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| source// wwe.com |
On April 3, Chris Jericho will return to WrestleMania, for a showdown with AJ Styles in what should be the culmination of their intense rivalry. The bout will present Y2J with his latest opportunity to steal the show, some 16 years after he first set foot on the grandest stage known to sports entertainment.
Over the course of his WWE career, he has battled some of the most iconic superstars in the industry, delivering performances that have helped establish him as one of the most celebrated professional wrestlers of his generation.
Not every match was the classic fans had hoped, but there were also those that far exceeded expectations. Above all else, Jericho understands the stature and importance of the event and has never had anything even close to a bad match at The Showcase of the Immortals.
Whether he was working a ballroom dancer in the middle of the card, defending the world title or competing in the main event, Jericho has always risen to the occasion.
Just over one week away from his latest showing at the event, relive his last 11 performances at WrestleMania, ranked in order according to overall match quality and, when warranted, historical significance.
11. 3-On-1 Handicap Elimination Match: Chris Jericho Vs. Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper & Jimmy Snuka – WrestleMania XXV
Chris Jericho was originally slated to wrestle actor Mickey Rourke, who was coming off a career-defining performance in the Oscar-nominated film, The Wrestler. Rourke, a nominee himself, heeded the advice of his management team and turned down the match. Thus, WWE Creative was forced to scramble to find a suitable replacement match for Jericho.
The idea of old, broke, desperate veterans of the wrestling industry became the theme of Jericho’s journey to WrestleMania XXV. Each week, the superstar in the prime of his career would take to the ring to berate a legendary performer whose contributions to the event were undeniable.
First there was Roddy Piper, then Jimmy Snuka. Finally, a familiar face returned to WWE as Ricky Steamboat found himself on the receiving end of Jericho’s verbal assault.
A three-on-one elimination handicap match was booked for the biggest show of the year and Jericho was faced with his toughest challenge to date: getting a great match out of three aging veterans.
He figured out how to do that fairly quickly, getting a hobbled Piper and ancient Snuka out of the way early, leaving him time to wage a dramatic war with Steamboat, who was still in good shape, considering his age and clearly hadn’t lost much of his old magic.
For several minutes, Y2J and The Dragon wowed the audience in Houston, giving fans false hope that the Hall of Famer could do the unthinkable and knockoff the MVP of WWE. He did not, succumbing to the Code Breaker, but his performance was enough for the feud between the two to carry over into a second pay-per-view (Jericho beat him again at Backlash)
The match was infinitely better than it had any right to be, proof of Steamboat’s babyface charm and likability and Jericho’s all-around excellence.
10. Chris Jericho Vs. Fandango – WrestleMania 29
One of the most puzzling matches in the annals of WrestleMania occurred in 2013 when Jericho battled newcomer Fandango in singles competition.
A ballroom dancer-turned-pro-wrestler, the gimmick felt more like a reject of the 1980s family-oriented Rock and Wrestling Era than one that would find reasonable success in the new Millennium. But there it was, on the screen for the world to see. And to his credit, the man behind the crystal ball and pasa doble was a hellishly talented performer.
Together, he and Jericho worked to deliver a match that not only ranked among the best on the card but, at the same time, introduced the new character with a bang.
Jericho proved himself a selfless performer, giving Fandango a ton of offense throughout the nine-minute run time and allowing him to test out a few moves to see what worked and what may not going forward. Then, in the ultimate act of generosity, Jericho did the favor for his young opponent by putting him over and succumbing to an inside cradle.
The match was among the best on the WrestleMania 29 card, bettered only by CM Punk’s epic clash with The Undertaker, and further proof of Jericho’s ability to adapt his game to suit that of his opponent’s.
9. Intercontinental Championship Match: Chris Jericho Vs. William Regal – WrestleMania X-Seven
Most may remember the feud between Jericho and William Regal for the moment that the former pissed in the latter’s tea, but the two also had a tremendous sprint of a match that kicked off the all-time great WrestleMania X-Seven in grand fashion, with Regal challenging for Y2J’s Intercontinental Championship.
Regal, a master of villainy, exposed a turnbuckle pad and rammed Jericho shoulder-first into it, setting up the major heat portion of the bout. The Englishman even trapped Jericho in the Regal Stretch, trying to force a submission out of the brash Canadian. But it was not to be, Jericho mounted a comeback and moments later successfully retained his title with the Lionsault.
It is a testament to the level of performers that both Jericho and Regal are that they could have such a competitive and hard-fought match, yet still have it be considered a ‘disappointment’ in retrospect. That is the case, though, as the two continued to have outstanding matches but never quite hit the level most critics expected them to.
8. Triple Threat Match For The Intercontinental & European Championships: Chris Jericho Vs. Chris Benoit Vs. Kurt Angle – WrestleMania 2000
The allure of championship gold was at the center of the Triple Threat match for the European and Intercontinental Championship. Kurt Angle entered WrestleMania 2000 with both titles, a rare double-champion just months into his pro wrestling career.
