique fan experience.

00:40:41.110 --> 00:40:43.369
He also made surprise appearances for pro wrestling

00:40:43.369 --> 00:40:47.079
gorilla, PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2023 with

00:40:47.079 --> 00:40:49.719
the Jericho Appreciation Society, Revolution

00:40:49.719 --> 00:40:52.139
Pro Wrestling attacking Will Ospreay, and even

00:40:52.139 --> 00:40:54.340
Vietnam Pro Wrestling showing he's still connected

00:40:54.340 --> 00:40:56.739
to the broader wrestling world. So you look at

00:40:56.739 --> 00:40:59.619
all these ventures, from NJPW to independent

00:40:59.619 --> 00:41:02.000
shows and his own crews, and you see a pattern.

00:41:02.250 --> 00:41:05.710
From being a trailblazer in NJPW and ECW, to

00:41:05.710 --> 00:41:08.269
shaping the identity of WWE in the attitude era,

00:41:08.530 --> 00:41:10.769
and now taking on these new challenges, Jericho

00:41:10.769 --> 00:41:13.230
has proven that reinvention isn't just a strategy,

00:41:13.469 --> 00:41:16.610
it's his superpower. In January 2019, he made

00:41:16.610 --> 00:41:19.550
another monumental move, making a surprise appearance

00:41:19.550 --> 00:41:22.489
at AEW's media event and signing a three -year

00:41:22.489 --> 00:41:25.210
full -time contract. This was a massive signing

00:41:25.210 --> 00:41:27.590
for the fledgling promotion, lending instant

00:41:27.590 --> 00:41:31.380
credibility. His signing instantly gave AEW a

00:41:31.380 --> 00:41:33.679
proven main event star, a household name who

00:41:33.679 --> 00:41:35.699
could draw viewers and legitimize a brand new

00:41:35.699 --> 00:41:38.199
wrestling company. He wasted no time in making

00:41:38.199 --> 00:41:40.400
an impact. He defeated Kenny Omega at Double

00:41:40.400 --> 00:41:43.199
or Nothing in May 2019, and then, in another

00:41:43.199 --> 00:41:45.880
historic first, became the inaugural AEW World

00:41:45.880 --> 00:41:48.480
Champion by defeating Adam Page at All Out in

00:41:48.480 --> 00:41:51.420
August 2019. Being the first champion of a major

00:41:51.420 --> 00:41:54.059
new promotion is a significant part of any company's

00:41:54.059 --> 00:41:56.260
history and permanently etched his name into

00:41:56.260 --> 00:41:58.440
AEW's foundation. And he didn't just win the

00:41:58.440 --> 00:42:00.820
title. He immediately formed a powerful stable,

00:42:01.039 --> 00:42:03.019
The Inner Circle, on the premiere of Dynamite

00:42:03.019 --> 00:42:06.659
on October 2, 2019. With Sammy Guevara, Jake

00:42:06.659 --> 00:42:09.400
Hager, Santana, and Orquiz, they became a dominant

00:42:09.400 --> 00:42:12.079
force defending his title against Darby Allen,

00:42:12.420 --> 00:42:15.739
Cody, and Scorpio Sky. He eventually lost the

00:42:15.739 --> 00:42:18.320
AEW World Championship to Jon Moxley at Revolution

00:42:18.320 --> 00:42:21.300
in February 2020. But the Inner Circle continued

00:42:21.300 --> 00:42:23.639
to be a central storyline, introducing new stars

00:42:23.639 --> 00:42:27.019
to a wider audience. The Inner Circle was absolutely

00:42:27.019 --> 00:42:29.719
crucial for establishing AEW's early identity

00:42:29.719 --> 00:42:32.139
and showcasing new, younger talent alongside

00:42:32.139 --> 00:42:34.599
a seasoned veteran like Cherico. They feuded

00:42:34.599 --> 00:42:36.880
with the elite, including a remarkable stadium

00:42:36.880 --> 00:42:38.719
stampede match victory at Double or Nothing,

00:42:39.039 --> 00:42:41.480
a match that embraced cinematic wrestling during

00:42:41.480 --> 00:42:44.280
the pandemic. He also had a notable comedic rivalry

00:42:44.280 --> 00:42:47.019
with Orange Cassidy, losing a mimosa mayhem match

00:42:47.019 --> 00:42:49.840
at All Out. His ability to work with vastly different

00:42:49.840 --> 00:42:51.400
character types and still make it compelling

00:42:51.400 --> 00:42:53.949
is truly remarkable, showing his range. Then

00:42:53.949 --> 00:42:56.670
came the epic storyline feud with MJF, a long

00:42:56.670 --> 00:42:59.329
-term psychological battle that saw MJF eventually

00:42:59.329 --> 00:43:01.190
join the Inner Circle after defeating Jericho

00:43:01.190 --> 00:43:04.269
at Full Gear in November 2020. This storyline

00:43:04.269 --> 00:43:07.050
was a slow -burn masterpiece, full of twists

00:43:07.050 --> 00:43:09.710
and turns, with MJF eventually betraying and

00:43:09.710 --> 00:43:11.909
leaving the Inner Circle to form his own rival

00:43:11.909 --> 00:43:14.960
stable, the Pinnacle. That betrayal led to brutal

00:43:14.960 --> 00:43:17.639
faction warfare, including a blood and guts match

00:43:17.639 --> 00:43:20.340
loss for the Inner Circle, and a stadium stampede

00:43:20.340 --> 00:43:23.099
victory at Double or Nothing, another cinematic

00:43:23.099 --> 00:43:25.559
spectacle. Jericho then embarked on the Labors

00:43:25.559 --> 00:43:28.380
of Jericho series, a throwback to classic wrestling

