BY: DIGITAL WAX MEDIA STAFF
In the greater conversation of “the best of all time,” there are certain names which are unavoidable. From Ric Flair, Steve Austin, and The Rock to Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, and . Bret Hart, the debate can quickly become crowded. Of course, these discussions are subjective, and where one lands with regard to the issue is contingent upon one’s own criteria.
What is it that rings your bell, so to speak, about a top-tier performer? Do you look for technical skill? Charisma and promo ability? Sheer athleticism? Championship reigns? Regardless of which category you tend lean toward, there’s one performer who seemingly checks every box but seldom gets a serious nod in the conversation. That man is Chris Jericho.
It’s a tricky issue. Because Chris Jericho does get some begrudging recognition these days, and he is seemingly getting his flowers in some regard. But how often are you hearing him seriously being considered alongside the names above? Yet he could out-wrestle the likes of Hulk, Austin, Rock, Flair and Taker, particularly from a technical standpoint, while still telling a compelling story.
He could talk circles around most of the bunch, and his longevity and consistency eclipse each of them with the possible exception of Undertaker. It’s also important to note that Jericho has been able to reinvent himself time and time again. Continued to be a draw and achieve success after becoming a main-eventer, grabbing the heavyweight gold, and being re-relegated to mid-card status.
He could fly with the cruiserweights and brawl with the big men. His transition from light heavyweight to credible world champion was not only believable, it was practically seamless. His ring psychology was sharp. His execution was clean, and his submission arsenal, anchored by the Liontamer and Walls of Jericho, was both crowd-pleasing and mechanically sound.
He’s hung with the best technical wrestlers out there, putting on clinics with the likes of Chris Benoit. He’s proven his capacity as an a-list star, becoming the first-ever undisputed champion in WWE and putting on absolute clinics with the likes of “The Showstopper” Shawn Michaels.
His promo and character work impeccable, and he’s reinvented himself dozens of times while maintaining the heart of his character. Chris Jericho is perhaps the most broadly skilled and versatile professional wrestler there has ever been with the exception of Kurt Angle. So, why is it that so many seem reluctant to acknowledge the guy at all? With a career spanning more than three decades across nearly every major promotion of his era—WWE, WCW, NJPW, AEW, a litany of significant title runs, and proven ability to work a crowd, what’s left to prove?
And as far as sheer entertainment? the man is, by any reasonable metric, one of the greatest talkers in wrestling. There’s something to be said for that kind of range.
His AEW run has added what one might consider an essential chapter to a legacy that continues to expand. Jericho had every opportunity and right to call it day, content with what he had built. Instead he would work to help legitimize a fledgling wrestling brand and elevate younger talent while continuing to work at a high level.
Some suggest Jericho’s size has been a factor in the greater narrative surrounding his qualifications as an all-time great superstar. Billed at 6’0” – just above average height – he didn’t quite fit the profile of what Vince McMcmahon considered necessary for a “face-of-the-company” star. Triple H, in a 2013 promo cut on Daniel Bryan, actually lumped Jericho in other highly popular competitors like Edge and Rob Van Dam, stating that they weren’t guys around which you could build an empire.
The résumé doesn’t lie though. In the scheme of your standard “GOAT” contenders, the only other competitors who can run the gambit from in-ring execution and career success to effective mic work arguably are Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. And Jericho has remained healthy and balanced enough to outlast even them several times over.
He may not be everyone’s favorite choice, but one would be remiss to neglect the Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla in any reasonably structured dialogue regarding the greatest to ever step into the squared circle and entertain the people.
Photo: Chris Jericho by Miguel Discart under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
Digital Wax 