His opponents that night? Grizzled veterans Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit, both of whom traveled the globe perfecting their crafts in hopes of one day making it to WrestleMania and capturing gold.
Though completely different characters, they had one goal in mind: dethrone the Olympian. And they did, in an intensely competitive and smartly laid-out match.
Jericho struck first, capturing the European title by pinning Benoit following the Lionsault. It was a major championship victory for Y2J, but he undoubtedly would have preferred to wrest away the Intercontinental title that Angle had stolen from him in controversial fashion one month earlier at No Way Out.
That title would go to Benoit, who pinned Jericho following a flying headbutt.
Though still a very good match, hence its placement at No. 8 on our list, it was not quite the level fans would expect given the talent involved. Had Angle had another year under his belt, and had both Jericho and Benoit been more acclimated to the WWE style, this could have been a legitimate five-star classic. But it was not, so fans are left wondering what may have been.
7. Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Chris Jericho Vs. Carlito Vs. John Morrison Vs. CM Punk Vs. Mr. Kennedy Vs. Shelton Benjamin VS. MVP – WrestleMania XXIV
Chris Jericho’s first return to WWE should have generated a much better string of feuds and matches than it did. Unfortunately, with plans in place for the extravaganza, he found himself on the outside looking in. That is, until Money in the Bank was announced and Y2J found himself a participant in the match he created some three years after the first one.
While that may not have been his preferred placement on the card, he never let it show, instead going to the ring and delivering the type of performance one would expect from a guy who had competed on the grandest stage in sports entertainment before.
The bout, which also included CM Punk, John Morrison and Shelton Benjamin, among others, was the typical demolition derby of twisted steel and battered bodies that the Money in the Bank is known for. But there was just enough innovative offense, not to mention crowd pleasing spots (i.e. Matt Hardy delivering a big Twist of Fate to prevent rival MVP from winning the briefcase), to keep it fresh and interesting,
Jericho proved vital to two of the most memorable moments in the contest. The first came when he trapped an extraordinarily flexible Morrison in the Walls of Jericho atop a ladder, a call back to his famous spot with Benoit at the 2001 Royal Rumble. The second saw him trapped upside down, his leg locked between the rungs of the ladder as CM Punk reached up and retrieved the briefcase that would later enable him to win his first world title.
Our hero may not have emerged victorious but he was the veteran glue that held the match together among all of the young blood stuffed into the bout.
6. Chris Jericho Vs. Christian – WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX brought about a story of good friends turned bitter enemies as Jericho battled Christian, with the beautiful blonde bombshell Trish Stratus at the heart of their rivalry.
For months Jericho had courted Trish, much to the chagrin of bestie Christian, who felt their friendship and tag team were suffering as a result. One vicious assault of Stratus at the hands of Christian led to the disintegration of a friendship that had netted the uperstars tag team championships and lasted nearly two years.
More importantly, it set up a match between the two at the most important event of the year.
The match was pure wrestling for the most part, devoid of the nonsensical overbooking that plagues so many matches when outside factors such as Stratus are involved. That is not to say she did not play a part in the match. In fact, she was the determining factor, her elbow “mistakenly” catching Jericho in the face and leading to a victory for Captain Charisma.
More memorable than the match was the heel turn that saw Trish slap Y2J right into The Unprettier.
One of the most underrated matches in the long and illustrious history of the event, it was completely overshadowed by the main events that followed and a notorious Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar bout.
5. World Heavyweight Championship Match: Chris Jericho Vs. Edge – WrestleMania XXVI
A torn Achilles tendon ended what was to be a major tag team push for Chris Jericho and Edge. Gone was the planned series of matches with D-Generation X that would have renewed interest in WWE’s Tag Team Championships and the first real extended run the two Internet favorites would have as a tandem.
Instead, focus was shifted from a tag team to a feud, with Jericho calling Edge out for his “weakness”. When Edge returned at the Royal Rumble in January 2010 and won the thing, most expected it was only a matter of time before Y2J regained the world title, which he did by beating The Undertaker at Elimination Chamber the next month.
Those two events set up the match that would inexplicably go on fourth from the top of the WrestleMania card.
Jericho and Edge always had strong in-ring chemistry, dating back to their series of wars on SmackDown in 2002. That chemistry was on display in front of a worldwide audience. The world champion targeted the previously injured Achilles of his former partner. But Edge showed great resiliency, fighting through the pain and remaining in the hunt for the title.
Unfortunately for him, what he hoped would be a triumphant return to the WrestleMania stage ended in defeat, courtesy of a shot to the face with the World Championship belt and a Code Breaker.
4. WWE Undisputed Championship Match: Chris Jericho Vs. Triple H – WrestleMania X8
There are some fans who refuse to get past the fact that Triple H vs. Chris Jericho went on after The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania X8. As a result, they miss the fact that The Game and Y2J actually wrestled a damn good match.
