Chris Jericho | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Jericho in 2024 | |
| Born | Christopher Keith Irvine (1970-11-09)November 9, 1970 (age 55) Manhasset, New York, U.S. |
| Citizenship |
|
| Alma mater | Red River College |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Ted Irvine (father) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Website | chrisjericho talkisjericho webisjericho |
| Ring name(s) | Chris Jericho[1] Chris Jerico Corazón de León Lionheart León D'Oro Lion Do Super Liger [2] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 227 lb (103 kg)[1] |
| Billed from | Calgary, Alberta, Canada Manhasset, New York[3] Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Trained by | Ed Langley Stu Hart[4] |
| Debut | October 2, 1990[4] |
| Signature | |
 | |
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by thering nameChris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. He is signed toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Noted for his over-the-top "rock star" persona, his in-ring technical wrestling prowess, and his ability to reinvent his character throughout the course of his career, Jericho has been named by journalists and industry colleagues as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
During the 1990s, Jericho performed for American organizationsExtreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) andWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW), as well as for promotions in countries such as Canada, Japan, and Mexico. In the latter half of 1999, he made his debut in theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF, renamed WWE in 2002). In 2001, he became the firstUndisputedWWF Champion, and thus the final holder of theWCW World Heavyweight Championship (then referred to as the World Championship), having won andunified the WWF and World titles by defeatingStone Cold Steve Austin andThe Rock onthe same night. Jericho headlined multiplepay-per-view (PPV) events during his time with the WWF/WWE, includingWrestleMania X8 and the inauguralTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs and theElimination Chamber matches and the shows themselves. He was inducted into theWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2010.
Jericho won the Undisputed WWF Championshiponce, the WCW/World Championshiptwice, and theWorld Heavyweight Championship (2002–2013 version)three times. He has also held theWWE Intercontinental Championship a recordnine times and was theninthTriple Crown Champion, as well as thefourthGrand Slam Champion in history. In addition, he was the2008 Superstar of the YearSlammy Award winner and (along withBig Show asJeri-Show) won the2009 Tag Team of the Year Slammy Award—making him the only winner of both Superstar and Tag Team of the Year.
After his departure from WWE in 2018, Jericho signed withNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he became a one-timeIWGP Intercontinental Champion, becoming the first man to have held both the WWE and IWGP versions of the Intercontinental Championship. In January 2019, Jericho joined AEW and became the inaugural holder of theAEW World Championship in August of that year. While in AEW, Jericho would also capture theROH World Championship (the main title of AEW's sister promotion,Ring of Honor) at the 2022Dynamite: Grand Slam event and theFTW Championship atDynasty 2024.
In 1999, Jericho became the lead vocalist of theheavy metal bandFozzy, who released theireponymous debut album the following year. The group's early work is composed largely ofcover versions, although they have focused primarily on original material from their third album,All That Remains (2005), onward. Jericho has also appeared on numerous television shows over the years, including the 2011 season ofDancing with the Stars. He hosted theABC game showDownfall, the 2011 edition of theRevolver Golden Gods Awards, and the UK'sMetal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in 2012 and 2017.
Christopher Keith Irvine was born inManhasset, New York on November 9, 1970,[5] the son of a Canadian couple. He is of Scottish descent from his father's side and Ukrainian descent from his mother's side.[6] His father, ice hockey playerTed Irvine,[1] had been playing for theNew York Rangers at the time of Jericho's birth. When his father retired, the family moved back toWinnipeg, Manitoba, where Irvine grew up.[7] He holds dual American and Canadian citizenships.[8] Irvine's interest in professional wrestling began when he started watching the localAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA) events that took place at theWinnipeg Arena with his family, and his desire to become a professional wrestler himself began when he saw footage ofOwen Hart, then appearing withStampede Wrestling, performing various high-flying moves. In addition, Irvine also cited Owen's older brotherBret,Ricky Steamboat andShawn Michaels as inspirations for him becoming a professional wrestler.[9][10] His first experience with a professional wrestling promotion was when he acted as part of the ring crew for the first tour of the newly opened Keystone Wrestling Alliance promotion,[9] where he learned important pointers from independent wrestlers Catfish Charlie and Caveman Broda.[9] He attendedRed River College in Winnipeg, graduating in 1990 with a diploma in Creative Communications.[9]
At the age of 19, he entered the Hart Brothers School of Wrestling, where he metLance Storm on his first day. He was trained by Ed Langley and local Calgary wrestler Brad Young.
Two months after completing training, he was ready to start wrestling on independent shows, making his debut at the Moose Hall inPonoka, Alberta, as "Cowboy" Chris Jericho, on October 2, 1990, in a ten-minute time limit draw against Storm. The pair then worked as atag team, initially called Sudden Impact. According to a February 2019 interview withRich Eisen on The Rich Eisen Show,[11] Jericho stated that his initial ring name was going to be "Jack Action", but someone remarked to him that the name was stupid. The person then asked him what his ring name really was and he got nervous and said "Chris Jericho",[12] taking the name Jericho from an album,Walls of Jericho, by the Germanpower metal bandHelloween.[9] Jericho and Storm worked for Tony Condello in the tours of Northern Manitoba withAdam Copeland (Edge),Jason Reso (Christian) andTerry Gerin (Rhino).[5] The pair also wrestled in Calgary's Canadian National Wrestling Alliance (CNWA) and Canadian Rocky Mountain Wrestling (CRMW).
In October 1991, Jericho and Storm (teaming as "Sudden Impact") wrestled in Japan forFrontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) as part of its "Super Radical Force - To The West!" tour. Their opponents on the tour includedAtsushi Onita,Tarzan Goto,Eiji Ezaki, andGannosuke Honda.[13] During the excursion, Jericho befriendedRicky Fuji, who had trained underStu Hart.[9]
In September 1992, Jericho and Storm were invited by Fuji to return to FMW for theFMW 3rd Anniversary Show. After Storm declined the offer, Jericho selected theEdmonton-based wrestler Eric Freeze as a replacement tag team partner. At the event, which took place inYokohama Stadium, Jericho and Freeze defeated Eiji Ezaki andKoji Nakagawa.[9][13]
In the winter of 1992, Jericho traveled to Mexico and competed under the name Leon D'Oro ("Golden Lion", a name that fans voted on for him between "He-Man", "Chris Power", and his preferred choice "Leon D'Oro"), and later Corazón de León ("Lion Heart"), where he initially wrestled for several small wrestling companies inNuevo León. In March 1993, Jericho appeared with theUniversal Wrestling Association.
In April 1993, Jericho began competing in Mexico's oldest promotion,Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). In CMLL, Jericho took onSilver King,Negro Casas, andÚltimo Dragón en route to an 11-month reign as theNWA World Middleweight Champion that began in December 1993. Jericho made his final appearance with CMLL in September 1995, unsuccessfully challengingCMLL World Heavyweight ChampionApolo Dantés in theArena Coliseo inMexico City.
In February 1994, Jericho began competing regularly in Japan forGenichiro Tenryu'sWrestling and Romance (later known as Wrestle Association "R") (WAR) promotion as "Lion Heart". At the2nd Anniversary of Revolution in July 1994, he teamed withVampiro Casanova andThe Warlord in a loss toAtsushi Onita,Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow, andGenichiro Tenryu. In November 1994,Último Dragón defeated him for theNWA World Middleweight Championship, which he had won while wrestling in Mexico.
In March 1995, Jericho lost toGedo in the final of a tournament to crown the inauguralWAR International Junior Heavyweight Champion. He defeated Gedo for the championship in June 1995, losing it to Último Dragón the next month at theWAR 3rd Anniversary Show. In December 1995, Jericho competed in the secondSuper J-Cup tournament, defeating Hanzo Nakajima in the first round, but losing toWild Pegasus in the second round.[5]
In 1995, Jericho joined theheelstableFuyuki-Gun ("Fuyuki Army") withHiromichi Fuyuki, Gedo, andJado, adopting the name "Lion Do". In February 1996, Jericho and Gedo won a tournament for the newly createdInternational Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, defeating Lance Storm andYuji Yasuraoka in the final. They lost the championship to Storm and Yasuraoka the following month. Jericho made his final appearances with WAR in July 1996, having wrestled a total of 24 tours for the company.[9] In his final match, at theWAR 4th Anniversary Show, he teamed with Gedo,Jushin Thunder Liger, andJuventud Guerrera in a loss to Lance Storm,Rey Misterio Jr., Último Dragón, and Yuji Yasuraoka.[14]
In March 1994, Jericho and Lance Storm began wrestling forJim Cornette'sAppalachia-basedSmoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) promotion as the Thrillseekers, a "pretty boy" babyface tag team. Over the following months, they faced teams such as theBatten Twins, the Masked Infernos, andWell Dunn (who they vied with in a series of "penalty box" matches). In August 1994 at "The Night of the Legends", the Thrillseekers defeated theHeavenly Bodies in astreet fight. Prior to the match, Jericho had suffered abroken arm while practicing ashooting star press in the ring; following the match, he left SMW.[15][16]
Thanks in part to recommendations by Chris Benoit,Dave Meltzer andPerry Saturn, to promoterPaul Heyman, and afterMick Foley saw Jericho's match against Último Dragón for the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Championship in July 1995 and gave a tape of the match to Heyman, Jericho began wrestling for the Philadelphia-basedExtreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) promotion in February 1996. In his second appearance, he defeatedRob Van Dam at theBig Apple Blizzard Blast. Jericho won theECW World Television Championship fromPitbull #2 in June 1996 atHardcore Heaven. AtHeat Wave the following month, Jericho lost the title toShane Douglas in afour-way dance. He made his final appearance atThe Doctor Is In in August 1996, losing to2 Cold Scorpio. It was during this time that he drew the attention ofWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Jericho debuted for WCW on August 20, 1996, by defeatingMr. JL, which aired on the August 31 episode ofSaturday Night. Jericho's televised debut in WCW occurred on the August 26 episode ofMonday Nitro againstAlex Wright in a match which ended in a no contest. He made hispay-per-view debut on September 15 against Chris Benoit in a losing effort atFall Brawl.[17] The following month, atHalloween Havoc, Jericho lost tonWo memberSyxx due to biased officiating by nWo refereeNick Patrick. This led to a match between Jericho and Patrick atWorld War 3, which stipulated that Jericho's one arm would be tied behind his back. Despite the odds stacked against him, Jericho won the match. Later that night, Jericho participated in thenamesake battle royal for a futureWCW World Heavyweight Championship match but failed to win the match.
Jericho represented WCW against nWo Japan memberMasahiro Chono in a losing effort at thenWo Souled Outevent. AtSuperBrawl VII, Jericho unsuccessfully challengedEddie Guerrero for theUnited States Heavyweight Championship.