00:43:28.380 --> 00:43:30.420
tropes, where he had to defeat Shawn Spears,

00:43:30.579 --> 00:43:32.719
Nick Gage, Juventud Guerrero, and Wardlow to

00:43:32.719 --> 00:43:35.380
get another match with MJF. He ultimately defeated

00:43:35.380 --> 00:43:38.420
MJF at All Out 2021 to save his career, showcasing

00:43:38.420 --> 00:43:40.619
his longevity and storytelling prowess even in

00:43:40.619 --> 00:43:42.719
high stakes matches, pulling out all the stops.

00:43:42.920 --> 00:43:45.739
He just kept going, reinventing. After the Inner

00:43:45.739 --> 00:43:48.079
Circle, he transitioned into a new persona and

00:43:48.079 --> 00:43:50.980
formed the Jericho Appreciation Society, or JAS,

00:43:51.139 --> 00:43:54.400
in 2022. He turned heel again by attacking Eddie

00:43:54.400 --> 00:43:57.440
Kingston, Santana, and Ortiz, forming the JAS

00:43:57.440 --> 00:44:00.380
with 2 .0 and Daniel Garcia, rebranding them

00:44:00.380 --> 00:44:02.820
as sports entertainers. They feuded with the

00:44:02.820 --> 00:44:05.300
Blackpool Combat Club and Eddie Kingston in highly

00:44:05.300 --> 00:44:07.960
violent matches, including an Anarchy in the

00:44:07.960 --> 00:44:10.639
Arena victory and a barbed wire death match win.

00:44:12.199 --> 00:44:14.679
sports entertainers over wrestlers, was another

00:44:14.679 --> 00:44:16.719
example of his meta -commentary on the industry,

00:44:17.219 --> 00:44:19.440
deliberately poking fun at the terminology often

00:44:19.440 --> 00:44:23.139
used by WWE and generating tremendous heat. He

00:44:23.139 --> 00:44:25.320
then achieved another major milestone, defeating

00:44:25.320 --> 00:44:28.019
Claudio Castagnoli at Dynamite, Grand Slam in

00:44:28.019 --> 00:44:30.639
September 2022 to win the ROH World Championship.

00:44:31.159 --> 00:44:33.440
He proudly dubbed himself The Ocho, referring

00:44:33.440 --> 00:44:37.730
to his eighth recognized world title. And he

00:44:37.730 --> 00:44:40.130
wasn't just performing, he was shaping the future.

00:44:40.570 --> 00:44:43.050
He signed a contract extension with AEW through

00:44:43.050 --> 00:44:46.469
2025, adding roles as a coach and creative consultant,

00:44:46.829 --> 00:44:49.130
a true veteran contributing behind the scenes.

00:44:49.510 --> 00:44:51.989
He successfully defended the ROH title against

00:44:51.989 --> 00:44:54.869
former ROH champions like Dalton Castle, Colt

00:44:54.869 --> 00:44:58.070
Cabana, Tomohiro Ishii, and Bandido, further

00:44:58.070 --> 00:45:00.250
elevating that championship and giving it a high

00:45:00.250 --> 00:45:02.269
-profile reign. His reign eventually ended when

00:45:02.269 --> 00:45:04.809
he lost the ROH World Championship back to Castagnoli

00:45:04.809 --> 00:45:07.250
at Final Battle. He then feuded with with Ricky

00:45:07.250 --> 00:45:09.909
Starks and Adam Cole losing an unsanctioned match

00:45:09.909 --> 00:45:13.039
at double or nothing. The JAS effectively disbanded

00:45:13.039 --> 00:45:15.320
when members walked out due to his association

00:45:15.320 --> 00:45:17.579
with Don Callis, leading to his next evolution

00:45:17.579 --> 00:45:20.300
and further character changes. He then reformed

00:45:20.300 --> 00:45:23.059
Le Sex Gods with Sammy Guevara, a popular tag

00:45:23.059 --> 00:45:26.239
team, but a loss to Will Ospreay at All In. London

00:45:26.239 --> 00:45:28.420
led to Guevara turning on Jericho and joining

00:45:28.420 --> 00:45:30.920
the Don Callis family, turning Jericho face once

00:45:30.920 --> 00:45:33.280
again, showing that his allegiances are constantly

00:45:33.280 --> 00:45:35.579
shifting. He formed the Golden Jets with Kenny

00:45:35.579 --> 00:45:37.820
Omega to fight the Callis family, but Omega's

00:45:37.820 --> 00:45:40.139
injury temporarily ended that team. The feud

00:45:40.139 --> 00:45:42.280
with the Don Callis family eventually concluded,

00:45:42.619 --> 00:45:46.119
and in February 2024, Jericho revived his Lionheart

00:45:46.119 --> 00:45:49.320
persona, a deliberate nod to his earlier career,

00:45:49.780 --> 00:45:52.039
showing he can always go back to his roots and

00:45:52.039 --> 00:45:55.059
re -energize a classic gimmick. This continuous

00:45:55.059 --> 00:45:57.659
revisiting and reimagining of past gimmicks is

00:45:57.659 --> 00:46:00.079
a key part of his appeal and his chameleon nature.

