Every Chris Jericho Reinvention Ranked From Worst To Best

12. Lionheart

Reinvention Of Chris Jericho
WWE.com

Lionheart marked Jericho's first true departure from the fanny rat soft Rocker that was his Thrillseeker team with Lance Storm, and he used it in two, similar contexts: as a long-haired, prideful babyface in Mexico, and as a nickname he carried with him to ECW, to which he arrived on the word-of-mouth buzz he generated in WAR in Japan.

Jericho often tells a funny story ahead of his debut working for Carlos Elizondo.

A fan poll was to dictate his ring name, between 'He-Man' and 'Lionheart'; Jericho was relieved to learn that Lionheart won out, but less relieved to discover just how few people cared to vote.

Jericho's work in Mexico wasn't excellent, but he credits his time there (and specifically the mentorship of Paco Alonso) with giving him the confidence that drove his subsequent career. That confidence saw him wrestle a breakthrough series with Último Dragón in WAR, a tape of which found its way into the hands of Paul Heyman.

As the fairly generic babyface Lionheart, Jericho's work impressed WCW officials enough to land him a gig there. He debuted as that fairly generic babyface, but left as the hottest property in the industry.

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!