#6 – Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho was a WCW who was able to adapt to a WWE style in the midst of the Attitude Era. He was able to find a place in the Invasion, and pretty much defined the Intercontinental Championship during the brand split. When he left to make it big with Fozzy, knowing the Y2J character had run its course, he returned years later to again evolve, creating the No Country for Old Men-inspired, slow-talking, self-righteous Jericho. His feud with Shawn Michaels was the last great rivalry of the previous Era, and ushered in the change to PG.
What I love about Chris is that he is timeless. Whatever he’s doing, he’ll find a way to do it well. Pro wrestling, being a rock star, dancing on prime time television, writing books – he’s the best in the world at whatever he does. That may be a little ambitious a catchphrase, but it’s more or less a reflection of reality. When the WWE went PG, he was able to adapt. He won world titles. He teamed with Big Show to form an unexpectedly entertaining duo, winning gold.
In recent years, Jericho has come and gone, pursuing all his passions and creating even more outlets for his creativity, like his podcast Talk is Jericho. This is just my opinion, but Y2J is the most multidimensional WWE Superstar in wrestling history. He understands the business, and whenever he comes back he’s able to adapt and put on good-to-great matches the crowd always gets behind.