On June 28, 1997, Jericho defeatedSyxx at aSaturday Nitrolive event inLos Angeles and won theWCW Cruiserweight Championship, his first championship with WCW. He lost the title toAlex Wright a month later onMonday Nitro. He lost a second title match with Wright atRoad Wild before reclaiming the Cruiserweight Championship from Wright in an August 16th match onSaturday Night. Jericho defended the championship againstEddie Guerrero atClash of the Champions XXXV before losing to Guerrero in September atFall Brawl, ending his second cruiserweight title run. He won the title again in January with a victory overRey Mysterio Jr. atSouled Out, after which Jericho turnedheel and assaulted Mysterio's knee with atoolbox.[18] After Jericho repeatedly refusing requests fromJuventud Guerrera for a title match, the two fought atitle versus mask match atSuperBrawl VIII where Guerrera lost and removed his mask.[19] Following this match, Jericho began an gimmick of collecting and wearing to the ringtrophy items from his defeated opponents, such as Guerrera's mask,Prince Iaukea's Hawaiian dress, and a headband fromDisco Inferno.
Jericho then began a long feud withDean Malenko, in which Jericho repeatedly claimed he was a better wrestler than Malenko, but refused to wrestle him. Because of his mastery of technical wrestling, Malenko was known as "The Man of 1,000 Holds", so Jericho claimed to be "The Man of 1,004 Holds"; Jericho mentions in his autobiography that this line originated from an IWA interview he saw as a child, where managerFloyd Creatchman claimed thatLeo Burke, the first professional wrestler to be known as "The Man of 1,000 Holds", was now known as "The Man of 1,002 Holds", to whichFloyd Creatchman stated that "he learned two more".
During the March 30, 1998, episode ofNitro, after defeatingMarty Jannetty, Jericho pulled out a long pile of paper that listed each of the 1,004 holds he knew and recited them to the audience. Many of the holds were fictional, and nearly every other hold was anarmbar. On the March 12, 1998, episode ofThunder, Malenko defeated a wrestler wearing Juventud Guerrera's mask who appeared to be Jericho. However, the masked wrestler was actuallyLenny Lane, whom Jericho bribed to appear in the match. This started a minor feud between Lane and Jericho after Jericho refused to pay Lane. AtUncensored, Jericho finally wrestled Malenko and defeated him, after which Malenko took a leave of absence from wrestling.[20] Jericho then proceeded to bring with him to the ring a portrait of Malenko that he insulted and demeaned. Just prior toSlamboree,J. J. Dillon (referred to by Jericho as "Jo Jo") scheduled a cruiserweightBattle Royal, the winner of which would immediately have a shot at Jericho's Cruiserweight Championship. Jericho accepted on the grounds that whoever he faced would be too tired to win a second match. At Slamboree, Jericho came out to introduce the competitors in an insulting fashion before the match started and then went backstage for coffee. An individual who appeared to beCiclope won the battle royal after Juventud Guerrera shook his hand and then eliminated himself. The winner was a returning Malenko in disguise. Following one of the loudest crowd reactions in WCW history, Malenko proceeded to defeat Jericho for the championship.[21] Jericho claimed he was the victim of a carefully plannedconspiracy to get the belt off of him. He at first blamed the WCW locker room, then added Dillon,Ted Turner, and finally in a vignette, he walked aroundWashington, D.C., with the sign "conspiracy victim" and accused PresidentBill Clinton of being one of the conspirators after being rejected from a meeting. Eventually, Malenko vacated the title. Jericho ended up defeating Malenko atThe Great American Bash to win the vacant title after Malenko was disqualified after hitting Jericho with a chair.[22] The next night, Malenko was suspended for his actions.
AtBash at the Beach, a returning Rey Mysterio Jr., 'recovered' from in-fiction injuries sustained following Jericho's assault, defeated Jericho in ano disqualification match following interference by the still-suspended Malenko,[23] though Jericho won the title back the following night onNitro.[24] Eventually, Jericho decisively lost the title to Guerrera atRoad Wild in a match refereed by Malenko.[25]
On August 10, Jericho defeatedStevie Ray to win theWorld Television Championship (Stevie Ray substituting for the championBooker T).[26] Soon afterward, Jericho repeatedly called outWCW World Heavyweight ChampionGoldberg in an attempt to begin a feud with him, but never actually wrestled him.[5] Jericho citesEric Bischoff, Goldberg andHulk Hogan's refusal to book Jericho in a pay-per-viewsquash match loss against Goldberg, which Jericho felt would be a big draw, as a major reason for leaving the company.
On November 30, Jericho lost the World Television Championship toKonnan.[27] In early 1999, Jericho began a feud withPerry Saturn. The feud saw Jericho and Saturn instigating bizarre stipulation matches, such as atSouled Out, where Jericho defeated Saturn in a "loser must wear a dress" match.[28] AtSuperBrawl IX, Jericho and Saturn wrestled in a "dress" match which Jericho won. Saturn finally defeated Jericho atUncensored in aDog Collar match.[29] Jericho alternated between WCW and a number of Japanese tours before he signed a contract with theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) on June 30.[30] Jericho's final WCW match came during aPeoria,Illinois, house show July 21, where he and Eddie Guerrero lost toBilly Kidman andRey Mysterio Jr. in a tag team match.
Fifteen years after Jericho's departure from WCW, his best known entrance music within the company, "One Crazed Anarchist", lent its name to the second single from his bandFozzy's 2014 album,Do You Wanna Start a War.
In January 1997, Jericho made his debut forNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), who had a working agreement with WCW, as Super Liger, the masked nemesis ofJyushin Thunder Liger. According to Jericho, Super Liger's first match againstKoji Kanemoto atWrestling World 1997 in theTokyo Dome was so poorly received that the gimmick was dropped instantly. Jericho botched several moves in the match and complained he had difficulty seeing through the mask.
Jericho subsequently spent the next several months working for NJPW unmasked as Chris Jericho. He frequently teamed with fellow WCW wrestlerScotty Riggs and with his former opponent Kanemoto, facing wrestlers such as Liger,El Samurai, andNorio Honaga. In May 1997, he competed in theBest of the Super Juniors IV tournament, placing joint second in block B. His stint ended in September 1997 when he was recalled by WCW; his final match, held in theNippon Budokan, saw him team with Kanemoto andDr. Wagner Jr. in a loss to Liger, El Samurai, andWild Pegasus.[31]
On September 23, 1998, Jericho made a one night return to NJPW at that year's Big Wednesday show, teaming withBlack Tiger to unsuccessfully challengeIWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team ChampionsShinjiro Otani andTatsuhito Takaiwa.[32]
.jpg)
In the weeks before Jericho's debut, a clock labeled "countdown to the new millennium" appeared on WWF programming. On the home video,Break Down the Walls, Jericho states he was inspired to do this as his entrance when he saw a similar clock in a post office andVince McMahon approved its use as his introduction to the WWF. The clock finally ran out on the August 9 episode ofRaw Is War inChicago, Illinois whileThe Rock was in the ring cutting a promo on theBig Show. Jericho entered the arena and proclaimed "Raw Is Jericho" and that he had "come to save the World Wrestling Federation", referring to himself as "Y2J" (a play on theY2K bug). The Rock proceeded to verbally mock him for his interruption.[33] Later that month, he would interact with several superstars including in particular interrupting a promo that The Undertaker was involved in, Jericho made his in-ring debut as a heel on August 26, losing a match againstRoad Dogg by disqualification on the inaugural episode ofSmackDown! after he performed apowerbomb on Road Dogg through a table.
Jericho's first long-term feud was withChyna, for theWWF Intercontinental Championship. After losing to Chyna atSurvivor Series on November 14,[34] Jericho defeated her to win his first WWF Intercontinental Championship atArmageddon on December 12.[35] This feud included a controversial decision during a rematch in which two separate referees declared each one of them the winner of a match for the title.[36] As a result, they became co-champions, during which Jericho turned face. He attained sole champion status at theRoyal Rumble on January 23, 2000, by defeating Chyna andHardcore Holly in a Triple Threat match.[37]
Jericho lost the WWF Intercontinental title to then-European ChampionKurt Angle atNo Way Out on February 27.[38] Jericho competed in a Triple Threat match againstChris Benoit and Angle atWrestleMania 2000 on April 2 in a two-falls contest with both of Angle's titles at stake. Jericho won the European Championship by pinning Benoit, after Benoit pinned Jericho to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.[39] This was the first of six pay-per-view matches between the pair within twelve months. Jericho was originally supposed to be in the main event of WrestleMania, but was taken out afterMick Foley, who was originally asked by writers to be in the match, took his place. Jericho was even advertised on the event's posters promoting the match. Jericho lost the title the next night toEddie Guerrero onRaw is War after Chyna sided with Guerrero.
On the April 17 episode ofRaw is War, Jericho upsetTriple H in aWWF Championship match. RefereeEarl Hebner made a fast count when Jericho pinned Triple H, causing Jericho to win the title.[40] Hebner later reversed the decision due to pressure from Triple H, and WWE does not recognize Jericho's reign as champion. On April 19, Jericho defeated Eddie Guerrero at theGary Albright Memorial Show organized byWorld Xtreme Wrestling (WXW).[41] On the May 4 episode ofSmackDown!, Jericho defeated Benoit to win his third WWF Intercontinental Championship[42] but lost the title to Benoit four days later onRaw is War.[43] Jericho's feud with Triple H ended atFully Loaded on July 23, when they competed in aLast Man Standing match. Jericho lost the match to Triple H only by one second, despite the repeated assistance Triple H's wife,Stephanie, provided him in the match.[44]
At theRoyal Rumble on January 21, 2001, Jericho defeated Chris Benoit in aladder match to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship for the fourth time.[45] AtWrestleMania X-Seven on April 1, he successfully defended his title in a match againstWilliam Regal,[46] only to lose it four days later to Triple H. AtJudgment Day on May 20, Jericho and Benoit won a tag team turmoil match[47] and earned a shot atStone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H for theirWWF Tag Team Championship onRaw the next night. Benoit and Jericho won the match, in which Triple H legitimately tore his quadriceps, spending the rest of the year injured. Benoit and Jericho each became a WWF Tag Team Champion for the first time.[1] The team defended their title in the firstfatal four-wayTables, Ladders and Chairs match on the May 24 episode ofSmackDown!, where Benoit sustained a year-long injury after missing adiving headbutt through a table. Despite Benoit being carried out on a stretcher, he returned to the match to climb the ladder and retain the championship. The two lost the title one month later toThe Dudley Boyz on the June 21 episode ofSmackDown!.[48] AtKing of the Ring on June 24, both Benoit and Jericho competed in a triple threat match for Austin's WWF Championship, in which Booker T interfered as the catalyst forThe Invasion angle. Despite Booker T's interference, Austin retained the title.
