10 Great Wrestling Matches Made Up On The Fly

4. Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Steamboat (WWE House Show - 19 July 2009)

Chris Jericho Ricky Steamboat Backlash 2009
WWE.com

Respect is everything in pro wrestling, and Chris Jericho had (and probably still has) all the respect in the world for Ricky Steamboat. In 2009, Jericho lived a lifelong dream by stepping into the ring with the 'Dragon' at WrestleMania XXV and Backlash. WWE were so impressed by the ageless Steamboat that they booked a house show series between them too.

On 19 July '09, Jericho doffed his cap to a childhood hero in the most classy way possible.

After delivering the planned Codebreaker finish, Y2J leaned in and encouraged Ricky to kick out so fans in South Carolina would pop hard. This, as Jericho later explained on his podcast, wasn't in the booking for the match - it was something he decided to call on the fly to heighten the drama and give fans in an old Steamboat stronghold something to cheer for.

Then, Jericho muttered, "WrestleMania III finish" to his hero, lifted Ricky for a slam and slickly rolled into a small package counter for the Steamboat win. It sent the crowd wild, and was the ultimate show of deference towards a legend.

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.