Every Chris Jericho Reinvention Ranked From Worst To Best

4. Y2J

Reinvention Of Chris Jericho
WWE.com

Chris Jericho arrived in the WWF, in August 1999, as Y2J: the quintessential Superstar for the new millennium.

And he was a Superstar, even if his new masters attempted to beat it out of him for a few testing months: this version of Jericho wasn't too dissimilar to the man who in WCW anointed himself as the man to destroy the hegemony of the New World Order. With this hyper-arrogant character, Jericho was smart enough to play the long game. His verbal tirades against the white-hot WWF did not endear him to management nor his locker room peers, but he forged what would become a lifelong connection with the biggest audience in wrestling.

To them, Y2J was the platonic ideal of a professional wrestler.

All things to all fans, he carefully (and naturally) drew together everything that popped the main demographic into one incredible persona. He was a catchphrase generator, showman, aerialist, and technician. He intersected the action of the WCW Cruiserweight division and the star power of the WWF's heavyweights in a meticulous, genius approach to character work.

Aspects of it have dated - "Kirk Angel" was never funny - but he was smart enough to leave the persona where it belongs.

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!