Every Chris Jericho Reinvention Ranked From Worst To Best
12. Lionheart
Lionheart marked Jericho's first true departure from the fanny rat soft Rocker that was his Thrillseeker team with Lance Storm, and he used it in two, similar contexts: as a long-haired, prideful babyface in Mexico, and as a nickname he carried with him to ECW, to which he arrived on the word-of-mouth buzz he generated in WAR in Japan.
Jericho often tells a funny story ahead of his debut working for Carlos Elizondo.
A fan poll was to dictate his ring name, between 'He-Man' and 'Lionheart'; Jericho was relieved to learn that Lionheart won out, but less relieved to discover just how few people cared to vote.
Jericho's work in Mexico wasn't excellent, but he credits his time there (and specifically the mentorship of Paco Alonso) with giving him the confidence that drove his subsequent career. That confidence saw him wrestle a breakthrough series with Último Dragón in WAR, a tape of which found its way into the hands of Paul Heyman.
As the fairly generic babyface Lionheart, Jericho's work impressed WCW officials enough to land him a gig there. He debuted as that fairly generic babyface, but left as the hottest property in the industry.