10 Reasons Why Chris Jericho’s Post-WWE Run Is His Best Ever

7. Intercontinental History

Chris Jericho AEW
NJPW

Defeating Tetsuya Naito with such dominance didn't just solidify Chris Jericho as a key player in New Japan Pro Wrestling - it allowed him to make global wrestling history in the process.

Claiming the Los Ingobernables de Japon leader's Intercontinental Championship, he became the first man to proudly hold the IWGP and WWE versions of the secondary strap.

Of course, the two titles have no linked lineage to speak of, but the 'Alpha' effectively created one by virtue of the win. A record-setting Intercontinental Champion in WWE, Jericho was the performer most associated with the ugliest version of the belt thanks to his multiple reigns with the oval gold.

The white-strapped beauty he clung to for several months in NJPW has no link to its North American namesake, but it was a slice of wrestling trivia only a jet-setter like Jericho could stumble upon until Shinsuke Nakamura found himself in possession of the WWE prize.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back almost 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett