10 Wrestlers Who Didn't Peak In The WrestleMania Main Event

9. Chris Jericho

Jericho Jericho
WWE.com

WrestleMania main event:

WrestleMania X8, 2002, in a headline non-attraction that could not hope to generate any interest following the all-time classic that was Hollywood Hogan Vs. The Rock, in which eras collided in a spellbinding dream match so powerful and so deafening that it remains the only euphoric byproduct of WWE's post-Attitude Era monopoly. Everything about that match was unforgettable; in contrast, Chris Jericho and Triple H probably worked a good main event to little heat.

Nobody remembers.

REALLY peaked as a performer at:

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12, 2018. Chris Jericho was always a master of reinvention, but this match was genuinely transformative. It was smoke and mirrors and a blistering NJPW in-house main event, all at once, in which Jericho entered a bravura, recockulously entertaining heel performance. His grating mimicry of "Keennnyyyyyy's" fans, bird flips, and Young Lion assaults informed the holy-sh*t catharsis of Omega smashing him with a double foot stomp from a scaffold. Onto a table.

It took the New Japan epic, injected it with an overdose of unadulterated fun, and the smash success of the match - a huge number of westerners subscribed to New Japan World on its strength - further compelled Tony Khan to proceed with his idea to fund a brand new pro wrestling entity.

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 current Undisputed WWE 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!