10 Wrestlers That Love Their Lives Too Much To Retire

6. Chris Jericho

Rob Van Dam
Instagram/@allelitewrestling

For the want of "a little bit of the bubbly" Chris Jericho gave All Elite Wrestling one of the best possible starts to life as a wrestling force to be reckoned with, on engagement alone.

The soundbite went viral as f*ck, arm-in-arm with the bizarre tale of 'The Painmaker' legitimately having his prize pilfered whilst celebrating the win. This was 'Nature Boy' stuff in an era that seemed immune to it, but Jericho was the rounded professional to carry such a story.

Presumed to be on the part-timers tour with WWE forever, Jericho spotted a unique and unprecedented opportunity in 2017. Following through on his decision to work New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 12, helping to boost Tokyo Dome attendance and NJPW World subscribers in equal measure. A tantalising one-off turned into a run that exists to this day, and a bond with The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega that resulted in him taking an even bigger gamble at September 2018's All Out.

The AEW primer was a turning point and an indication that Jericho wasn't going to be chased off American soil for not working for his usual employers. An inch-perfect choice for first All Elite Wrestling Heavyweight Champion, his most recent character reinvention is one of his best, yet feels like it can't possiblt be his last.

In this post: 
Rob Van Dam
 
Posted On: 
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