20 Things You Learn Watching WWE Since 1997

On August 9, 1999, Chris Jericho made his WWE debut, arriving live on Raw to interrupt The Rock. In that moment, Jericho became a greater star than he ever was in WCW, and became guaranteed to succeed in his new home. He told fans, "You've been led to believe that mediocrity is excellence. Uh-uh. Jericho is excellence."

It's been nearly 18 years since then, and it hasn't always been smooth sailing for Jericho. He's been burned out and taken absences from the company, and many could argue that - through no fault of his own - he never got as big as he should have been. Still, over the course of the time that I've been watching WWE, there's been no performer more innovative or consistent.

Jericho became a massive babyface not long after he debuted, but would turn throughout the years. His first major reinvention came in 2008, though, when he completely eschewed his flashy old character in favor of a Nick Bockwinkel-meets-Anton Chigurh hybrid. That made him a world champion again, and future reinventions - like his current list-toting human meme - have kept him relevant into his middle age.