In the following months, Jericho became a major force inThe Invasion storyline in which WCW and ECW joined forces to overtake the WWF. Jericho remained on the side of the WWF despite previously competing in WCW and ECW. However, Jericho began showing jealousy toward fellow WWF member The Rock. They faced each other in a match atNo Mercy on October 21 for theWCW Championship after Jericho defeatedRob Van Dam in a number one contenders match on the October 11 episode ofSmackDown!. Jericho won the WCW Championship at No Mercy when he pinned The Rock after debuting a new finisher, theBreakdown,[49] onto a steel chair, winning his first world title in the process. One night later, the two put their differences aside and won the WWF Tag Team Championship from the Dudley Boyz.[48]
After they lost the titles toTest andBooker T on the November 1 episode ofSmackDown!,[48] they continued their feud. On the November 5 episode ofRaw, The Rock defeated Jericho to regain the WCW Championship. Following the match, Jericho attacked The Rock with asteel chair. AtSurvivor Series on November 18, Jericho turned heel by almost costing Team WWF the victory after he was eliminated in their Winner Take All matchup by once again attacking The Rock. Despite this, Team WWF won the match.[50] AtVengeance on December 9, Jericho defeated both The Rock for the World Championship (formerly the WCW Championship) and Stone Cold Steve Austin for his first WWF Championship on the same night to become the first wrestler to hold both championships at the same time, which made him the first-everUndisputedWWF Champion, as well as the fourthGrand Slam winner under theoriginal format.[1] He retained the title at theRoyal Rumble on January 20, 2002, against The Rock[51] and atNo Way Out on February 17 against Austin.[52] Jericho later lost the title to Royal Rumble winner Triple H in the main event ofWrestleMania X8 on March 17.[53] Jericho was later drafted to theSmackDown! brand in the inauguralWWF draft lottery.[54] He would then appear atBacklash on April 21, interfering in Triple H's Undisputed WWF Championship match againstHollywood Hulk Hogan. He was quickly dumped out the ring, but Triple H would go on to lose the match.[55] This would lead to aHell in a Cell match atJudgment Day on May 19, where Triple H would emerge victorious.[56] Jericho would then compete in the2002 King of the Ring tournament, defeatingEdge andThe Big Valbowski to advance to the semi-finals, where he was defeated by Rob Van Dam at King of the Ring on June 23.[57] In July, he began a feud with the debutingJohn Cena, losing to him atVengeance on July 21.[58]
After his feud with Cena ended, Jericho moved to theRaw brand on the July 29 episode ofRaw, unwilling to work for SmackDown! General Manager Stephanie McMahon.[59] Upon his arrival to the brand, he initiated a feud withRic Flair, leading to a match atSummerSlam on August 25, which Jericho lost.[60] On the September 16 episode ofRaw, he won the WWE Intercontinental Championship for the fifth time fromRob Van Dam,[61] before losing the title to Kane two weeks later onRaw.[62] He then later formed a tag team withChristian, with whom he won the World Tag Team Championship by defeating Kane andThe Hurricane on the October 14 episode ofRaw.[63] Christian and Jericho lost the titles to Booker T and Goldust in a fatal four-way elimination match, involving the teams of The Dudley Boyz, and William Regal and Lance Storm atArmageddon on December 15.[64]
On the January 13, 2003 episode ofRaw, Jericho won an over-the-top-rope challenge against Kane, Rob Van Dam, andBatista to select his entry number for theRoyal Rumble match on January 19. He chose number two in order to start the match withShawn Michaels, who had challenged him to prove Jericho's claims that he was better than Michaels.[65] After Michaels's entrance, Jericho entered as the second participant. Christian, in Jericho's attire, appeared while the real Jericho attacked Shawn from behind. He eliminated Michaels shortly afterward, but Michaels got his revenge later in the match by causing Test to eliminate Jericho. Jericho spent the most time of any other wrestler in that same Royal Rumble. Jericho simultaneously feuded with Test, Michaels, andJeff Hardy, defeating Hardy atNo Way Out on February 23.[66] Jericho and Michaels fought again atWrestleMania XIX on March 30, which Michaels won. Jericho, however, attacked Michaels with alow blow after the match following an embrace.[67]
After this match, Jericho entered a rivalry with Goldberg, which was fueled by Goldberg's refusal to fight Jericho in WCW. During Jericho's first episode of theHighlight Reel, an interview segment, where Goldberg was the guest, he complained that no one wanted Goldberg in WWE and continued to insult him in the following weeks. On the May 12 episode ofRaw, a mystery assailant attempted to run over Goldberg with alimousine.[68] A week later, Co-Raw General Manager,Stone Cold Steve Austin, interrogated several Raw superstars to find out who was driving the car. One of the interrogates wasLance Storm, who admitted that he was the assailant. Austin forced Storm into a match with Goldberg, who defeated Storm. After the match, Goldberg forced Storm to admit that Jericho was the superstar who conspired Storm into running him over.[69] On the May 26 episode ofRaw, Goldberg was once again a guest on theHighlight Reel. Jericho expressed jealousy towards Goldberg's success in WCW and felt that since joining WWE, he had achieved everything he had ever wanted in his career and all that was left was to defeat Goldberg and challenged him to a match.[70] AtBad Blood on June 15, Goldberg settled the score with Jericho and defeated him.[71]
On the October 27 episode ofRaw, Jericho won his sixth WWE Intercontinental Championship when he defeatedRob Van Dam. He lost the title back to Van Dam immediately after in a steel cage match.[72] Later in 2003, Jericho started a romance withTrish Stratus while his tag team partner Christian began one withLita. This, however, turned out to be a bet over who could sleep with their respective paramour first, with aCanadian dollar at stake. Stratus overheard this and ended her relationship with Jericho, who seemingly felt bad for using Stratus. After he saved her from an attack byKane, Stratus agreed that the two of them could just be "friends", thus turning Jericho face for the first time since 2001. After Christian put Stratus in theWalls of Jericho while competing against her in a match, Jericho sought revenge on Christian, which led to a match atWrestleMania XX on March 14, 2004. Christian defeated Jericho after Stratus ran down and "inadvertently" struck Jericho (thinking it was Christian) and Christian got the roll-up.[73] After the match, Stratus turned on Jericho and revealed that she and Christian were a couple. This revelation led to a handicap match atBacklash on April 18 that Jericho won.[74] Jericho won his record-breaking seventh WWE Intercontinental Championship atUnforgiven on September 12 in a ladder match against Christian, breaking the previous record held byJeff Jarrett from 1999.[75] Jericho's seventh reign was short lived, as he lost it atTaboo Tuesday on October 19 toShelton Benjamin.[76]
Jericho teamed up withRandy Orton, Chris Benoit, andMaven to take on Triple H, Batista, Edge, andGene Snitsky atSurvivor Series on November 14. The match stipulated that each member of the winning team would be the general manager of Raw over the next four weeks. Jericho's team won, and took turns as general manager.[77] During Jericho's turn as general manager, the World Heavyweight Championship was vacated because aTriple Threat match for the title between Triple H, Benoit and Edge a week earlier ended in a draw.[78] AtNew Year's Revolution on January 9, 2005, Jericho competed in theElimination Chamber against Triple H, Chris Benoit, Batista, Randy Orton, and Edge for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Jericho began the match with Benoit and eliminated Edge, but was eliminated by Batista. Triple H went on to win.[79] AtWrestleMania 21 on April 3, Jericho participated in the first everMoney in the Bank ladder match. Jericho suggested the match concept, and he competed in the match against Shelton Benjamin, Chris Benoit, Kane, Christian, and Edge. Jericho lost the match when Edge claimed the briefcase.[80]
AtBacklash on May 1, Jericho challenged Shelton Benjamin for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, but lost the match.[81] Jericho lost to Lance Storm atECW One Night Stand on June 12. Jericho used his old "Lionheart" gimmick, instead of his more well known "Y2J" gimmick. Jericho lost the match after Jason andJustin Credible hit Jericho with aSingapore cane, which allowed Storm to win the match.[82] The next night onRaw, Jericho turned heel by betraying WWE ChampionJohn Cena after defeating Christian and Tyson Tomko in a tag team match.[83] Jericho lost a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship atVengeance on June 26 which also involved Christian and Cena.[84] The feud continued throughout the summer and Jericho lost to Cena in a WWE Championship match atSummerSlam on August 21.[85]
The next night on the August 22 episode ofRaw, Jericho faced Cena for the WWE Championship again in a rematch, this time in a "You're fired" match.[1] Cena won again, and Jericho was fired by Raw General ManagerEric Bischoff. Jericho was carried out of the arena by security as Kurt Angle attacked Cena.[86] Jericho's WWE contract expired on August 25.
