10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Chris Jericho

4. Vince McMahon Dissed His First World Title Reign

Chris Jericho Vengeance 2001
WWE.com

‘How do you know the business is going down the toilet? Because we’re putting the belt on Jericho’.

Those were the sentiments of Vince McMahon, otherwise known as, y'know, the single most powerful man in the industry, hours before Chris Jericho beat The Rock and Steve Austin on the same night to become the first ever Undisputed Champion. Right before his biggest achievement yet at Vengeance 2001, Y2J was riddled with self-doubt.

The fact McMahon had said his joke in front of a locker room leader like The Undertaker in catering must have left Jericho reeling too. Talk about demotivation, this was a whole new level of the stuff.

Vince's words were baffling and strange. He was about to make Jericho his first ever Undisputed Champ, and that feat could never be repeated. As Jericho left catering and got changed for his big moment, he wrote in his book that he couldn't believe what McMahon had said.

Why would the boss want to give him the title if he didn't think he was capable of holding it?

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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.