10 Times Chris Jericho Shocked The Wrestling World

3. Challenging And Assaulting Kenny Omega

Chris Jericho Rey Mysterio
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Chris Jericho seemed to realise a long time ago that n wrestling, if somebody can't be the best at something, it's worth trying to be the first. Along with the many unique skills he possess as pro wrestler, he's also prided himself on being something of a tastemaker. The video reveal of his impending arrival in New Japan Pro Wrestling was yet another example of this.

Few could have believably skipped town from WWE to make a splash in NJPW without the in-built respect of 'Y2J', but even less would have had the gumption to ask Vince McMahon's permission in the first place.

Given a blessing from his boss, Jericho rocked up ahead of schedule, surprising 'The Best Bout Machine' at World Tag League 2017 ahead of their 'Alpha Vs Omega' clash at Wrestle Kingdom 12. His bloody assault reframed their potential technical masterclass as a hardcore war, moving the goalposts for the benefit of the elder Jericho and unlocking a dark dimension he'd mine for glorious foul-mouthed content over the next few months.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 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 over 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 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana 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