After a two-year hiatus, WWE promoted Jericho's return starting on the September 24, 2007, episode ofRaw with aviral marketing campaign using a series of 15-secondcrypticbinary code videos, similar to thematrix digital rain used inThe Matrix series. The videos contained hidden messages and biblical links related to Jericho.[87][88] Jericho made his return to WWE television as aface on the November 19, 2007, episode ofRaw when he interruptedRandy Orton during Orton's orchestrated "passing of the torch" ceremony. Jericho stated his intentions to reclaim the WWE Championship in order to "save" WWE fans from Orton.[88] On the November 26 episode ofRaw, Jericho defeatedSantino Marella and debuted a new finishing move called theCodebreaker.[89] AtArmageddon on December 16, he competed in a WWE Championship match against Orton, defeating him bydisqualification whenSmackDown!'s color commentatorJohn "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) interfered in the match, but Orton retained the title.[90] He began a feud with JBL and met him at theRoyal Rumble on January 27, 2008. Jericho was disqualified after hitting JBL with a steel chair.[91] On the March 10 episode ofRaw, Jericho captured the WWE Intercontinental Championship for a record eighth time when he defeatedJeff Hardy.[92]
In April, Jericho became involved in the ongoing feud betweenShawn Michaels andBatista when he suggested that Michaels enjoyed retiring Ric Flair, causing Michaels to attack him. Jericho thus asked to be inserted into the match between Batista and Michaels atBacklash on April 27, but instead, he was appointed as the special guest referee.[93] During the match at Backlash, Michaels feigned a knee injury so that Jericho would give him time to recover and lured Batista in for Sweet Chin Music for the win.[94] After Backlash, Jericho accused Michaels of cheating, but Michaels continued to play up an injury.[95] When Jericho was finally convinced and he apologized to Michaels for not believing him, Michaels then admitted to Jericho that he had faked his injury and he attacked Jericho with Sweet Chin Music.[96] After losing to Michaels atJudgment Day on May 18, Jericho initiated a handshake after the match.[97]
On the June 9 episode ofRaw, Jericho hosted his talk show segment,The Highlight Reel, interviewing Michaels. Jericho pointed out that Michaels was still cheered by the fans despite Michaels's deceit and attack on Jericho during the previous months, whereas Jericho was booed when he tried to do the right thing. Jericho then assaulted Michaels with a low blow and sent Michaels through the "Jeritron 6000" television, damaging the eye of Michaels, and turningheel in the process.[98] This began what was named by bothPro Wrestling Illustrated and theWrestling Observer Newsletter the "Feud of the Year".[99] AtNight of Champions on June 29, Jericho lost the Intercontinental Championship toKofi Kingston after a distraction by Michaels.[100][101] In June, Jericho took onLance Cade as a protégé.[102]
Afterward, Jericho developed a suit-wearing persona inspired byJavier Bardem's characterAnton Chigurh from the 2007 filmNo Country for Old Men[103][104][105] and wrestlerNick Bockwinkel.[106] Jericho and Michaels met atThe Great American Bash on July 20, which Jericho won after attacking the cut on Michaels's eye.[107] AtSummerSlam on August 17, Michaels said that his eye damage would force him to retire and insulted Jericho by saying he would never achieve Michaels's success. Jericho tried to attack Michaels, but Michaels ducked, so Jericho punched Michaels's wife, Rebecca, instead.[108] As a result, they fought in anunsanctioned match atUnforgiven on September 7, which Jericho lost by referee stoppage. Later that night, Jericho entered theChampionship Scramble match as a late replacement for the defending championCM Punk and subsequently won theWorld Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), Kane, andRey Mysterio.[109] It was announced that Michaels would challenge Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship in a ladder match atNo Mercy on October 5,[110] which Jericho won.[111] AtCyber Sunday on October 26, Jericho lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Batista,[112] but later won it back eight days later on November 3 on the 800th episode ofRaw in a steel cage match.[113] Jericho defeated Michaels in a Last Man Standing match on the November 10 episode ofRaw after interference from JBL.[114] Jericho lost the World Heavyweight Championship atSurvivor Series on November 23 to the returning John Cena.[115] On the December 8 episode ofRaw, Jericho was awarded theSlammy Award for2008 Superstar of the Year award.[116] Six days later, he lost his rematch with John Cena for the World Heavyweight Championship atArmageddon on December 14.[117]
At theRoyal Rumble on January 25, 2009, Jericho participated in the Royal Rumble match, but he was eliminated by the Undertaker.[118] On February 15 atNo Way Out, he competed in an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but he failed to win as he was eliminated byRey Mysterio.[119] Following this, Jericho began a rivalry with veteran wrestlersRic Flair,Ricky Steamboat,Jimmy Snuka andRoddy Piper,[120][121] as well as actorMickey Rourke.[122] Jericho was originally arranged to face Rourke atWrestleMania 25 on April 5,[123] but Rourke later pulled out of the event.[124] Instead, Jericho defeated Piper, Snuka and Steamboat in a 3-on-1 elimination handicap match at WrestleMania, but was knocked out by Rourke after the match.[125]
On the April 13 episode ofRaw, Jericho was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the2009 WWE draft.[126] Jericho then faced Steamboat in a singles match atBacklash on April 26, where Jericho was victorious.[127] In May, Jericho started a feud with Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio,[128] leading to a match atJudgment Day on May 17, which Jericho lost.[129] However, Jericho defeated Mysterio in a No Holds Barred Match atExtreme Rules on June 7 to win his ninth Intercontinental Championship, breaking his own record again.[130] AtThe Bash on June 28, Jericho lost the Intercontinental Championship back to Mysterio in amask vs. title match.[131]
Later in the event, Jericho and his partnerEdge won theUnified WWE Tag Team Championship as surprise entrants in a triple threat tag team match. As a result of this win, Jericho became the first wrestler to win every (original) Grand Slam eligible championship.[132] Shortly thereafter Edge suffered an injury and Jericho revealed a clause in his contract to allow Edge to be replaced and Jericho's reign to continue uninterrupted.[133] AtNight of Champions on July 26, Jericho introduced Big Show as his new tag team partner, creating a team that would come to calledJeri-Show. The duo defeatedCody Rhodes andTed DiBiase to retain the championship.[134] Jeri-Show successfully defended the title againstCryme Tyme atSummerSlam on August 23,MVP andMark Henry atBreaking Point on September 13 andRey Mysterio andBatista atHell in a Cell on October 4.[135][136][137] AtSurvivor Series on November 22, both Jericho and Big Show took part in a triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but the Undertaker successfully retained the title.[138] AtTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13, Jeri-Show lost the tag titles toD-Generation X (DX) (Shawn Michaels and Triple H) in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match.[139] As a member of the SmackDown brand, Jericho could only appear onRaw as a champion and DX intentionally disqualified themselves in a rematch to force Jericho off the show.[140] On the January 4, 2010, episode ofRaw, DX defeated Jeri-Show to retain the championship once again, marking the end of Jeri-Show.[141]
Jericho entered the2010 Royal Rumble match on January 31, but was eliminated by the returning Edge, his former tag team partner, who went on to win the match.[142] AtElimination Chamber on February 21, Jericho won the World Heavyweight Championship in an Elimination Chamber match, defeating The Undertaker,John Morrison, Rey Mysterio, CM Punk andR-Truth following interference from Shawn Michaels.[143] The next night onRaw, Edge used his Royal Rumble win to challenge Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship atWrestleMania XXVI on March 28.[144] Jericho defeated Edge at WrestleMania to retain the title,[145] but lost the championship toJack Swagger on the following episode ofSmackDown, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract.[146] Jericho then failed to regain the title from Swagger in a triple-threat match also involving Edge on the April 16 episode ofSmackDown.[147] Jericho and Edge continued their feud leading intoExtreme Rules on April 25, where Jericho was defeated in a steel cage match.[148]
Jericho was drafted to the Raw brand in the2010 WWE draft.[149] He formed a brief tag team withThe Miz and unsuccessfully challengedThe Hart Dynasty for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship atOver the Limit on May 23.[150] A month later, Jericho lost toEvan Bourne atFatal 4-Way on June 20,[151] but won a rematch during the following night onRaw, where he put his career on the line.[152] On the July 19 episode ofRaw, after being assaulted byThe Nexus, Jericho teamed with rivals Edge, John Morrison, R-Truth,Daniel Bryan andBret Hart in a team led by John Cena to face The Nexus atSummerSlam on August 15.[153] Jericho and Cena bickered over leadership of the team,[154][155] which led to him and Edge attacking Cena during the SummerSlam match that they won.
Jericho was punished for not showing solidarity against The Nexus, when he was removed from a Six-Pack Challenge forSheamus's WWE Championship atNight of Champions on September 19.[156][157][158] Although he re-earned his place in the match after defeating The Hart Dynasty in a handicap steel cage match,[159] he was the first man eliminated from the match at Night of Champions.[160] On the September 27 episode ofRaw, Jericho facedRandy Orton who punted him in the head. This was used to explain Jericho's departure from WWE.[161]
Beginning in November 2011, WWE aired cryptic vignettes that promoted a wrestler's return, making his appearance on January 2, 2012, episode ofRaw SuperShow.[162] He participated in the Royal Rumble match at theRoyal Rumble on January 29, he was eliminated last by Sheamus.[163] Leading toWrestleMania XXVIII on April 1, Jericho feuded with WWE Champion CM Punk over the moniker "the Best in the World".[164] In a bid to psychologically unsettle Punk, Jericho revealed that Punk's father was an alcoholic and Punk's sister was a drug addict, which contradicted Punk'sstraight edge philosophy.[165] Jericho faced Punk for the title at WrestleMania andExtreme Rules on April 29 in a Chicago Street Fight, but Punk won both matches.[166][167]
On May 24 at a WWE live event inBrazil, Jericho wrestled a match against CM Punk, during which Jericho kicked aBrazilian flag, causing local police to intervene and threaten Jericho with arrest. Jericho issued an apology to the audience, enabling the event to resume. The following day, WWE suspended Jericho for 30 days while apologizing to the people and government of Brazil.[168][169] Jericho returned on the June 25 episode ofRaw SuperShow, and his absence was explained by a European tour with his band Fozzy which happened to coincide with his suspension.[170] After losing the WWE ChampionshipMoney in the Bank ladder match on July 15,[171] Jericho feuded with the newly crowned Mr. Money in the Bank, Dolph Ziggler, turning face for the first time since 2008.[172] Despite Jericho defeating Ziggler atSummerSlam on August 19,[173] he lost to Ziggler the following night onRaw, and, as a result, Ziggler retained his Money in the Bank contract and Jericho was terminated from WWE.[174] This was used to write him off so he could tour with Fozzy for the remainder of the year.[175]
On January 27, 2013, Jericho returned after a five-month hiatus entering theRoyal Rumble match as the second entrant. Jericho lasted over 47 minutes before being eliminated by Dolph Ziggler.[176] On the March 18 episode ofRaw, The Miz and Jericho faced Wade Barrett for the Intercontinental Championship, but Barrett retained his title.[177] Jericho asked Vince McMahon to face Barrett and win his 10th Intercontinental title atWrestleMania 29 on April 7, but he was booked in a feud withFandango,[178] losing to Fandango at WrestleMania,[179] but Jericho won a rematch atExtreme Rules on May 19.[180][181] He then faced the returning CM Punk atPayback on June 16, where he was defeated.[182] Jericho then began feuding with Ryback,[183] which led to a singles match on July 14 atMoney in the Bank, where Ryback emerged victorious.[184] On the July 19 episode ofSmackDown, Jericho unsuccessfully challengedCurtis Axel for the WWE Intercontinental Championship and was afterwards attacked by Ryback.[185] This was done to write Jericho off television as he was taking a temporary hiatus to tour with Fozzy for the remainder of the year and possibly January and February.[186]
In a November interview for WWE.com, Jericho said that he would not be a full-time wrestler due to his musical and acting ventures.[187]
After an eleven-month hiatus, Jericho returned on the June 30, 2014, episode ofRaw and attackedThe Miz, who had also returned minutes earlier, before being attacked in turn byThe Wyatt Family.[188] Across the following month Jericho fought three matches againstBray Wyatt, winning the first atBattleground before losing a second match atSummerSlam and a third onRaw three weeks later.[189][190][191] Jericho then feuded with Randy Orton, who defeated him atNight of Champions on September 21.[192] After exclusively wrestling at live events through October and November, Jericho returned toRaw on December 15, where he was attacked byBrock Lesnar during his match withPaul Heyman.