00:46:00.440 --> 00:46:02.760
And then came perhaps his most meta and brilliant

00:46:02.760 --> 00:46:06.519
character yet, the Learning Tree. In March 2024,

00:46:06.659 --> 00:46:08.980
he attempted to mentor Hook, which surprisingly

00:46:08.980 --> 00:46:11.539
led to a match at Dynasty where Jericho won the

00:46:11.539 --> 00:46:14.840
FTW Championship. He immediately renamed it the

00:46:14.840 --> 00:46:16.639
For the World Championship and dumped himself

00:46:16.639 --> 00:46:19.380
the Learning Tree, portraying a delusional mentor.

00:46:20.119 --> 00:46:22.679
This was a sarcastic, genius reference to online

00:46:22.679 --> 00:46:24.980
criticism about his constant presence on AEW,

00:46:25.159 --> 00:46:27.119
showing his ability to turn criticism into character

00:46:27.119 --> 00:46:29.199
and make himself the butt of his own joke. That

00:46:29.199 --> 00:46:31.760
was truly a brilliant metagymic, a performer

00:46:31.760 --> 00:46:33.639
so self -aware they could satirize their own

00:46:33.639 --> 00:46:36.429
public perception. He successfully defended the

00:46:36.429 --> 00:46:39.349
FTW title with assistance from Big Bill and Brian

00:46:39.349 --> 00:46:42.150
Keith, who joined the learning tree, adding layers

00:46:42.150 --> 00:46:45.630
to the group. He then lost the FTW title to hook

00:46:45.630 --> 00:46:48.670
it all in, bringing that reign to an end. But

00:46:48.670 --> 00:46:51.010
the story didn't end there. He continued his

00:46:51.010 --> 00:46:53.590
championship quest, winning his second ROH World

00:46:53.590 --> 00:46:56.210
Championship, his ninth overall world title,

00:46:56.409 --> 00:46:58.570
for Mark Briscoe in a ladder war with help from

00:46:58.570 --> 00:47:01.530
Big Bill, dubbing himself the Nouve or the nine

00:47:01.530 --> 00:47:04.869
-time world champion. He just keeps collecting

00:47:04.869 --> 00:47:07.150
championships and redefining what it means to

00:47:07.150 --> 00:47:09.730
be a veteran in this business. He defended the

00:47:09.730 --> 00:47:12.329
ROH title against Tomohiro Ishii and Mac Cardona,

00:47:12.429 --> 00:47:14.969
but then lost it to Bandido in a title versus

00:47:14.969 --> 00:47:18.710
mask match at Dynasty 2025 in a truly high -spakes

00:47:18.710 --> 00:47:21.170
encounter. After this loss, the learning tree

00:47:21.170 --> 00:47:23.610
disbanded as Jericho blamed his loss on Big Bill

00:47:23.610 --> 00:47:25.789
and Brian Keith, stating he'd leave until they

00:47:25.789 --> 00:47:29.389
changed. From being a trailblazer in NJPW and

00:47:29.389 --> 00:47:32.389
ECW to shaping the identity of WWE in the attitude

00:47:32.389 --> 00:47:34.909
era and now as a founding pillar and multiple

00:47:34.909 --> 00:47:37.650
-time champion in AEW, it's clear Jericho has

00:47:37.650 --> 00:47:39.610
proven that reinvention isn't just a strategy,

00:47:39.750 --> 00:47:41.949
it's his superpower. It's truly astonishing,

00:47:42.030 --> 00:47:43.809
isn't it? Chris Jericho's career in wrestling

00:47:43.809 --> 00:47:46.010
alone is legendary, but what truly sets him apart,

00:47:46.170 --> 00:47:48.289
cementing his status as a multi -platform phenomenon,

00:47:48.650 --> 00:47:51.150
is his incredible success beyond the ropes. He's

00:47:51.150 --> 00:47:53.369
not just a wrestler, he's a true multi -hyphenate

00:47:53.369 --> 00:47:55.510
entertainer, and his music career with Fozzy

00:47:55.510 --> 00:47:57.710
is a huge integral part of that identity. Yeah,

00:47:57.710 --> 00:47:59.389
and if we connect this to the bigger picture,

00:47:59.809 --> 00:48:02.150
Jericho's career outside of wrestling isn't just

00:48:02.150 --> 00:48:05.530
a side It's an authentic extension of his rock

00:48:05.530 --> 00:48:08.329
star persona and his innate ability to connect

00:48:08.329 --> 00:48:10.769
with an audience across different mediums. He's

00:48:10.769 --> 00:48:14.090
been the lead vocalist of Fozzy since 1999, almost

00:48:14.090 --> 00:48:17.550
as long as his WWE career. Initially, the band

00:48:17.550 --> 00:48:20.190
was known primarily for cover versions, but they

00:48:20.190 --> 00:48:23.070
wisely and effectively shifted to primarily original

00:48:23.070 --> 00:48:26.090
material from their third album, All That Remains,

00:48:26.429 --> 00:48:30.280
released in 2005, Onward. This transition was

00:48:30.280 --> 00:48:32.679
crucial for their artistic credibility. That

00:48:32.679 --> 00:48:35.260
transition from covers to original music is a

00:48:35.260 --> 00:48:37.940
massive artistic and commercial step for any

00:48:37.940 --> 00:48:40.000
band. And Fozzy didn't just make that leap, they

00:48:40.000 --> 00:48:42.400
soared. They've released seven studio albums,

00:48:42.579 --> 00:48:45.199
including Fozzy, Judas, and Boombox. And Judas

00:48:45.199 --> 00:48:47.679
actually achieved a gold certification by the

00:48:47.679 --> 00:48:50.539
RIAA in 2022, which is a monumental accomplishment

00:48:50.539 --> 00:48:52.760
for any band, let alone one fronted by a professional

