He’s been called by many names, “The Iatolla of Rock and Rolla”, “Loinheart”, “Y2J” and “The most charismatic showman to ever enter your living rooms via a television screen”, but Chris Jericho’s career had humble beginings. Born in New York and raised in Winnepeg Canada, he is the son of NHL legend Ted Irvine. At the age of 19 years old, and with little more than a dream, he left Winnepeg and headed to Calgary to train at the legendary Hart Family Wrestling School.
There, he met what would be his first tag team partner, Lance Storm, and would go on to meet fellow Hart Family graduate Chris Beniot. His early career took him all over the world, including places like Mexico, Germany, and Japan, where he worked for a company known as WAR. The pre-Y2J era was what people in the industry call “paying your dues”, meaning he worked very hard in great matches for very little money, and vertually no television exposure.
His first big break in the US happened with the help of James E. Cornette, who paired him with his fellow Schoolmate Lance Storm to form a tag team known as the Thrillseekers. Together, the duo feuded with Cornette’s own team the Heavenly Bodies in Cornette’s company, Smokey Mountian Wrestling. He later, would be recruited by Paul Heyman to wrestle for the Phillidelphia based ECW, where his debut match was against Taz.
His WCW career began shortly after his ECW debut, having only had 22 official matches for the Hardcore wrestling group. He held the Cruiserweight Championship several times and was the Television Champion as well before his stay with Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling was over. He then made his debut in Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation (or WWF), interrupting WWF superstar The Rock.
He has held several titles in what is now known as WWE or (World Wrestling Entertainment), including 6 World Title Reigns and an unheard of 9 Intercontinential Title reigns. ( Jerichoholics know about the 7th World Title reign, but it was erased from the record books) Whether fans have loved him or hated him, he has remained the larger than life professional, the megastar, and one of the most entertaining wrestlers any roster could boast of having. And, he is not done yet. His career is still going strong, with feuds against current superstars like Dolph Ziggler, CM Punk, John Cena, and others. This legend of wrestling is surely destined to take his place in the Hall Of Fame, and secure his immortality and legacy for all time.
As for the Scream Queen, I have been and always will be 100% grade A, pure Jerichoholic to the core. My only hope is that Chris Jericho continue to get the respect and admiration he truly deserves.
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