When most wrestling fans picture Chris Jericho, images of his fleeting appearances in WWE instantly spring to mind, as do his rock band, Fozzy. These days, when 'Y2J' comes back around, it's normally to work with some of the rising heels in the company, hopefully leading to them being more over by association with a performer such as Jericho. In 2008, during a feud with Shawn Michaels, Jericho began to turn from the 'Ayatollah Of Rock And Rolla' into something completely different. Gone were the extravagant ring attires, vanished were the catchphrases, and in their place, a stoic, grumbling man in a black suit, who reminded everyone that he had them all figured out. By far, this period of Jericho's career is one of his finest - there were still many who wished to cheer him, but how could they like someone who constantly referred to them as obnoxious words, such as 'troglodytes'. Never pandering to the audience only made Chris Jericho even more hated, and he'd stand for moments at a time in the ring, sometimes without saying a word, infuriating fans. Insulting the fans is a sure fire way to get cheap heat, but don't let that - ironically - cheapen what Jericho achieved with the character. His feud with Michaels was a definite highlight of the year, go check out their Ladder Match from No Mercy 2008 for evidence.
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.