00:48:52.760 --> 00:48:54.659
wrestler. It's not just a side project, it's

00:48:54.659 --> 00:48:57.000
a legitimately successful rock band. He also

00:48:57.000 --> 00:48:59.440
made guest appearances on Tribb - albums like

00:48:59.440 --> 00:49:02.099
Iron Maiden's The Evil That Men Do, and even

00:49:02.099 --> 00:49:05.099
lent his vocals to Dream Theater's album Repentance,

00:49:05.420 --> 00:49:07.949
showing respect from his peers. That kind of

00:49:07.949 --> 00:49:10.289
recognition from the music industry, from both

00:49:10.289 --> 00:49:13.170
sales and critical collaborations, really speaks

00:49:13.170 --> 00:49:15.469
volumes about his talent as a vocalist and his

00:49:15.469 --> 00:49:18.070
dedication to music. And it wasn't just performing,

00:49:18.150 --> 00:49:20.550
he was immersed in the music scene even earlier,

00:49:20.889 --> 00:49:22.809
writing a monthly column for Metal Edge magazine

00:49:22.809 --> 00:49:25.730
in the mid -1990s focusing on heavy metal. He

00:49:25.730 --> 00:49:28.170
also hosted his weekly XM satellite radio show

00:49:28.170 --> 00:49:31.530
The Rock of Jericho starting in 2005. He's truly

00:49:31.530 --> 00:49:33.869
lived and breathed the rock star life, making

00:49:33.869 --> 00:49:35.849
it a genuine part of his identity, not just a

00:49:35.849 --> 00:49:38.480
gimmick. Absolutely. Beyond music, he's also

00:49:38.480 --> 00:49:40.539
a New York Times best -selling author, having

00:49:40.539 --> 00:49:44.019
penned four autobiographies. A Lion's Tale covers

00:49:44.019 --> 00:49:47.960
his life up to his pivotal WWE debut. Undisputed

00:49:47.960 --> 00:49:51.190
Chronicles is his incredible WWE career. The

00:49:51.190 --> 00:49:53.630
Best in the World shares untold stories of his

00:49:53.630 --> 00:49:57.130
Save Us era, Fawzi, and his returns. And No,

00:49:57.289 --> 00:49:59.849
is a four -letter word, offers 20 valuable career

00:49:59.849 --> 00:50:02.369
lessons. These books don't just recount facts,

00:50:02.449 --> 00:50:04.530
they offer incredible insight into his mindset,

00:50:04.869 --> 00:50:07.449
his approach to business, and his unique journey.

00:50:07.809 --> 00:50:10.190
His literary output demonstrates an intellectual

00:50:10.190 --> 00:50:13.309
curiosity and a strong desire to share his experiences

00:50:13.309 --> 00:50:16.159
and lessons learned, not just perform them. Beyond

00:50:16.159 --> 00:50:18.340
that, he's a seasoned actor in film and television,

00:50:18.760 --> 00:50:20.500
embracing the diverse opportunities available

00:50:20.500 --> 00:50:22.860
to him. His filmography includes appearances

00:50:22.860 --> 00:50:25.400
in Android Apocalypse. A notable comedic turn

00:50:25.400 --> 00:50:27.659
is Frank Corver in MacGruber. Loved him in that.

00:50:27.880 --> 00:50:30.079
Sharknado 3 and a surprisingly creepy role in

00:50:30.079 --> 00:50:32.940
Terrifier 2, with upcoming appearances in Darkmatch

00:50:32.940 --> 00:50:36.050
and Terrifier 3. He's not afraid to take on genre

00:50:36.050 --> 00:50:38.869
roles and expand his acting range. And his television

00:50:38.869 --> 00:50:41.570
presence is just as extensive. He was a contributor

00:50:41.570 --> 00:50:44.250
to VH1 pop culture shows like Best Week Ever

00:50:44.250 --> 00:50:46.889
and I Love the 80s, showing his encyclopedic

00:50:46.889 --> 00:50:49.610
knowledge of pop culture and even hosted VH1's

00:50:49.610 --> 00:50:53.150
100 most shocking music moments. He hosted the

00:50:53.150 --> 00:50:56.349
ABC game show Downfall and the sci -fi robot

00:50:56.349 --> 00:50:59.150
combat show Robot Combat League, proving his

00:50:59.150 --> 00:51:02.079
versatility as a TV personality. One of his most

00:51:02.079 --> 00:51:04.300
public non -wrestling appearances was competing

00:51:04.300 --> 00:51:06.679
on Dancing with the Stars in 2011 with Sheryl

00:51:06.679 --> 00:51:09.119
Burke, which generated significant mainstream

00:51:09.119 --> 00:51:11.719
publicity and introduced him to an entirely new

00:51:11.719 --> 00:51:13.840
audience, including an interview with Jay Leno.

00:51:14.340 --> 00:51:17.079
He also guest starred on Disney XD's Erin Stone

00:51:17.079 --> 00:51:19.699
and is the current perfectly cast narrator for

00:51:19.699 --> 00:51:21.400
Dark Side of the Ring. Oh, yeah, perfect fit.

