10 Life-Saving Wrestling Moments

5. Chris Jericho's Genius Instincts

Braun Strowman
WWE

The roles were reversed years later.

Jeff Hardy was prone to sloppiness and all pro wrestlers f*ck up routine spots. In a racket as dangerous as pro wrestling, even muscle memory can betray the most tenured of performers. In this 2009 SmackDown match, Jeff Hardy quickly ascended the turnbuckle to perform his whisper in the wind aerial attack. He lost his footing at a crucial moment. The predicted trajectory was terrifying; Hardy in slipping may have fallen backwards and spiked himself head-first into the canvas with little ability to control his fall.

Mercifully, Chris Jericho sprinted forward and aimed a hard shove into Hardy's back, allowing him time to grab the top rope and avert disaster. Under Jericho's expert thinking, this almost scanned as a defensive move - an attempt to crotch Hardy on the turnbuckle. That may have been the planned spot, but it's not clear because it all unfolded so quickly. Scrutinised closely, and it becomes clear that Jeff might have saved himself, had Jericho not intervened.

But this doesn't detract from Jericho's quick, conscientious thinking.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!