.jpg)
In January 2015, Jericho said that he signed an exclusive WWE contract, under which he would compete at 16 house shows only. He later signed a similar contract once the former expired and competed at house shows throughout the rest of 2015.[193] In May 2015, Jericho was one of the hosts ofTough Enough's sixth season.[194] Jericho also hosted twoLive! With Chris Jericho specials on theWWE Network during 2015. Jericho returned to television againThe Beast in the East in July, defeatingNeville.[195] In September, Jericho lost to the Wyatt Family alongsideRoman Reigns andDean Ambrose,[196] and lost a title match against Intercontinental ChampionKevin Owens atLive from Madison Square Garden.[197]
Jericho participated in the 2016Royal Rumble as sixth entrant, eliminated byDean Ambrose,[198] and lost a match toAJ Styles onRaw the following night. Jericho and Styles fought two more matches, with Jericho winning the second and Styles the third, before the two formed the tag teamY2AJ on February 22.[199] The team soon separate, as Jericho attacked Styles on March 7 after the team lost a match. Jericho declaraed that he was sick of the fans chanting for Styles instead of him and turnedheel.[200] Jericho would then lose to Styles in a matchWrestleMania 32,[201] and be pinned by him in a four-way match onRaw the following night.[202]
The following week onRaw,Dean Ambrose interruptedThe Highlight Reel, handing Jericho a note fromShane McMahon replacing the show withThe Ambrose Asylum, igniting a feud between the two.[203] During this time, Jericho tweaked his gimmick. He became arrogant and childish while wearing expensive scarfs and calling everyone who appeased him "stupid idiots". AtPayback on May 1, Jericho faced Ambrose in a losing effort.[204] After attacking one another and Ambrose destroying Jericho's light-up ring jacket,[205] Jericho was challenged by Ambrose to anAsylum match atExtreme Rules on May 22, where Ambrose again defeated Jericho after Jericho was thrown in a pile of thumbtacks.[206] On the May 23 episode ofRaw, Jericho defeatedApollo Crews to qualify for theMoney in the Bank ladder match at theMoney in the Bank pay-per-view on June 19,[207] where Jericho was unsuccessful as the match was won by Ambrose.[208] On July 19 at the2016 WWE draft, Jericho was drafted to the Raw brand.[209] AtBattleground on July 24, Jericho hosted aHighlight Reel segment with the returningRandy Orton, where he took anRKO from Orton after he insulted him.[210] The next night onRaw, Jericho competed in a fatal four-way match to determine the number one contender for the newly createdWWE Universal Championship atSummerSlam on August 21, but he was unsuccessful, asRoman Reigns won the match.[211]
At SummerSlam, Jericho and Kevin Owens defeatedEnzo and Cass.[212] Both wrestlers began an alliance, allowing Owens to win theWWE Universal Championship.[213]
Jericho also started a new character, where he began a list called "The List of Jericho", where he wrote down the name of the person that bothered him and why. If someone annoyed Jericho, he would ask "you know what happens?" before shouting "you just made the list!" and writing the person's name down.[214] The List of Jericho soon became incredibly popular with the fans, with many critics describing Jericho and his list as "easily one of the best moments ofRaw's broadcast".[215] During Owens' reign, Jericho assisted him to retain the title.[216][217][218] Jericho also defeatedRoman Reigns in a handicap match also involving Owens on the January 9 episode ofRaw to win the WWE United States title,[219] becomingGrand Slam winner under thecurrent format.[220] Due to interfering multiple times in Owens's matches, Jericho was suspended above the ring in ashark proof cage during Reigns's rematch at theRoyal Rumble pay-per-view event.[221] Owens nonetheless retained the championship after Braun Strowman, taking advantage of the addedno disqualification stipulation, interfered.[222] Also at the event, Jericho entered as the second entrant in the Royal Rumble match,[223] lasting over an hour (thus breaking the record with a cumulative time of over five hours)[224] and being the third to last before being eliminated by Reigns.[225]
In February, a feud started between Jericho and Owens after Jericho accepted a Universal Championship challenge from Goldberg on Owens's behalf.[226] On the February 13 episode ofRaw, Jericho held a "Festival of Friendship" for Owens, who attacked Jericho, ending their alliance.[227][228] Jericho returned atFastlane on March 5, distracting Owens during his match with Goldberg and causing Owens to lose the Universal Championship, turning face again in the process.[229][230] This led to a match between Jericho and Owens atWrestleMania 33, where Jericho lost the title.[231][232] AtPayback on April 30, Jericho defeated Owens to regain the title and moved to the SmackDown brand,[233] but lost it back to him two nights later onSmackDown Live. Following the match, Owens attacked Jericho, who was carried out on a stretcher.[234] Thus, Jericho was written off television so he could fulfill his commitments to tour with and promote his new album with Fozzy. Jericho made a surprise return at a house show inSingapore on June 28, where he lost toHideo Itami.[235]
On the July 25 episode ofSmackDown Live, Jericho participated in a triple threat match against Owens and Styles for the title in which Jericho was pinned by Styles.[236] On January 22, 2018, during the25th Anniversary ofRaw, Jericho appeared backstage in a segment withElias, putting him on The List of Jericho.[237] At theGreatest Royal Rumble on April 27, Jericho was the final entrant in the 50-manRoyal Rumble match, eliminatingShelton Benjamin before being eliminated by the eventual winnerBraun Strowman. This event marked Jericho's final in-ring appearance with WWE to date.[238] In September 2019, during an interview for the Mature Audiences Mayhem Podcast, Jericho explained that an incident occurred that made him finalize a decision to leave WWE. Even though Jericho was with the WWE for 15 years, atWrestleMania 33 in 2017,[239] the match between Jericho and Kevin Owens (an established feud) was marked as second place on the WrestleMania match card for theUnited States Championship. The decision, made by Vince McMahon, prompted Jericho to seek work elsewhere.[239]
On the June 27, 2022 episode ofRaw, Jericho made an appearance via video message to congratulate John Cena on his career.[240]
On November 5, 2017, Jericho returned to NJPW in a pre-taped vignette, challengingKenny Omega to a match atWrestle Kingdom 12 in Tokyo Dome for Omega'sIWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.[241][242] The match, dubbed "Alpha vs. Omega", was Jericho's first match outside ofWWE since he left WCW in July 1999.[243] JournalistDave Meltzer wrote that Jericho's WWE contract had expired and that he was a "free agent".[244] NJPW also referred to Jericho as a free agent.[245] In contrast, theTokyo Sports newspaper described an anonymous NJPW official saying that Jericho is still under contract with WWE, and that WWE chairman Vince McMahon had given him permission to wrestle this match in NJPW.[246] Jericho was defeated by Omega in the Wrestle Kingdom match, which was the first of Jericho's career to receive afive-star rating from Dave Meltzer of theWrestling Observer Newsletter.[247]
Jericho's next feud was againstTetsuya Naito, defeating him atDominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall to win theIWGP Intercontinental Championship.[248] After retaining the title against Evil atPower Struggle,[249] he lost it against Naito atWrestle Kingdom 13.[250]
Jericho's last matches with NJPW were atDominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall, being defeated byKazuchika Okada for theIWGP Heavyweight Championship,[251] and atWrestle Kingdom 14, where he defeatedHiroshi Tanahashi.[252]
On September 1, 2018, Jericho (disguised asPenta El Zero) appeared at theAll In show promoted by Cody and The Young Bucks, where he attackedKenny Omega following Omega's victory over Penta to promote his upcoming Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea cruise.[253]
In October 2018, Jericho organized Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea, a series of professional wrestling matches originating from Jericho's cruise ship, which embarked fromMiami, Florida and featured wrestlers fromRing of Honor.[254]
On May 3, 2019, Jericho appeared at a Southern Honor Wrestling event, where he was attacked by Kenny Omega.[255]
On January 8, 2023, Jericho made his debut forPro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), as part ofPWG Battle of Los Angeles 2023 night 2, where he teamed with theJericho Appreciation Society (Daniel Garcia,Angelo Parker,Matt Menard andSammy Guevara) to defeat the team ofJonathan Gresham, Kevin Blackwood, Michael Oku,Player Uno, andSB Kento in aten-man tag team match.[256] On August 26, 2023, Jericho made his surprise debut forRevolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) atRevPro 11th Anniversary Show by attackingWill Ospreay ahead of their match atAll In.[257] On December 3, 2023, Jericho made a surprise appearance at Vietnam Pro Wrestling (VPW).[258]
On December 14, 2024, Jericho made his debut forGame Changer Wrestling (GCW) at Highest in the Room 3, where he attackedEffy andMatt Cardona.[259]
On January 8, 2019, Jericho made a surprise appearance at a media event organized by the upstartAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) promotion. Shortly afterwards, Jericho was filmed signing a full-time performers three-year contract with AEW.[260] Jericho defeatedKenny Omega at the promotion's inaugural eventDouble or Nothing on May 25,[261] and went on to defeatAdam Page atAll Out on August 31 to become the inauguralAEW World Champion.[262] On the premiere episode ofDynamite on October 2, Jericho allied himself withSammy Guevara,Jake Hager,Santana and Ortiz,[263] creating a stable that would be known asThe Inner Circle.[264] Jericho would make successful title defences againstDarby Allin on the October 16 episode ofDynamite,[265]Cody atFull Gear on November 9,[266] andScorpio Sky on theThanksgiving Evespecial episode on November 27.[267] In December, Jericho started a feud withJon Moxley where he tried to convince Moxley to join the group.[268][269] AtRevolution on February 29, 2020, Jericho lost the title to Moxley.[270]
After losing the championship, Jericho and The Inner Circle began a feud withThe Elite (Adam Page, Cody, Kenny Omega andThe Young Bucks).[271] AtDouble or Nothing on May 23, The Inner Circle were defeated by Page, Omega, The Young Bucks andMatt Hardy in aStadium Stampede match.[272] Jericho next began a rivalry withOrange Cassidy,[273] with Jericho defeating him on theFyter Fest episode ofDynamite on July 8,[274] but losing a rematch on the August 12 episode ofDynamite.[275] The two faced once again atAll Out on September 5, in aMimosa Mayhem match, which Jericho lost.[276]
Beginning in October, Jericho began a feud withMJF, who requested to join the Inner Circle, despite disapproval from Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz.[277][278][279] Jericho and MJF wrestled in a match at theFull Gear event on November 7, which MJF won, thus allowing him to join the Inner Circle.[280] On theBeach Break episode ofDynamite on February 3, 2021, Jericho and MJF won a tag team battle royal to become the number one contenders for the AEW World Tag Team Championship at theRevolution event on March 7 against The Young Bucks, which they were unsuccessful in winning.[281][282]
On the March 10 episode ofDynamite, MJF betrayed and left The Inner Circle after revealing he had been secretly plotting against them and building his own stable,The Pinnacle—consisting ofWardlow,Shawn Spears andFTR (Cash Wheeler andDax Harwood) turning the Inner Circleface.[283] On theBlood and Guts episode ofDynamite on May 5, The Inner Circle lost to The Pinnacle in the inauguralBlood and Guts match.[284] However, in the main event ofDouble or Nothing on May 30, The Inner Circle defeated The Pinnacle in a Stadium Stampede match, after Sammy Guevara pinned Shawn Spears.[285] Jericho then began pursuing another match with MJF, who stated that he would first have to defeat a gauntlet of opponents selected by MJF, in a series dubbed the "Labors of Jericho".[286] Jericho would defeat each of MJF's handpicked opponents (Shawn Spears,Nick Gage,Juventud Guerrera andWardlow) and faced MJF in the final labor on the August 18 episode ofDynamite, but he was defeated.[287] Jericho demanded one more match, stipulating that if he lost, he would retire from in-ring competition, which MJF accepted.[288] AtAll Out on September 5, Jericho defeated MJF to maintain his career and end their feud.[289]
