10 Times Wrestlers Called Out Their Own BS

7. Chris Jericho

HHH Paige
AEW

Chris Jericho evolved into a superstar in the Land of the Giants and was so encased in the bubble that he once vowed never to work beyond it.

He wasn't quite Fedpilled - as an entrepreneur, he took several periods off to front Fozzy and dance with the stars - but such an epic stint in WWE was always going to condition him somewhat.

After venturing outside and cupping his ear to the buzz generated by the Elite, Jericho in 2018 was revitalised as a sadistic entertainment machine in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He was in bravura heel form, screaming "F*ckface!" at hapless reporters and unleashing a new brawling style brimming with chaotic energy. There was no going back - saying "F*ckface!" was so much more life-affirming than "Rooty Tooty Booty!" - and Jericho soon agreed to help launch the All Elite Wrestling venture.

There, he was aghast at three acts imported from an independent scene he couldn't reconcile. Marko Stunt insulted his sensibilities. He was too small even for a man once thought had a ceiling over his own head. He couldn't buy Chuck Taylor's...distinct physique. Orange Cassidy meanwhile threw off his wavelength entirely: the detached irony of his act didn't wash with Jericho, who came up in an era in which kayfabe was sacrosanct, at least internally.

Jericho in his own words "pulled his head out of his ass" and soon recognised Stunt's value as a sympathetic bumping machine, Taylor's ring generalship, and Cassidy's à la mode disposition.

Over is over, and there was money to be made.

Contributor
Contributor

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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!