5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Jan 12)
3. Chris Jericho: *****
One of the oldest-ever recipents to receive the honour, the 47 year-old Chris Jericho, some 28 years into his professional wrestling career, received his first-ever ***** rating from the venerable Wrestling Observer Newsletter following his Wrestle Kingdom triumph with Kenny Omega.
It's the subtext, more so than the achievement in itself, that is so astonishing here. So many - your writer included - wrote Jericho off. Never the smoothest worker, even in his physical prime, Jericho strained to keep up with AJ Styles in 2016, the year in which his deterioration became starkly apparent. He managed merely "good" from "phenomenal". Styles wrestled better matches with the Maharaja in 2017 than he did with the Ayatollah a year prior. This renaissance of the renaissance man was inconceivable. Legit insane.
Over the course of an incredible - and incredibly astute - New Japan Pro Wrestling stint, Chris Jericho has suddenly become one of most critically-acclaimed wrestlers in the industry as well as its objective biggest draw. That point may be contentious - but in an age in which the old pay-per-view model barely exists, Jericho driving the sheer number of New Japan World subscribers is a genuine, measurable feat of his drawing ability,
Ultimately, Jericho, in the span of just two months, has achieved the perception he has spent 28 years massaging. At time of writing, the man can lay a legitimate claim as the Best In The World At What He Does.