Following All Out, The Inner Circle started a rivalry withMen of the Year (Ethan Page andScorpio Sky), and their ally,mixed martial arts (MMA) coach Dan Lambert.[290] Lambert also brought in members of his MMA teamAmerican Top Team (ATT) to oppose The Inner Circle, including formerUFC Heavyweight ChampionsAndrei Arlovski andJunior dos Santos.[290] At theFull Gear event on November 13, The Inner Circle defeated Men of the Year and ATT in aMinneapolis Street Fight.[291]
_(52291670982).jpg)
AtRevolution on March 6, 2022, Jericho was defeated byEddie Kingston. After the match, Jericho refused to shake Kingston's hand. On the March 9 episode ofDynamite, Jericho turned heel by attacking Kingston and the team of Santana and Ortiz with a help of2.0 andDaniel Garcia, ending the Inner Circle. AtDouble or Nothing on May 29, TheJericho Appreciation Society defeated theBlackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley andBryan Danielson), Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz in an Anarchy in the Arena match. AtBlood & Guts on June 29, The Jericho Appreciation Society were defeated by Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley,Wheeler Yuta andClaudio Castagnoli), Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz in aBlood and Guts match. AtFyter Fest on July 20, Jericho defeated Kingston in aBarbed Wire Deathmatch to end their feud. The Jericho Appreciation Society and Blackpool Combat Club feud continued through 2022 and saw the return of Jericho's Lionheart persona in matches with Moxley and Danielson. AtDynamite: Grand Slam on September 21, Jericho defeated Claudio Castagnoli to win theROH World Championship for the first time in his career.[292] On October 18, it was announced that Jericho had signed a contract extension with AEW through December 2025. With this extension, Jericho received new roles as acoach and creative consultant, in addition to performing for AEW as an in-ring wrestler.[293] During his reign as ROH World Champion, Jericho referred to himself as "The Ocho" (as it marked his eighth overall world championship) and successfully defended the title against many former ROH champions, such asDalton Castle, whom he defeated atTitle Tuesday,Colt Cabana,Tomohiro Ishii, whom he defeated on theThanksgiving Eve episode ofDynamite on November 23, andBandido.[294][295] AtFinal Battle on December 10, Jericho lost the ROH World Championship back to Castagnoli, ending his reign at 80 days.[296]
Going into 2023, Jericho began a feud withRicky Starks. The feud cultimated atRevolution on March 5, where Jericho was defeated by Starks.[297] After losing to Starks, Jericho began a feud withAdam Cole, which cultimated atDouble or Nothing on May 28, where Jericho was defeated by Cole in anunsanctioned match.[298] On the August 9 episode ofDynamite, all members except Sammy Guevera, of the Jericho Appreciation Society walked out on Jericho due to his association withDon Callis, effectively disbanding the stable.
Jericho was able to maintain his alliance with Guevara, reforming their tag team known as "Le Sex Gods". AtAll In: London on August 27, Jericho was defeated byWill Ospreay. After the match, Jericho shoved Guevara away. On theDynamite edition ofGrand Slam, Jericho defeated Guevara, but when Jericho tried to show respect, Guevara hit him with a low blow and joinedThe Don Callis Family, turning Jericho face in the process. On theRampage edition of Grand Slam, Jericho tried to attack The Don Callis Family, only to be outnumbered and saved byKenny Omega. Jericho and Omega then formed a tag team known as "The Golden Jets" to take out The Don Callis Family. AtWrestleDream on October 1, The Golden Jets withKota Ibushi were defeated by The Don Callis Family (Ospreay, Guevera, andKonosuke Takeshita). AtFull Gear on November 18, The Golden Jets defeatedThe Young Bucks to earn a shot at theAEW World Tag Team Championships. In December, Omega was diagnosed withdiverticulitis and would be forced to take time off, effectively ending The Golden Jets. On the December 27 edition ofDynamite, Jericho came to Guevara's aid from a Don Callis Family attack and reunited Le Sex Gods. AtWorlds End on December 30, Le Sex Gods teamed withSting andDarby Allin to defeat The Don Callis Family (Takeshita andPowerhouse Hobbs),Ricky Starks, andBig Bill.
On January 13, 2024, atBattle of the Belts IX, Le Sex Gods unsuccessfully challenged Starks and Bill for the AEW World Tag Team Championships due to interference from Hobbs and Takeshita. On the February 7 episode ofDynamite, Jericho was defeated by Takeshita, ending a near six-month feud with The Don Callis Family. In February, Jericho revived his "Lionheart" persona.
Starting in March, Jericho attempted to form a mentor-student relationship withHook, however, Jericho was rebuffed, ultimately leading to a match between the two atDynasty on April 21 which saw Jericho win theFTW Championship.[299] On the April 24 episode ofDynamite, Jericho renamed the FTW Championship to the "For The World Championship", dubbed himself "The Learning Tree", where he portrayed a delusional mentor and sarcastically saying he needs his "TV time", which was a reference to the online criticism of Jericho being constantly featured on AEW programming, turning heel once again.[300] On the May 1 episode ofDynamite, Jericho successfully defended the FTW Championship againstKatsuyori Shibata, with the assistance ofBig Bill, whom Jericho then agreed to add to his learning tree. On May 26 atDouble or Nothing, Jericho successfully defended the title against Hook and Katsuyori Shibata with the help ofBryan Keith.[301] On June 30 atForbidden Door Jericho teamed withJeff Cobb and Big Bill to take onSamoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata and Hook but was unsuccessful.[302] On August 25, Jericho faced Hook atAll in but lost the title, ending his reign at 127 days.[303] On October 12 atWrestleDream, Jericho challengedMark Briscoe for theROH World Championship, in a losing effort. On the October 23 episode ofDynamite, Jericho defeated Mark Briscoe in aLadder War (with Big Bill giving him a boost on his shoulders) to win the ROH World Championship for the second time, marking his ninth overall world title, and with that he gave himself the nickname of "The Nueve" (nine in Spanish). On November 27 atThanksgiving Eve Dynamite, Jericho successfully defended his title against Tomohiro Ishii.[304] On December 20 atFinal Battle, Jericho successfully defended his title againstMatt Cardona. After the match, Jericho attempted to attack Cardona but was chased off by a returning Bandido.[305]
On the February 22, 2025 episode ofCollision, Jericho successfully defended his title against Bandido.[306] On March 9 atRevolution Zero Hour, Jericho was scheduled to defend his title against Bandido's brotherGravity, but the match never started due to The Learning Tree attacking Gravity and unmasking him.[307] On April 6 atDynasty, Jericho lost the title to Bandido in aTitle vs. Mask match.[308] On the following episode ofDynamite, The Learning Tree would disband as Jericho would blame losing the ROH World Championship on both Big Bill and Bryan Keith, before saying it's best that he leaves for a while until Bill and Keith make a change.[309][310][311]
Known for his over-the-top, rock star persona,[312] Jericho has been described by multiple industry commentators as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.[a] JournalistChris Van Vliet noted that his name is "always thrown around as the GOAT [greatest of all time], or at least one of the GOATs", with Van Vliet himself asserting that Jericho is "if notthe best, certainly one of the best".[320] Todd Martin of thePro Wrestling Torch remarked, to agreement from editor Wade Keller, that Jericho is "one of the great wrestlers of all time" and in "a lofty category", while likening his oeuvre to those ofWWE Hall of FamersRandy Savage,Ricky Steamboat,Ted DiBiase andDory Funk Jr.[314] Praised for his ability to continually evolve hisgimmick,[314][315][322] Jericho was dubbed by KC Joyner ofESPN as "wrestling'sDavid Bowie".[315]
Various outlets have included Jericho in lists of the greatest wrestlers ever.[b]Baltimore Sun reporter Kevin Eck, who has also served as editor ofWCW Magazine and a WWE producer,[328] featured Jericho in his "Top 10 favorite wrestlers of all time"[329] and "Top 10 all-around performers"[330]—the former piece noting that Jericho is "regarded as one of the very best talkers in the business".[329] Keisha Hatchett inTV Guide wrote that Jericho "owns the mic with cerebral insults" and is set apart from peers by "his charismatic presence, which is highlighted by a laundry list of unforgettable catchphrases".[317] He was voted byWrestling Observer Newsletter (WON) readers as "Best on Interviews" for the 2000s decade,[331] coinciding with his 2010 induction into theWON Hall of Fame. Fans also named Jericho the greatestWWE Intercontinental Champion of all time in a 2013 WWE poll, affording him alandslide 63% victory over the other four contenders (Mr. Perfect,The Honky Tonk Man,Rick Rude andPat Patterson).[332]
Chris Jericho's feud withShawn Michaels and their series of matches, particularly their ladder match atNo Mercy in 2008 received critical acclaim.Wrestling Observer Newsletter named their feud the "feud of the year" and the ladder match the "match of the year".[333]
A number of Jericho's industry colleagues have hailed him as one of the greatest wrestlers in history.[c]Kurt Angle labelled him the single greatest performer of all time.[334]Stone Cold Steve Austin lauded his consistently "dynamic"promos and in-ring work, while arguing that he should be considered among the 10 best ever.[335]Kenny Omega asserted that Jericho "has a legit argument for being the best of all time", based on his ability to achieve success and notoriety across numerous territories.[322]Jon Moxley said, "Jericho is really making a case for being the greatest of all time... he's doing it again, he's doing something completely new, and breaking new barriers still here in 2020."[337]Matt Striker pointed to Jericho's "magnanimous" nature as a contributing factor to his status as an all-time great;[339] his willingness to impart knowledge was commended byJames Ellsworth, who described Jericho as an "outstanding human being" and a childhood favorite.[341]Kevin Owens stated that "Jericho was always someone I looked up to",[343] whileThe Miz affirmed that he was part of a generation of young wrestlers who sought to "emulate" Jericho.[339]
WWE declared Jericho a "marqueedraw" with a "reputation as one of the best ever".[344][345] As of 2019, he is one of the ten most prolific pay-per-view performers in company history.[346]
After Jericho signed with All Elite Wrestling, it was said his role was similar to Terry Funk in ECW, as an experienced veteran bringing credibility to a younger promotion.[347][348] Jericho was credited as one of the key attractions of AEW's weekly television broadcasts, leading to him adopting the nickname "The Demo God" due to many of the segments he appeared in being some of the highest viewed in thekey demographics.[349] He was voted as theBest Box Office Draw by readers of theWrestling Observer Newsletter in 2019.[350]
On March 15, 2023, prior to anAEW Dynamite broadcast from Winnipeg, Jericho was bestowed with aQueen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal by Premier of ManitobaHeather Stefanson, and it was announced that a portion of Winnipeg's Wordsworth Way where he lived would be renamed "Chris Jericho Way".[351]
Chris Jericho | |
|---|---|
 Jericho live with Fozzy in December 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Moongoose McQueen |
| Born | Christopher Keith Irvine (1970-11-09)November 9, 1970 (age 55) Manhasset, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Heavy metal,hard rock |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Member of | Fozzy, Kuarantine |
| Website | chrisjericho fozzyrock |
Jericho is the lead singer for theheavy metal band Fozzy. Since their debut album in 2000, Fozzy have released seven studio albums;Fozzy,Happenstance,All That Remains,Chasing the Grail,Sin and Bones,Do You Wanna Start a War,Judas, and one live album,Remains Alive.
