|
Chris Jericho's WWE career retrospective: photos
- X' K# O1 G$ [3 m! E$ E3 m% q" U# i! n7 R. O1 b9 b) O" \% D; v
- u* ~+ i8 c7 {+ m g, V, L4 P) d! `% `4 B
Before embarking on his WWE career, Chris Jericho won championship gold in ECW and WCW.- g* b- w+ m/ |3 o+ M, }7 T
7 ^$ p3 q: ~* k, b3 a% F C7 U1 h) @$ w
. f7 \. u* N0 ]5 F# s+ l9 M, wY2J made quite a splash when he introduced himself to the WWE Universe in 1999.0 ~8 S% s' G5 _: m$ D; P* U
$ n3 y" D8 Q v
% J3 v2 f( X5 h/ n9 a1 g- V
0 z' C5 l2 A9 ^/ S/ e
v; b; x' _" ~4 M& z# ^3 j" F% r+ W4 E
2 V2 \# F- v% h1 Q
; W3 x0 t, }* m+ `Chyna sent Chris Jericho to the ringside floor during the Royal Rumble Match in 2000.& {' S4 V9 v- f6 D2 F* r% z* Z- S$ [1 C
! o+ B& f H" t7 I$ o8 B5 d0 ?2 X& Z* V! p2 s
" Z) B W9 [9 |% `& b" Y
Despite the misstep, Jericho found an unlikely ally in the former Intercontinental Champion.5 ]3 p0 {, e* c; I0 {
6 S/ O8 R; u/ a9 H
+ L+ U/ s" c8 d6 _. ?6 v# J
( j9 G/ ]1 }4 ^+ U& X# h
7 ]* r; |: }6 s! y5 J, G/ m& Q& k& I: W5 t$ q/ l
& }( b3 Q: ]. M4 v$ Y: v# h( [) z: l. q% i. h
The Walls of Jericho put Dean Malenko in a bind as the two foes renewed their rivalry in 2000.4 G: @4 z+ ~! U5 c# ^! Q
9 [- i% T7 Y1 C% ^( @/ e- S6 F) h% C1 X
: @2 d* V7 c, Q2 l% ^, f: [
( ^( X$ l7 Z! u8 y+ H) Z1 @4 Y* ]4 ^' h3 w# M, C2 o
Later that year, Jericho also realized a brief World Tag Team Title run with The Rock.
/ E" ^. a( e& L0 w1 Z
6 M" q# Q# k; Y% M
v1 R7 H- }$ \6 d d3 R
. Z- j' C8 l6 u
( d) f: ]# r0 O4 {# O1 K1 N) K! F9 q
The first Undisputed WWE Champion proudly displays his World Titles in late 2001.
$ [- w9 V2 j3 W2 C& W4 x4 ]6 D! b6 }( L m+ v( w5 ]& c
, Z! P ]) ]+ {! H# c7 x z! L# t& ?" }! q
% w8 I0 |+ ?1 W2 X& g) \
5 L: ]" s# D8 Z1 w, y- ^
% M& C" ~' ?4 Q
$ [# D, B+ f- p/ ENever at a loss for words. Y2J frequently spoke his mind during his many Intercontinental Title reigns.- g7 z* u* G- K. H* K
% C( V$ L. q0 q/ I2 o2 S, S7 B2 s7 V7 ~
& l; a% U9 X, Q G3 m% j. {. B6 a `) K E# b; r8 _/ A
The Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla flexed some muscle before his WrestleMania XX battle with Christian ...
7 Q0 N, ?/ m) u% x" s$ j% V [5 K! G5 N8 n/ D3 q) F5 y: m
( }) _, d. D1 n. ]) E/ g3 O
$ j* \, U+ i" ~" W. {9 e( _3 e5 E... but fell short when Trish Stratus came out swinging in favor of Captain Charisma.
/ }1 C* ~9 m2 t8 X3 Z; r
+ a6 x# m: @0 N7 a7 k7 d- o0 x/ W( {: B
: t) R+ v+ l4 W8 c' O
The two competitors clashed again at Unforgiven 2004 with the Intercontinental Title at stake ...
0 v" n+ L* K) A* b+ s
# P# [# E; y, y: b G1 A+ |! Q% L5 y" y/ X8 s1 R
1 g5 \7 f3 _; T/ T" W, h; |... and risked life and limb in a memorable Ladder Match where Jericho prevailed.
- h6 y8 O- U( ?* e0 }9 U+ x1 t X: v2 l& v6 g) A6 R
% E% {2 z0 r/ [3 R5 z" O3 [7 B* f9 F1 q/ u* ]0 a$ e7 l% w2 k. G$ @
In his time away from WWE, Jericho rocked the mic as the frontman for his heavy metal band, Fozzy.
! h$ q7 T% c8 k7 {+ Z
& p1 m4 L6 }: {. k& P* m5 C K# O6 M4 D3 `. G' x
; k: ]9 m& W7 ]; LJericho put himself right back in the Intercontinental Title chase upon his return to WWE in 2008.