Sure, the build to the match sucked, Jericho’s reign as champion was plagued by nonsensical booking and Stephanie McMahon’s villainous vixen character took center stage over the competitors, but from bell-to-bell, the match was a smartly-wrestled gem that deserves another look.
Similar to the match against Edge from WrestleMania XXVI that we have already touched on, Jericho picked apart his opponent’s anatomy. He worked over the injured quadriceps muscle of The Game, looking to end his quest for the WWE title on a sad note. He tortured him, inflicting pain the likes of which Triple H had not felt since the initial tear nearly a year earlier.
And he was a gloriously douchey bad guy while doing so, pandering to Stephanie for her approval at ringside as he beat on her estranged husband.
Unlike that aforementioned Edge match, this was not a bout in which the heel would come out on top. This was a feel-good story, one that saw Triple H Pedigree his wife, drop his opponent with the same finisher and stand tall over the wrestling world with his arms (and belts) raised in victory.
The match was a psychology-based bout, one that resisted the urge to include high spots. It did not play to the crowd, nor did it deliver any epic stare-downs. It was treated like a legitimate contest between two guys determined to prove they were the better man and in that light, was vastly superior to the Rock-Hogan battle that preceded it.
3. WWE Championship Match: Chris Jericho Vs. CM Punk – WrestleMania XXVIII
Jericho targeted the family of CM Punk leading into WrestleMania XXVIII, playing mind games with the WWE champion in hopes of throwing him off his game and wrestling the title away from him. When Raw general manager John Laurinaitis announced minutes before the match started that if Punk got disqualified he would lose the belt, it looked like Jericho’s manipulation had worked.
Unfortunately for him, The Straight Edge Superstar resisted the urge to maim his opponent at every turn, instead focusing on proving himself the superior athlete.
The two acclaimed wrestlers worked a style reliant on hold and counter-hold. For every Walls of Jericho the challenger applied, Punk was right there with a counter out of it. The same could be said for Jericho, who set aside flashy entrances and lighted jackets to prove that, after a year away from the sport, he was still as good as he ever was.
Unfortunately, the one hold he could not counter out of was the Anaconda Vise, which he found himself trapped in after 22 minutes of action with no way out of. He tapped out, giving Punk the monumental victory.
For Jericho, it was another loss on the grand stage but further proof of his greatness as a performer.
There may be others on the roster with the word “cerebral” etched into a nickname for marketing purposes but few have proven time and time again, under the brightest lights, that they are the epitome of it the way Jericho has at WrestleMania.
2. Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Chris Jericho Vs. Chris Benoit Vs. Kane Vs. Shelton Benjamin Vs. Edge – WrestleMania 21
In 2005, it was told to Chris Jericho by WWE Creative that they simply did not have anything for him or several of the brightest stars on Monday Night Raw to do at WrestleMania. So much energy had been put into Batista vs. Triple H, John Cena vs. JBL and Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle that so many incredibly talented individuals had kinda fallen to the wayside.
Y2J was not about to let the narrow mindedness of a few writers prevent him from taking the stage on wrestling’s most important night. He pitched an idea for a multi-man match with some sort of stakes, like a future title match. From there, they hashed out a ladder match and gave it the “Money in the Bank” title.
History was made and Jericho had gotten himself a prominent spot on the card.
None of the six men involved in the match let him or the fans down, delivering a wild and chaotic bout that set the standard for the match. To this day, some 11 years after its creation, the bout remains a classic match in WrestleMania lore.
From the breakout performance of Shelton Benjamin to the foresight of Chris Benoit, Edge and Kane to come up with a finish steeped in the psychology set up throughout the bout, it was a beautiful mix of storytelling and destruction.
Edge would win the match, while Jericho was almost an afterthought. He was his typically great self but managed to stay out of the spotlight, while the others around him starred. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that he was taking time off just a few months later.
Maybe he just was not given a great amount to do, especially with the emphasis being on Edge and Benjamin. Whatever the case may be, Jericho did his part in getting them all to that moment and the match itself made the hard work worth it.
1. Chris Jericho Vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania XIX
Was there really any doubt that this one would be at the top of the list?
There are few instances in a wrestler’s career when they can look back at a single match and realize that they had made it in the professional wrestling industry. For Chris Jericho, that moment came at WrestleMania XIX, when he battled his childhood hero Shawn Michaels in a classic wrestling match.
Just moments after he had his shoulders pinned to the mat in a rollup, a teary-eyed Jericho stood up and embraced The Heartbreak Kid. Sure, a low blow followed to help Y2J get some of his heat back but the sentiment still felt real.
On a night in which he shared the stage with iconic stars such as The Rock, Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and even Vince McMahon himself, it was Jericho who emerged from the show riding the biggest wave of momentum. No one ever doubted his skill or his technical expertise. No one doubted that he was among the best wrestlers in the business. But there were still questions about his ability to deliver that one defining match on the grandest stage the sport has to offer.
That night in Seattle, he silenced his doubters and proved without a shadow of doubt that Chris Jericho was an elite wrestler, a premiere performer and the best in the world at what he does.
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