Jericho also serves as the main song writer for Fozzy some of his lyrical themes touch upon relationships, personal struggle, self-belief and anthems.[352][353] Jericho has also stated he often starts with a song title rather than a complete theme stating “I have a list of song titles when it’s time to write lyrics” “I’ll go back and look through what I have.”[354]
In 2005, Jericho performed vocals on a cover of "The Evil That Men Do" on theIron Maiden tribute album,Numbers from the Beast. He made a guest appearance onDream Theater's album,Systematic Chaos on the song "Repentance", as one of several musical guests recorded apologizing to important people in their lives for wrongdoings in the past.
In the mid-1990s, Jericho wrote a monthly column forMetal Edge magazine focused on the heavy metal scene. The column ran for about a year.[355] He started his own weeklyXM Satellite Radio show in March 2005 calledThe Rock of Jericho, which aired Sunday nights on XM 41 The Boneyard.
Jericho has cited the following bands as a musical influenceThe Beatles,Iron Maiden,Judas Priest,Ozzy Osbourne,Pantera, andMetallica.[356] He has also credited 1980s pop acts likeBilly Ocean,Madonna, andDuran Duran as influences as well.[357]
Chris Jericho | |
|---|---|
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Genre | Entertainment |
| Subscribers | 230 thousand |
| Views | 18.79 million |
| Last updated: October 17, 2024[needs update] | |
In 2000, a WWE produced VHS tape documenting Jericho's career titledBreak Down the Walls was released.[358] He later received two three disc sets profiling matches and interviews.
On June 24, 2006, Jericho premiered in his firstSci-Fi Channel movieAndroid Apocalypse alongsideScott Bairstow andJoey Lawrence.
Jericho debuted as a stage actor in a comedy playOpening Night, which premiered at theToronto Centre for the Arts during July 20–22, 2006, in Toronto. During his stay in Toronto, Jericho hosted the sketch comedy showSunday Night Live with sketch troupeThe Sketchersons at The Brunswick House.[359]
Jericho was also the first wrestler attached and interviewed for the wrestling documentary,Bloodstained Memoirs. The interview was recorded in the UK during a Fozzy tour in 2006.[360]
Jericho wrote his autobiography,A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex, which was released on October 25, 2007, and became aNew York Times bestseller. It covers Jericho's life and wrestling career up to his debut in the WWE. Jericho's second autobiography,Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps, was released on February 16, 2011, and covers his wrestling career since his WWE debut. On October 14, 2014, Jericho's third book,The Best In The World...At What I Have No Idea, was released. It covers some untold stories of the "Save Us" era, his Fozzy career, and his multiple returns from 2011 to 2013.[361] Jericho's fourth book,No Is a Four-Letter Word: How I Failed Spelling but Succeeded in Life, was released on August 29, 2017, and details twenty valuable lessons Jericho learned throughout his career as a wrestler and musician.[362]
Jericho appeared in the 2009 filmAlbino Farm.[363] In the filmMacGruber, released May 21, 2010, he briefly appeared as Frank Korver,[364] a former military teammate of the eponymous Green Beret, Navy Seal, and Army Ranger.
Jericho hosted theRevolver Golden Gods Music Awards three times in 2010, 2011 and 2013.[365][366][367] He also hosted theMetal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in 2012 and 2017.[368][369]
Jericho released a comedy web series on October 29, 2013, that is loosely based on his life entitledBut I'm Chris Jericho![370] Jericho plays a former wrestler, struggling to make it big as an actor.[370] A second season was produced in 2017 byCBC and distributed over CBC's television app andCBC.ca.[371]
In 2016, Jericho starred in the documentary filmNine Legends alongsideMike Tyson and other wrestlers.[372]
In August 2018, Jericho was confirmed to star in the filmKillRoy Was Here.[373]
On March 14, 2019, filmmakerKevin Smith cast Jericho as aKKKGrand Wizard inJay and Silent Bob Reboot.[374][375]
Jericho was a contributor to theVH1 pop culture showsBest Week Ever,I Love the '80s, and VH1's top 100 artists.[1]
Jericho also hosted the five-part, five-hour VH1 special100 Most Shocking Music Moments, an update of the original special100 Most Shocking Moments in Rock N' Roll first hosted byMark McGrath ofSugar Ray.
On July 12, 2006, he made an appearance onG4'sAttack of the Show!; he made a second appearance on August 21, 2009. In May 2006, Jericho appeared on VH1's40 Greatest Metal Songs andHeavy: The Story of Metal as a commentator.
He was one of eight celebrities in the 2006Fox Television singing reality showCelebrity Duets, produced bySimon Cowell, and was the first contestant eliminated.[376] Jericho worked at aMcDonald's to show off his skills while prepping for the show.[377]
Jericho hosted his own reality show in 2008 titledRedemption Song, in which 11 women tried their hand at getting into the music scene. It was shown onFuse TV.[378]
He guest starred as Billy "The Body Bag" Cobb in "Xero Control", an episode of theDisney XD 2009 original seriesAaron Stone.[379]
He hosted VH1's100 Most Shocking Music Moments, which began airing in December 2009. In June 2010, Jericho was named the host of theABC prime-time game showDownfall.[380]
On March 1, 2011, Chris Jericho was named one of the contestants on the 2011 lineup ofDancing with the Stars.[381] His partner was two-time championCheryl Burke. This led to a wave of publicity, including an interview withJay Leno.[382] On April 26, Jericho was the fifth contestant eliminated on the show.[383]
On May 5, Jericho made his third appearance as a guest onAttack of the Show! where he depictedThor.[384] He promotedUndisputed and hosted theRevolver Golden Gods Awards on May 28 onVH1 Classic.[385] On January 17, 2012, Jericho made his fourth appearance onAttack of the Show! in a segment called "Twitter Twister" where he portrayed a character called "The Twistercutioner" and readtweets as instructions for a game ofTwister between Kevin and Candace. Jericho hosted the UK'sMetal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in 2012 and 2017.
On February 26, 2013, Jericho began hosting arobot combat competition program onSyFy titledRobot Combat League the series ended on April 23, 2015.
In 2022, Jericho competed inseason eight ofThe Masked Singer as "Bride" which resembles a dragon-likeKaiju in a wedding dress. After bestingGeorge Foreman as "Venus Fly Trap" andGeorge Clinton as "Gopher" on "Hall of Fame Night", he was eliminated on "Comedy Roast Night" alongsideAdam Carolla as "Avocado".
In December 2013, Jericho began hosting his own podcast,Talk Is Jericho. Episodes usually include a loosely scripted monologue before an interview, typically with a wrestler, rock musician or paranormal expert. The show originally appeared on PodcastOne, before moving to the WestwoodOne network in 2018. Notable guests on the show includeBruce Dickinson fromIron Maiden,Lemmy fromMotörhead,Paul Stanley fromKISS,Zak Bagans fromGhost Adventures, pornographic actressAsa Akira, writer/directorKevin Smith and many former and current wrestlers.[386]
In April 2015, Jericho hosted his own video podcast on theWWE Network,Live! with Chris Jericho, withJohn Cena as his first guest, followed byStephanie McMahon as his guest later that same month.
Once he signed withAEW, he was no longer allowed to haveWWE performers as guests on the podcast.[387]
On August 10, 2019, Jericho launched his owndirtsheet website called WebIsJericho.com.[388] The website is dedicated to the memory ofAxl Rotten.[389]
In 2017, Jericho launched Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea, a cruise "combining the worlds of rock and wrestling with a once in a lifetime amazing vacation experience". The cruise featured live band performances, artist-hosted activities and a Sea of Honor Tournament with over a dozen Ring of Honor wrestlers competing. Guests had the opportunity to get up close and personal with Chris and his closest wrestling, comedian, and musician friends includingJim Ross,Diamond Dallas Page andJim Breuer, among others. The cruise sailed October 27–31, 2018, fromMiami toNassau, Bahamas.[390] Further cruises followed in 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025 with a seventh on planned for 2026.
