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“He came, he saw, he put them over”. There is nothing to be said about Chris Jericho that hasn’t already been said before.
Chris Jericho isn’t just one of the greatest wrestlers/performers/entertainers in professional wrestling history, adjusting and adapting himself to whatever the situation demanded, but he is also one of the very few ‘megastars’ to want what is best for the business.
You have very few legends who’re willing to put over the younger talent, legends like The Undertaker, Kane and now, Chris Jericho. It is almost unimaginable to see someone performing solely to put the youngsters over. Chris Jericho has been in this business for over two decades and knows first-hand how hard it is for the youngsters to make it in an industry where all the top guys are more worried about preserving their ‘spots’ on the roster.
When Jericho came to WCW, he understood the politics that happen behind the curtains. Guys like Nash, Hogan, Hall etc. were more interested and invested in being the top guys in the company, so much so that they ‘buried’ the younger talent.
Hogan, till date believes he’s the answer to the organization’s woes, and would rather put himself as the face of the company over another youngster!
So in a business which consumes the sanity of an individual and lures him into stealing the spotlight at any cost, Chris Jericho is one of those few who willingly put the youngsters over. Chris Jericho, to his credit, can still out-perform every single individual on the roster, as witnessed by his latest match against Rob Van Dam this week on RAW!
It comes as no surprise that Jericho is one of the most respected individuals backstage for his passion and love for the business.
Reports have already emerged about Jericho leaving the WWE once again, to tour with his band and take care of his other ventures. Jericho comes back to WWE only if/when he believes he can be of some help to the business, an industry which gave Jericho his name and fame.
Unlike other individuals who try to move on to greener pastures, using professional wrestling as a stepping stone to get into Hollywood and never giving back to the business, Jericho understands that he owes his success to the industry.
It can also be argued that Jericho gave more to the business than the business has given to him. With Jericho being multi talented, performing in ‘Dancing with the stars’ to hosting game shows to being a rock star, he brings a lot of eyes to the WWE when he returns, and thus, helps the industry by getting more fans involved in the product.
Chris Jericho doesn’t believe in winning titles. Last year, he came back to the WWE to help CM Punk in getting over as a legitimate champion, and he did just that. After an intense feud with the Second City Saint which involved things getting personal, with Jericho showering Punk with alcohol and bringing his family into the feud, Jericho lost to Punk at WrestleMania, and ended the feud by putting him over.
This not only solidified Punk as a legitimate champion, but also went a long way in Punk holding the title for 434 days, the longest in over 25 years! Jericho also put Fandango over, losing to him in his debut match at WrestleMania, something which no veteran would be willing to do!
This underlines the character of Jericho, who is arguably one of the greatest wrestlers to come out of Canada. When you name top ten WWE superstars in history, Jericho will be in the pick for most of the fans and critics.
Jericho has said time and again that professional wrestling is his passion, and that professional wrestling made Chris Jericho. With Jericho leaving the WWE once again, it will leave a huge void until Jericho decides to come back again, maybe for one final run before he hangs up his boots for good.
Jericho will always be remembered as one of professional wrestling’s favourite sons, and as one of the greatest names the business has ever produced.