00:51:21.880 --> 00:51:23.960
Most recently, he competed as bride in season

00:51:23.960 --> 00:51:26.960
eight of The Masked Singer in 2022, showcasing

00:51:26.960 --> 00:51:28.980
his incredible versatility as a performer and

00:51:28.980 --> 00:51:31.219
vocalist, completely embracing the camp of it.

00:51:31.500 --> 00:51:33.519
And he even starred as the lead actor in the

00:51:33.519 --> 00:51:36.500
comedy web series. But I'm Chris Jericho. which

00:51:36.500 --> 00:51:38.760
was loosely based on his life as a former wrestler

00:51:38.760 --> 00:51:40.739
trying to make it as an actor. He's always been

00:51:40.739 --> 00:51:43.119
able to poke fun at himself and his career journey,

00:51:43.500 --> 00:51:45.519
a sign of his confidence and self -awareness.

00:51:45.920 --> 00:51:48.480
His entrepreneurial spirit also extends powerfully

00:51:48.480 --> 00:51:51.380
to digital media. He launched his own highly

00:51:51.380 --> 00:51:54.360
successful podcast Talk is Jericho in December

00:51:54.360 --> 00:51:57.679
2013, featuring interviews with wrestlers, rock

00:51:57.679 --> 00:52:00.559
musicians, and even paranormal experts showcasing

00:52:00.559 --> 00:52:03.539
his eclectic interests. It initially aired on

00:52:03.539 --> 00:52:06.119
podcast own before moving to Westwood and a major

00:52:06.119 --> 00:52:09.199
syndicator. He also hosted live with Chris Jericho

00:52:09.199 --> 00:52:12.119
on WWE Network in 2015 with guests like John

00:52:12.119 --> 00:52:14.400
Cena and Stephanie McMahon bridging the gap between

00:52:14.400 --> 00:52:16.019
his wrestling and interview work. Though it's

00:52:16.019 --> 00:52:18.320
interesting to note that after signing with AEW,

00:52:18.760 --> 00:52:21.619
he was no longer allowed to have WWE performers

00:52:21.619 --> 00:52:24.039
as guests on his podcast, a clear sign of the

00:52:24.039 --> 00:52:26.659
competitive landscape. He also launched his own

00:52:26.659 --> 00:52:29.860
dirt sheet website, WebbiesJericho .com in 2019,

00:52:30.079 --> 00:52:32.860
dedicated to the memory of Axel Rotten. And of

00:52:32.860 --> 00:52:35.280
course, his truly innovative crews, Chris Jericho's

00:52:35.280 --> 00:52:38.039
rock and wrestling rager at sea launched in 2017

00:52:38.039 --> 00:52:41.349
is the ultimate manifestation of his brand. The

00:52:41.349 --> 00:52:43.530
cruise is a brilliant fusion of his passions,

00:52:43.789 --> 00:52:46.110
combining rock and wrestling with live bands,

00:52:46.670 --> 00:52:48.449
artist activities, and even wrestling tournaments.

00:52:48.969 --> 00:52:50.989
Multiple cruises have been incredibly successful,

00:52:51.269 --> 00:52:53.269
proving his ability to monetize his brand in

00:52:53.269 --> 00:52:55.690
innovative ways and create a unique interactive

00:52:55.690 --> 00:52:58.489
experience for his fans. This truly showcases

00:52:58.489 --> 00:53:00.750
his ability to create a multi -platform entertainment

00:53:00.750 --> 00:53:03.070
empire that integrates his diverse interests.

00:53:03.250 --> 00:53:05.829
Beyond his public persona and vast entertainment

00:53:05.829 --> 00:53:08.329
empire, there are details of his personal life

00:53:08.329 --> 00:53:10.250
and philanthropy that paint a fuller picture

00:53:10.250 --> 00:53:13.739
of him. man. He married Jessica Lockhart in 2000,

00:53:13.820 --> 00:53:16.199
and they reside in Odessa, Florida, with their

00:53:16.199 --> 00:53:19.579
three children, son Ash and identical twin daughters,

00:53:19.599 --> 00:53:22.539
Sierra and Cheyenne. All three have even been

00:53:22.539 --> 00:53:25.360
guests on his podcast, showing a very open and

00:53:25.360 --> 00:53:28.199
connected family life. He owns three cats and

00:53:28.199 --> 00:53:30.699
is reportedly a Christian, with various tattoos

00:53:30.699 --> 00:53:32.820
reflecting his life and career, including his

00:53:32.820 --> 00:53:35.739
wife's name, Fawzi's F logo, and artwork from

00:53:35.739 --> 00:53:37.769
his Sin and Bones album. There was a notable

00:53:37.769 --> 00:53:40.170
incident in 2010 when he was arrested with Gregory

00:53:40.170 --> 00:53:42.849
Helms after leaving a bar, with Christian and

00:53:42.849 --> 00:53:45.429
CM Punk bailing them out a glimpse into the camaraderie

00:53:45.429 --> 00:53:47.250
and occasional mischief of life on the road.

00:53:47.730 --> 00:53:49.650
He's also a co -owner of a D1 sports training

00:53:49.650 --> 00:53:52.289
and therapy facility in Tampa since 2012, showing

00:53:52.289 --> 00:53:54.050
diverse business interests beyond entertainment.

