8 Ways Chris Jericho Has Reinvented Himself During His Career
He's not a stupid idiot when it comes to keeping himself fresh.
Chris Jericho is currently enjoying one of the best runs of his 25 year career. And we really have been drinking in the gift of Jericho. It's the gift that keeps on giving.
With one foot in the entertainment world and an eye on what's happening in popular culture, Jericho has managed to keep his character fresh and relevant in 2016. Even more incredible, his work this year has made Jericho one of the hottest stars on the roster, a whole 17 years after his WWE debut.
From his ever more ridiculous scarves to his cries of 'stupid idiot', Jericho has become so popular in his current guise that his original plan to only stick around until WrestleMania in April has morphed into him staying put in WWE for almost the whole year.
And then came the List. Oh, the List. The brainchild of ROH wrestler turned WWE writer Jimmy Jacobs, the List of Jericho has taken on a life of its own and become a 'must see' segment each week on Raw.
Jericho has become renowned for reinventing his character and his style so as to keep himself fresh and it's quite possible that no wrestler has been able to adapt himself for an audience, quite like him.
And while his role as Kevin Owens' best friend, list writing, stupid idiot will go down as one of his most beloved character changes, it may not even be his best.
Here are eight other times when Chris Jericho reinvented himself.
8. Lionheart
The first major wrestling persona of Jericho's career, 'Lionheart' was what he became known as during his time in CMLL in Mexico.
It was as Lionheart that Jericho first made a real impression on the wrestling landscape. He had an 11-month reign as NWA Middleweight champ, while his time with Fuyuki-Gun (aka. Team No Respect) for WAR in Japan alongside Hiromichi Fuyuki, Gedo, and Jado, is one many people look back on with great fondness.
A run in ECW also came around this time, with Lionheart making his first impact in the U.S. Although he only spent a year there, he won the ECW Television Championship and quickly became a fan favourite.
He then signed with WCW and, sadly, his bland babyface Lionheart persona was no longer doing the business. Fortunately, a frustrated Jericho was able to use that to his advantage and, as he would so often in his career, he was able to reinvent himself with a great heel persona.