Irvine married Jessica Lockhart on July 30, 2000. They reside inOdessa, Florida,[391] with their three children: son Ash Edward Irvine (born 2003) and identical twin daughters Sierra Loretta "SiSi" Irvine and Cheyenne Lee "Chey" Irvine (born 2006).[392][393] All three have been guests on his podcast,Talk Is Jericho, with his son discussing fish and his daughters discussing literature.[386] Irvine owns three cats.[394] He is a supporter of theWinnipeg Jets.[395] In October 2020, Irvine reportedly donated $3,000 toDonald Trump'spresidential re-election campaign.[396]
Irvine is aChristian.[397] He has a tattoo of his wife's name on his ring finger. He has the letter F, representing Fozzy, on the back of his hand. Since 2012, he has gradually gotten a sleeve over his left arm. His tattoos include: the artwork of Fozzy's albumSin and Bones,[398] aJack-o'-lantern (Avenged Sevenfold vocalistM. Shadows, who collaborated with Fozzy on the track "Sandpaper" fromSin and Bones, also got a matching tattoo),[399] a lake monster, and himself from his WWF debut in 1999.
On January 27, 2010, Irvine and fellow wrestlerGregory Helms were arrested inFort Mitchell, Kentucky after leaving a bar. A police report stated that Helms punched Irvine and the other passengers in the cab. Fellow wrestlersChristian andCM Punk later bailed them out.[400]
Since January 2012, Irvine (along with former NFL QuarterbackTim Tebow, former NFL playerDerrick Brooks, and formerAtlanta Braves playerChipper Jones) has been the co-owner of a sports training facility in Tampa, a franchise site of D1 Sports Training and Therapy.[401]
Irvine is a fan of Japaneseconvenience store chainLawson, which Irvine would frequently shop at when he wrestled in Japan in the 1990s. Irvine still visits Lawson whenever he returns to Japan, whether to wrestle or if he is touring with Fozzy.[402][403]
Jericho has made numerous philanthropic and charitable efforts. Alongside WWE superstarsKevin Owens andTyler Breeze, he donated $2,500 to help victims of the Alberta forest fires. He also donated $1,500 to helpBrian Knobbs with his knee surgery.[404] In 2014 Jericho recorded a YouTube only exclusive podcast with a fan named Daniel House who was terminally ill. He also set up a fundraiser to help the fan and let him tour with his band Fozzy.[405] In 2016 Jericho donated $3,000 to help pay the medical expenses forRico Constantino's.[406]
In 2019 Jericho donated $5,000 to former professional wrestlerKamala to help him pay for his housing expenses as he was getting evicted from his home.[407] The following year he donated another $5,000 to Kamala’s family following his death to help pay for his funeral.[408] That same year he also donated another $5,000 to the family ofShad Gaspard following his death.[409]
In 2021 Jericho donated $2,500 to help coverSteve "Mongo" McMichael medical expenses after he was diagnosed withALS.[410] He also donated $2,500 to the GoFundMe campaign set up for the family of Mohammad Anwar who was killed in a carjacking incident.[411] In 2023 the wife of former professionalUmaga revealed that Jericho donated $5,000 to his family following his death in 2009.[412]
In 2023, afterBuffalo Bills playerDamar Hamlin's on-field collapse during a game against theCincinnati Bengals, Jericho donated $10,000 to Hamlin's charity; originally a $5,000 donation, he later donated another $5,000 after misspelling his own name in the original donation.[413] In 2025 Jericho donated $5,000 to help cover fellow wrestlerSabu’s funeral arrangements.[414] Later that same year he contributed $2,500 to a fundraiser for independent wrestler Syko Stu after he faced serious assault and injuries during a match.[415]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | Android Apocalypse | TeeDee | |
| 2009 | Albino Farm | Levi | |
| Bloodstained Memoirs | Himself | Documentary | |
| 2010 | MacGruber | Frank Korver | |
| 2015 | Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! | Bruce, the ride attendant | Television film |
| 2016 | Nine Legends | Himself | |
| 2019 | Jay and Silent Bob Reboot | KKK Grand Wizard | |
| 2020 | In Search of Darkness: Part II | Himself | Documentary |
| 2021 | I'm Too Old For This Sh*t[416] | Producer | Documentary |
| 2022 | KillRoy Was Here | The Gator Chaser | |
| Terrifier 2 | Adam Burke | ||
| 2024 | Dark Match | Prophet | [417] |
| Terrifier 3 | Adam Burke | [418][419] | |
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | Headbangers Ball | Himself | |
| 2008 | Redemption Song | Host | |
| 2009 | Aaron Stone | Billy Cobb | Season 1, episode 11 |
| Z Rock | Himself | Season 2, episode 6 | |
| 2010 | Downfall | Host | |
| 2011 | Dancing with the Stars | Season 12 contestant | |
| Cubed | |||
| 2013 | Robot Combat League | Host | |
| 2013; 2016; 2019 | Talking Dead | 3 episodes | |
| 2013; 2017 | But I'm Chris Jericho! | Lead | |
| 2014 | @midnight | Episode 47 | |
| 2015 | Nothing to Report | Chance Blackstreet | Web series |
| WWE Tough Enough | Himself | Host | |
| 2016 | The Eric Andre Show | Season 4, episode 8 | |
| Hollywood Game Night | Contestant (Season 4, episode 9) | ||
| Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Season 12, episode 5 | ||
| The Thundermans | Gary | Season 3, episode 19 | |
| 2017 | Tanked | Himself | Season 12, episode 1 |
| Hot Ones | Season 4, episode 15 | ||
| The Legend of... with Chris Jericho | Host | ||
| 2018 | Rock and Roll Road Trip withSammy Hagar | Season 3, episode 5 | |
| Drop the Mic | Season 2, episode 9 | ||
| 2019 | Engraved on a Nation | Season 2, episode 5 | |
| America's Got Talent | Season 14, episode 23 | ||
| Lights Out with David Spade | Panelist (Season 1, episode 37) | ||
| 2020–present | Dark Side of the Ring | Narrator, 24 episodes (seasons 2–5) | |
| 2022 | Fast Foodies | Season 2, episode 2[420] | |
| The Masked Singer | Season 8 contestant | ||
| WCW Video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 1998 | WCW Nitro | Video game debut | |
| WCW/nWo Revenge | |||
| 1999 | WCW/nWo Thunder | ||
| WCW Mayhem | |||
| WWE Video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 1999 | WWF WrestleMania 2000 | ||
| 2000 | WWF SmackDown! | ||
| WWF Royal Rumble | |||
| WWF No Mercy | |||
| WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role | Cover athlete | ||
| 2001 | WWF With Authority! | ||
| WWF Betrayal | |||
| WWF Road to WrestleMania | |||
| WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It | |||
| 2002 | WWF Raw | ||
| WWE WrestleMania X8 | |||
| WWE Road to WrestleMania X8 | |||
| WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth | Cover athlete (NTSC version) | ||
| 2003 | WWE Crush Hour | ||
| WWE WrestleMania XIX | |||
| WWE Raw 2 | |||
| WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain | |||
| 2004 | WWE Day of Reckoning | ||
| WWE Survivor Series | Cover athlete | ||
| WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw | |||
| 2005 | WWE WrestleMania 21 | ||
| WWE Aftershock | |||
| WWE Day of Reckoning 2 | |||
| WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 | |||
| 2008 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 | ||
| 2009 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 | ||
| 2010 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 | ||
| 2011 | WWE All Stars | ||
| 2012 | WWE '13 | ||
| 2013 | WWE 2K14 | ||
| 2014 | WWE 2K15 | Motion capture | |
| WWE SuperCard | |||
| 2015 | WWE 2K16 | Motion capture | |
| 2016 | WWE 2K17 | Motion capture | |
| 2017 | WWE Champions | ||
| WWE Tap Mania | |||
| WWE 2K18 | Motion capture | ||
| WWE Mayhem | |||
| 2018 | WWE 2K19 | Motion capture | |
| AEW Video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 2021 | AEW Elite GM | ||
| AEW Casino: Double or Nothing | |||
| 2023 | AEW Fight Forever | Cover athlete | |
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal of the province of Manitoba, for his work with various local charities. (2023)[496]| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corazón de León (hair) | Cro-Magnon (hair) | Mexico City | CMLL Live event | May 30, 1993 | |
| Chris Jericho (championship) | Juventud Guerrera (mask) | Daly City, California | SuperBrawl VIII | February 22, 1998 | [19] |
| Chris Jericho (hair) | Kevin Nash (hair) | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Raw | August 18, 2003 | |
| Rey Mysterio (mask) | Chris Jericho (championship) | Sacramento, California | The Bash | June 28, 2009 | |
| Chris Jericho (hair) | Ortiz (hair) | St. Louis, Missouri | Road Rager | June 15, 2022 | [497] |
| Bandido (mask) | Chris Jericho (championship) | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Dynasty | April 6, 2025 |
Well, I'm actually a dual citizen, so yeah, I'm an American as well,"... "I have an American passport and a Canadian passport...
Chris says everything you heard about the Goldberg story was true, he took him down twice with a front face lock.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Jericho... is one of the greatest of all time.
[Todd Martin:] Jericho, I think, is one of the great wrestlers of all time... up there with people like[Toshiaki] Kawada,[Genichiro] Tenryu,[Randy] Savage,[Ricky] Steamboat,[Ted] DiBiase,Dory Funk Jr... he's in that category, which is a lofty category. [Wade Keller:] I agree with you... he's found a way to stay relevant, be popular with fans, be a main event contributor, and he's reinvented himself or been in very different circumstances, and found a way to adapt.(subscription required)
[A] living WWE legend... one of the greatest wrestlers of all time in Chris Jericho, who continues to reinvent himself – he's wrestling's David Bowie.
Jericho is one of the WWE's greatest wrestlers of all time.
...one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
Jericho is one of the best to ever do it.
Chris Jericho, one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time.
[Van Vliet:] Your name is always thrown around as the GOAT [greatest of all time], or at least one of the GOATs. How does this make you feel, that you are the greatest of all time, or, if notthe best, certainly one of the best? [Jericho:] That's not for me to decide. [Van Vliet:] WellI'm saying it.
Y2J [Jericho] is an all-time great, he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
[Kenny Omega:] There are people that can rise above and stand out from kind of what they are, and Jericho has always, no matter where he's gone, no matter where he's been, has been one of those guys. Which is why he has a legit argument for being the best of all time.
[Austin:] He's always been a dynamic promo, he's always been a dynamic worker... Jericho, in my opinion, has put together one of the best runs in the history of pro wrestling. I think you gotta put him in the top 10.
[Triple H:] Chris is one of the greatest talents in the history of the business.
Jericho is really making a case for being the greatest of all time... he's doing it again, he's doing something completely new, and breaking new barriers still here in 2020.
You [Jericho] are one of the best ever.
Jericho... is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
I was definitely a Jericholic as a teenager. He always stays entertaining. In wrestling, he's one of the best ever.
[Bischoff:] Chris is one of the most amazing performers in the history of the business.
{{cite web}}:|last= has numeric name (help)
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
,Cagematch,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling DatabaseLinks to related articles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
.svg)