00:53:54.239 --> 00:53:57.039
And in a fun detail, he's a fan of the Japanese

00:53:57.039 --> 00:53:59.579
convenience store chain Lawson, which he frequented

00:53:59.579 --> 00:54:02.219
during his wrestling tours in the 1990s and still

00:54:02.219 --> 00:54:04.860
visits today. But most importantly, his charitable

00:54:04.860 --> 00:54:07.679
work showcases his genuine generosity. He donated

00:54:07.679 --> 00:54:09.559
twenty five hundred dollars to Alberta Forest

00:54:09.559 --> 00:54:12.000
Fire victims with Kevin Owens and Tyler Breeze

00:54:12.000 --> 00:54:13.880
and fifteen hundred dollars for Brian Knopf's

00:54:13.880 --> 00:54:15.920
knee surgery, helping out a wrestling legend.

00:54:16.280 --> 00:54:18.199
And in twenty twenty three, after Buffalo Bills

00:54:18.199 --> 00:54:21.119
player Damar Hamlin's on field collapse, Jericho

00:54:21.119 --> 00:54:23.480
initially donated five thousand dollars to Hamlin's

00:54:23.480 --> 00:54:26.119
church. and then, in a moment of self -deprecating

00:54:26.119 --> 00:54:29.079
humor and further generosity, another $5 ,000

00:54:29.079 --> 00:54:31.500
after misspelling his own name in the original

00:54:31.500 --> 00:54:34.980
donation, bringing his total to $10 ,000. These

00:54:34.980 --> 00:54:37.679
acts of generosity are important context, demonstrating

00:54:37.679 --> 00:54:40.449
a character that extends beyond the ring. If

00:54:40.449 --> 00:54:42.489
we truly connect this to the bigger picture,

00:54:42.849 --> 00:54:44.909
Jericho's career outside of wrestling isn't just

00:54:44.909 --> 00:54:47.469
a sideline. It's an intentional, successful expansion

00:54:47.469 --> 00:54:50.110
of his rock star persona, and his innate ability

00:54:50.110 --> 00:54:52.570
to connect with an audience. His podcasts, books,

00:54:52.670 --> 00:54:55.010
films, and even his cruises demonstrate an entrepreneurial

00:54:55.010 --> 00:54:56.829
spirit and a deep understanding of his fan base,

00:54:56.909 --> 00:54:58.909
truly making him a multi -platform entertainer.

00:54:59.289 --> 00:55:01.570
It makes you wonder what other contemporary performers

00:55:01.570 --> 00:55:03.329
have managed to build such a diverse, integrated

00:55:03.329 --> 00:55:05.789
empire across so many creative fields, not just

00:55:05.789 --> 00:55:07.889
dabbling, but achieving significant success in

00:55:07.889 --> 00:55:10.239
each. What an incredible journey we've charted.

00:55:10.500 --> 00:55:12.679
It's abundantly clear that Chris Jericho is far

00:55:12.679 --> 00:55:15.900
more than just a wrestler. He is truly the undisputed

00:55:15.900 --> 00:55:18.679
chameleon of entertainment, a modern -day Renaissance

00:55:18.679 --> 00:55:22.000
man in spandex. He's noted for his over -the

00:55:22.000 --> 00:55:25.579
-top rock star persona, his unparalleled in -ring

00:55:25.579 --> 00:55:28.119
technical prowess, and that constant relentless

00:55:28.119 --> 00:55:30.139
ability to reinvent his character throughout

00:55:30.139 --> 00:55:33.750
his career. He truly is. Hacy Joyner of ESPN

00:55:33.750 --> 00:55:36.570
famously dubbed him Wrestling's David Bowie,

00:55:36.869 --> 00:55:39.110
an analogy that perfectly captures his consistent

00:55:39.110 --> 00:55:42.150
character reinvention and adaptability, always

00:55:42.150 --> 00:55:44.489
shedding one skin for another, always staying

00:55:44.489 --> 00:55:46.909
ahead of the curve. He's consistently named one

00:55:46.909 --> 00:55:48.690
of the greatest professional wrestlers of all

00:55:48.690 --> 00:55:50.849
time by journalists from Pro Wrestling .net,

00:55:51.190 --> 00:55:53.969
Pro Wrestling Torch, ESPN, the Miami Herald TV

00:55:53.969 --> 00:55:56.429
Guide, and many others attest to his undeniable

00:55:56.429 --> 00:55:58.789
impact. Todd Martin of Pro Wrestling Torch placed

00:55:58.789 --> 00:56:01.329
him in a lofty category alongside legends like

00:56:01.329 --> 00:56:03.949
Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, Ted Dibius, and

00:56:03.949 --> 00:56:06.849
Dory Funk Jr., some elite company. He's been

00:56:06.849 --> 00:56:08.969
included in greatest wrestlers lists by Sports

00:56:08.969 --> 00:56:11.610
Illustrated, IGN, Muscle and Fitness, and Metro

00:56:11.610 --> 00:56:14.349
New York. The critical consensus is overwhelming.