( F( l. z1 g; P8 L% P) f4 b" h9 i; `6 k1 ~
8 J; \+ g7 C5 w0 ~
. Q4 N. c% x( y7 O
+ u- C* T1 ^3 g9 N0 t2 i! y- k
( ?" p# N N3 I- b4 [% d) {
: E. M5 w- T9 W8 {
% d P8 X9 n) T, ]7 |* x: |6 F DY2J hurled Shawn Michaels through the Jeri-Tron 5000 during an infamous edition of "The Highlight Reel."- ]- M& c& U0 ~' c: r4 U7 N" m: E+ {
" e. M& p+ f# x m. Q3 r* D/ Z0 }. P
2 [5 p3 m. l ?8 y! }# s* s/ ^4 j; ^) c4 r' R ` {
The Showstopper struggled to keep up with his talented adversary.# _! w8 T4 ?1 x# A
+ ? v$ ~" Z% z. Q5 m! l9 W! L. l' S: \* }" v. e
# M5 _# ^* o, @2 K3 n. @2 F& V; b4 w2 Z7 S: y
& V3 j: {* o+ o
- Q# o) M2 y: x* M6 Q4 U! W
) M K* ^( v; Y9 p% S; e' n
8 L2 b x3 T( W% ~8 m3 F7 `
8 m) {& B: o+ f
; W" F1 ~' h# u( T$ m& i
0 f9 G. Q: Z: p3 M/ l+ S @The WWE Universe never saw anything less than Jericho's best during his World Heavyweight Title reign.
5 `9 Q! }; o7 g7 ~- J0 N; [) z: v6 s) U4 ~
1 E- {) d' k P8 z/ r/ k2 ]3 L9 J( h! G- K: c% n) ?3 j" @
He also won the Intercontinental Championship a record nine times during his storied career.3 [5 o. d9 c8 l0 |6 N4 q( O3 S6 V
2 Z: ?' V# B k G6 y) V; G2 }, Y( C
# S! _& S; R5 j8 wJericho's record-setting title reign came at Rey Mysterio's expense in 2009.) Q) [8 x& f6 ?- l/ t' @+ ~7 [: q
' [. d* C0 o1 f' j
, Y/ f7 s) q9 F$ C1 c- p% w# [( x/ e5 p+ i! u$ W
' d, B7 G& B3 D& k/ n# c U
+ L" D. T& ~. d4 j' ]& X% w9 cAfter finishing off Mysterio, Jericho returned to the top of WWE's tag team ranks alongside Edge.
# C; g) k* K/ L5 w1 W. ?5 d" l3 g% X: ]& S& h
3 H/ R. y1 X: M4 `9 v$ ~3 T6 o
9 }) b& y2 h& C" z
( I5 S0 s# p4 |, Z; ^& g# }- p: _8 p, d7 v' f. U* i6 S
6 ]( j1 f0 c0 ]+ c; U! k* K* O4 a* j& F% m! H5 B" k6 W6 ]; r
The tag team combination known as "Jeri-Show" had a five-month WWE Tag Team Title reign.& d# ?" r- {9 P7 I4 b& P
; Z. p4 ]; o( ]+ h7 ~6 d1 P$ H
% f9 r. x$ e% ]
/ {& Q! j/ ~8 \ z7 q% B$ A
- B* H- C4 J# G4 T, ?/ h' y" \
, W3 b% g$ W1 i a3 X
% X! F2 `; \ @
3 N5 [4 o( q6 WWWE Elimination Chamber 2010 offered one more opportunity for Jericho to claim championship gold.
* g; t, B8 @& S
2 m$ H) E9 z: \# [% S
1 }2 o' E2 e7 S6 K
! C& J# |& |) `9 T+ Q( T; k& g' y- f* P3 q- S
' p$ `# ]5 x Z1 h# c1 uWinning the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match made Jericho a six-time World Champion.
5 F9 x1 e! j: z: j$ N" P! [- k8 k
0 \6 v" K% y f1 m/ Q; \0 O+ E! W& ], F
' q/ m, R# z4 @
; ~4 p. @; u X+ t+ Z% M5 t! T1 l6 R/ o- ~$ n" ^8 N2 h/ o7 m* E
6 ` M/ X- x6 b% o, P b, f
, _% U# _! l7 Z" m2 ^& CJericho was at a loss for words upon his return to the WWE ring in January 2012.8 m" Z" E, j( H- K
8 w7 r4 X! k# [' M
* {( N5 Z( x+ Z) G% c2 L
* Z$ n( D9 v) x# x$ w
) D5 Z' w. }" m! [* a5 k" Y: H; C. P4 a2 R
WrestleMania XXVIII set the stage to find which Superstar was truly the "Best in the World."
& I9 K+ R9 Z# y5 k3 q2 y6 D0 M5 h5 C. C& A
: u% F# d. X2 C+ e* S6 K1 s) v$ Z" q3 v% K
WWE Champion CM Punk prevailed over his talented adversary, but Jericho didn't go quietly., G* ~$ ^) R, R; h7 Y" B/ ?. `
) _$ h6 o" m) _% k9 M2 [2 G8 U( @
5 u- B1 U0 E% }2 h! s- A
% T3 \3 {% J; v' R7 K! f7 X
Another challenge presented itself at The 25th Anniversary of SummerSlam in the form of Dolph Ziggler., j: Q2 ]4 _3 Q V% W) O. L
9 z5 }# c, @6 {: C
+ h k- T5 _ t q ]% x9 x( _- t' c* g4 T
However, Jericho held on to score a momentous win at The Hottest Event of the Summer. u( k; O2 d6 R" O
5 T, V# t2 O/ d5 q* c
3 J5 [4 O2 b4 W) P2 w
; f( u. D4 k7 u) G+ ?6 H; W/ FThe SummerSlam match combatants put their career prospects at stake the next night on Raw.
# M+ Q: F) k9 w; J8 G9 b* V, N C& ~; u
# e0 X; z& @; V( U
& P9 L& T& H' T0 [4 d
/ {/ @- ^, L4 L
% ?# t: K9 v+ n5 h1 v/ [, m) KWith a timely Zig Zag, Ziggler brought an abrupt end to the legendary career of Chris Jericho. |
|