Despite several runs as a heel, Chris Jericho's first tenure in WWE - from 1999 to 2005 - saw the star progress from being a talented up-and-comer to one of the most popular wrestlers in the world. When Jericho left the company, citing burnout, fans were unsure if the beloved superstar would ever return, but in late 2007, he finally came back to WWE. Jericho, with his gelled-up hair and flashy vests, seemed like he was clinging onto past glories in 2007 and early 2008. Not getting anywhere, the former "Ayatollah of Rock and Roll-ah" completely reinvented himself. After viciously attacking Shawn Michaels to turn heel, Jericho dropped every bit of flash and humour from his persona. Taking inspiration from former AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel and No Country For Old Men's Anton Chigurh, Jericho began donning expensive suits and speaking in measured tones, with big words thrown in for emphasis. The change revitalized Jericho's career, proving that the former Undisputed WWE Champion was a chameleon capable of staying relevant no matter what the wrestling landscape looked like. His feud with Michaels became legendary and soon earned Jericho a pair of World Heavyweight Championships, with a third coming in 2010. Though his reigns weren't lengthy (all three totalled barely 100 days), Jericho as World Champion was a revelation of character and performance.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