00:56:14.750 --> 00:56:16.969
His ability on the microphone, his promo skills

00:56:16.969 --> 00:56:19.929
are legendary, often cited as being as important

00:56:19.929 --> 00:56:23.559
as his in -ring work. He was voted best on interviews

00:56:23.559 --> 00:56:26.840
for the 2000s decade by Wrestling Observer newsletter

00:56:26.840 --> 00:56:29.639
readers, a huge honor given the incredible talent

00:56:29.639 --> 00:56:32.280
of that era. This coincided with his induction

00:56:32.280 --> 00:56:34.159
into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of

00:56:34.159 --> 00:56:37.079
Fame in 2010, marking him as an industry legend

00:56:37.079 --> 00:56:39.639
for future generations. And the fans absolutely

00:56:39.639 --> 00:56:42.880
agree. They voted him the greatest WWE Intercontinental

00:56:42.880 --> 00:56:47.500
Champion of all time in a 2013 WWE poll, a landslide

00:56:47.500 --> 00:56:51.019
63 % victory over other icons like Mr. Perfect

00:56:51.019 --> 00:56:54.019
and the Honky Tonk Man. This speaks to the depth

00:56:54.019 --> 00:56:55.860
of his connection with the audience and how much

00:56:55.860 --> 00:56:58.289
his reigns resonated. His peers' endorsements

00:56:58.289 --> 00:57:01.230
are equally powerful, if not more so. Kurt Angle,

00:57:01.349 --> 00:57:03.050
another multi -time world champion, called him

00:57:03.050 --> 00:57:05.369
the single greatest performer of all time. Stone

00:57:05.369 --> 00:57:08.070
Cold? Steve Austin, arguably the biggest star

00:57:08.070 --> 00:57:10.429
ever, praised his dynamic promos and in -ring

00:57:10.429 --> 00:57:13.190
work, arguing he's firmly in the top 10. Kenny

00:57:13.190 --> 00:57:16.750
Omega, his opponent in NJPW and AEW, stated Jericho

00:57:16.750 --> 00:57:19.010
has a legit argument for being the best of all

00:57:19.010 --> 00:57:21.230
time, due to his success across so many different

00:57:21.230 --> 00:57:24.150
territories and eras. John Moxley, another modern

00:57:24.150 --> 00:57:26.670
legend, echoed that, saying, Jericho is really

00:57:26.670 --> 00:57:28.809
making a case for being the greatest of all time,

00:57:29.230 --> 00:57:31.969
breaking new barriers still here in 2020. Kevin

00:57:31.969 --> 00:57:34.050
Owens always looked up to him, and The Miz said

00:57:34.050 --> 00:57:36.269
he was part of a generation who sought to emulate

00:57:36.269 --> 00:57:39.909
Jericho. Even WWE itself, his former employer,

00:57:40.389 --> 00:57:42.309
declared him a marquee draw with a reputation

00:57:42.309 --> 00:57:44.570
as one of the best ever and one of the 10 most

00:57:44.570 --> 00:57:46.429
prolific pay -per -view performers in company

00:57:46.429 --> 00:57:49.710
history as of 2019. It's truly universal acclaim.

00:57:49.980 --> 00:57:53.059
His impact on All League Wrestling, AEW, is particularly

00:57:53.059 --> 00:57:55.940
noteworthy and cannot be overstated. His role

00:57:55.940 --> 00:57:59.340
is often compared to Terry Funk in ECW, an experienced

00:57:59.340 --> 00:58:01.719
veteran bringing instant credibility and mainstream

00:58:01.719 --> 00:58:05.099
recognition to a younger Upscar promotion. He's

00:58:05.099 --> 00:58:07.260
credited as a key attraction for Dynamite, leading

00:58:07.260 --> 00:58:09.900
to his nickname The Demogod, for consistently

00:58:09.900 --> 00:58:12.000
delivering high viewership in key demographics,

00:58:12.519 --> 00:58:14.659
proving his drawing power even later in his career.

00:58:15.179 --> 00:58:18.010
He was voted best box office draw by one readers

00:58:18.010 --> 00:58:20.730
in 2019, underscoring his continued ability to

00:58:20.730 --> 00:58:23.389
put eyes on the product. His hometown has also

00:58:23.389 --> 00:58:25.969
recognized his immense achievements, a truly

00:58:25.969 --> 00:58:28.250
heartwarming validation of his global impact.

00:58:28.519 --> 00:58:31.260
He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II of Platinum

00:58:31.260 --> 00:58:34.900
Jubilee Medal in 2023 by Manitoba's premier and

00:58:34.900 --> 00:58:37.199
a portion of Winnipeg's Wordsworth Way where

00:58:37.199 --> 00:58:39.679
he grew up was renamed Chris Jericho Way in March

00:58:39.679 --> 00:58:43.079
2023. He received the keys to the city of Winnipeg

00:58:43.079 --> 00:58:45.699
and the Order of the Buffalo Hunt in 2004 for

00:58:45.699 --> 00:58:48.139
his achievements and charity work. These are

00:58:48.139 --> 00:58:50.679
significant civic honors, celebrating him as

00:58:50.679 --> 00:58:53.239
a true hometown hero. And finally, let's just

00:58:53.239 --> 00:58:55.340
touch upon that absolutely staggering championship

00:58:55.340 --> 00:58:57.500
and accomplishment list, which truly highlights

00:58:57.500 --> 00:58:59.940
his diversity and dominance. He has held nine

00:58:59.940 --> 00:59:02.159
world titles across different promotions. Nine.

00:59:02.360 --> 00:59:05.400
Including 1x Undisputed WBGF Champion, 3x World

00:59:05.400 --> 00:59:08.079
Heavyweight Champion, 1x Inaugural AEW World

00:59:08.079 --> 00:59:10.920
Champion, and 2x ROH World Champion. He's also

00:59:10.920 --> 00:59:13.579
held the record 10 Intercontinental titles, including

00:59:13.579 --> 00:59:18.579
9x WWF WWE and 1x IWGP. Think about that, 19

00:59:18.579 --> 00:59:20.400
major championships across multiple companies.

