Every Chris Jericho Reinvention Ranked From Worst To Best

7. The Silent Man

Reinvention Of Chris Jericho
WWE.com

"Welcome to RAW is Jericho."

"You will never, ever, be the same ag-ayn!"

"I'm the best in the world at what I do."

"I am the ayatollah of rock and rolla."

"Would you please shut the hell up?"

Chris Jericho, a catchphrase king, used his soundbites to make an instant connection with the audience. In 2012, after a prolonged absence from WWE television, he returned in an inspired angle in which he said nothing at all. As CM Punk's heel opponent at WrestleMania XXVIII, he needed to disconnect from his enduring favourite persona to play the role. This informed the theme of his vignettes, too, which, spooky in tone, suggested the imminent debut of a supernatural character. Jericho resurfaced on the January 2, 2012 RAW as the man who left: a smiling, charismatic version of his former self.

But he smiled for too long, and basked in the atmosphere too long, in an excellent troll-job in which he effectively turned heel without performing a single heel mannerism. There was perhaps an element of this being too smart for its own good - the resounding boos never materialised - and the weight behind the new character was lacking, when he failed to win the Royal Rumble.

But there was a real legacy storytelling artistry to this, uneven results aside: the copycat of 2003 had become the original "Best".

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!