00:59:20.639 --> 00:59:23.260
And that's not even all. He has 4x WCW Cruiserweight,

00:59:23.420 --> 00:59:26.980
1x ECW World Television, 1x WCW World Television,

00:59:27.079 --> 00:59:31.860
2x WWE United States, 1x WWF European, 1x WWF

00:59:31.860 --> 00:59:35.539
Hardcore, and 1x FTW Championship, plus seven

00:59:35.539 --> 00:59:38.099
tag team titles across various promotions. He's

00:59:38.099 --> 00:59:40.099
a fourth Grand Slam champion under the original

00:59:40.099 --> 00:59:42.340
format and a Grand Slam winner under the current

00:59:42.340 --> 00:59:44.460
format, a testament to his complete dominance

00:59:44.460 --> 00:59:46.860
across every division imaginable. He has also

00:59:46.860 --> 00:59:49.079
accumulated numerous industry awards, including

00:59:49.079 --> 00:59:51.360
multiple Slammy Awards, War Achievements, NWA

00:59:51.360 --> 00:59:53.659
World Middleweight, and numerous Wrestling Observer

00:59:53.659 --> 00:59:56.260
Newsletter awards like Wrestle of the Year, 2008

00:59:56.260 --> 00:59:59.539
-2009 -2019, Best on Interviews, Feud of the

00:59:59.539 --> 01:00:01.840
Year, 2008 vs. Shawn Michaels, and Match of the

01:00:01.840 --> 01:00:04.480
Year, 2008 Latter Match vs. Michaels. This really

01:00:04.480 --> 01:00:06.480
does raise an important question. Is there truly

01:00:06.480 --> 01:00:08.159
anyone else in professional wrestling who can

01:00:08.159 --> 01:00:10.159
claim such an extensive, varied, and universally

01:00:10.159 --> 01:00:12.480
acclaimed career, not just within the ring, but

01:00:12.480 --> 01:00:14.440
across so many creative and commercial ventures?

01:00:14.579 --> 01:00:16.940
His longevity, his relevance, and his continuous

01:00:16.940 --> 01:00:19.400
evolution are almost unmatched. Hashtag tag tag

01:00:19.400 --> 01:00:21.099
outro. We've journeyed through the incredible

01:00:21.099 --> 01:00:23.599
trajectory of Chris Jericho from his humble beginnings

01:00:23.599 --> 01:00:25.940
in Winnipeg learning the ropes and absorbing

01:00:25.940 --> 01:00:28.960
styles to becoming the lion heart in Japan and

01:00:28.960 --> 01:00:32.260
Mexico. We saw him blossom into the man of 1004

01:00:32.260 --> 01:00:37.019
holds in WCW, transform into the iconic Y2J phenomenon

01:00:37.019 --> 01:00:40.239
and the very first undisputed WWF champion, the

01:00:40.239 --> 01:00:42.960
architect of the list in WWE and then later a

01:00:42.960 --> 01:00:45.139
founding father and multiple time champion in

01:00:45.039 --> 01:00:48.719
AEW. His career is truly a master class in adapting

01:00:48.719 --> 01:00:51.280
and relentlessly creating and in consistently

01:00:51.280 --> 01:00:53.639
connecting with audiences across multiple generations

01:00:53.639 --> 01:00:56.579
and diverse entertainment platforms. He truly

01:00:56.579 --> 01:00:58.559
embodies the spirit of an artist who refuses

01:00:58.559 --> 01:01:01.219
to stagnate, always looking for the next canvas

01:01:01.219 --> 01:01:03.780
to paint on, the next character to inhabit, and

01:01:03.780 --> 01:01:06.119
the next challenge to conquer. His evolution

01:01:06.119 --> 01:01:08.139
isn't just a series of changes, it's a profound

01:01:08.139 --> 01:01:10.880
narrative in itself, a testament to what's possible

01:01:10.880 --> 01:01:13.019
when immense talent meets an insatiable drive

01:01:13.019 --> 01:01:15.840
for innovation and a deep intuitive understanding

01:01:15.840 --> 01:01:18.559
of human connection. He truly lives up to that

01:01:18.559 --> 01:01:21.519
wrestling's David Bowie moniker. Jericho's continuous

01:01:21.519 --> 01:01:24.500
evolution, his willingness to shed old skins

01:01:24.500 --> 01:01:26.980
and embrace new challenges, isn't just about

01:01:26.980 --> 01:01:29.820
wrestling or music or acting. It's a powerful

01:01:29.820 --> 01:01:31.840
blueprint for anyone looking to stay relevant,

01:01:31.980 --> 01:01:33.739
stay passionate, and frankly stay excited in

01:01:33.739 --> 01:01:35.739
their chosen field no matter how long they've

01:01:35.739 --> 01:01:39.199
been at it. So what might Chris Jericho's ongoing

01:01:39.199 --> 01:01:42.059
saga teach you about embracing change, cultivating

01:01:42.059 --> 01:01:44.300
creativity, and constantly seeking new mountains

01:01:44.300 --> 01:01:47.170
to climb in your own life? Which hearted territory

01:01:47.170 --> 01:01:49.570
might he conquer next, and how will that influence

01:01:49.570 --> 01:01:52.150
the next generation of performers, inspiring

01:01:52.150 --> 01:01:54.530
them to be more than just one thing? That's a

01:01:54.530 --> 01:01:55.409
question worth pondering.