Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Chris Jericho
How Chris Jericho built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Chris Jericho, born Christopher Keith Irvine, is a highly acclaimed American-Canadian professional wrestler, musician, and actor. Currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) since 2019, where he leads The Learning Tree stable and holds the ROH World Championship in Ring of Honor. Renowned for his charismatic rock star persona, technical wrestling skills, and constant reinvention, Jericho is recognized as one of the greatest wrestlers in history. His contributions extend beyond wrestling, showcasing his talents in music and acting.
October 2, 1990: Wrestling Debut
On October 2, 1990, Chris Jericho made his wrestling debut as "Cowboy" Chris Jericho in Ponoka, Alberta, in a draw against Storm.
1991: Tours Japan with Storm
In 1991, Chris Jericho and Lance Storm began touring in Japan for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling as Sudden Impact.
1992: Competes in Mexico
In the winter of 1992, Chris Jericho traveled to Mexico and competed under the name Leon D'Oro.
March 1993: Appears with Universal Wrestling Association
In March 1993, Chris Jericho appeared with the Universal Wrestling Association.
April 1993: Begins Competing in CMLL
In April 1993, Chris Jericho began competing in Mexico's oldest promotion, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL).
November 1994: Loses NWA World Middleweight Championship
In November 1994, Ultimo Dragon defeated Chris Jericho for the NWA World Middleweight Championship.
1994: Reunited with Lance Storm
In 1994, Chris Jericho reunited with Lance Storm as The Thrillseekers in Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) promotion.
March 1995: Loses WAR International Junior Heavyweight Championship Tournament Final
In March 1995, Chris Jericho lost to Gedo in the final of a tournament to crown the inaugural WAR International Junior Heavyweight Champion.
July 1995: Mick Foley recommends Jericho to Heyman
In July 1995, after Mick Foley saw Chris Jericho's match against Ultimo Dragon for the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Championship and gave a tape of the match to Heyman.
September 1995: Final Appearance with CMLL
In September 1995, Chris Jericho made his final appearance with CMLL, unsuccessfully challenging Apolo Dantés for the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship.
December 1995: Competes in Super J-Cup Tournament
In December 1995, Chris Jericho competed in the second Super J-Cup tournament, defeating Hanzo Nakajima in the first round, but losing to Wild Pegasus in the second round.
1995: Joins Fuyuki-Gun
In 1995, Chris Jericho joined the heel stable Fuyuki-Gun with Hiromichi Fuyuki, Gedo, and Jado, adopting the name Lion Do.
February 1996: Begins Wrestling for ECW
In February 1996, Chris Jericho began wrestling for the Philadelphia-based Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) promotion.
July 1996: Final WAR Appearances
In July 1996, Chris Jericho made his final appearances with WAR.
August 1996: Final Appearance at The Doctor Is In
In August 1996, Chris Jericho made his final appearance at The Doctor Is In.
August 20, 1996: WCW Debut
On August 20, 1996, Chris Jericho debuted for WCW by defeating Mr. JL. This match was later broadcast on the August 31 episode of Saturday Night.
January 1997: NJPW Debut as Super Liger
In January 1997, Chris Jericho debuted for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as Super Liger, a masked nemesis of Jyushin Thunder Liger. The gimmick was quickly dropped due to a poorly received match.
June 28, 1997: WCW Cruiserweight Championship Win
On June 28, 1997, at the Saturday Nitro live event in Los Angeles, California, Chris Jericho defeated Syxx to win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship for the first time, marking his first championship win in WCW.
January 15, 1998: Title Shot Earned and Heel Turn
On the January 15, 1998, episode of Thunder, Chris Jericho defeated Eddie Guerrero to earn a title shot against Rey Mysterio Jr. for the Cruiserweight Championship at Souled Out. After winning the Cruiserweight Championship, Jericho turned heel by attacking Mysterio's knee with a toolbox.
March 12, 1998: Malenko defeated Wrestler Wearing Guerrero's Mask
On March 12, 1998, episode of Thunder, Malenko defeated Lenny Lane, who was bribed by Chris Jericho and wearing Juventud Guerrera's mask.
September 23, 1998: One-Night Return to NJPW
On September 23, 1998, Chris Jericho made a one-night-only return to NJPW at Big Wednesday, teaming with Black Tiger against Shinjiro Otani and Tatsuhito Takaiwa in a title match, which they lost.
1999: WWF Debut
Chris Jericho has a tattoo of himself from his WWF debut in 1999.
1999: Lead Vocalist of Fozzy
In 1999, Chris Jericho became the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Fozzy.
1999: Feud with Perry Saturn and Final WCW Match
In 1999, Chris Jericho began a feud with Perry Saturn, engaging in bizarre stipulation matches. Later, Jericho signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) on June 30. His final WCW match occurred on July 21 in Peoria, Illinois.
January 23, 2000: WWF Intercontinental Championship Win
On January 23, 2000, at the Royal Rumble, Chris Jericho defeated Chyna and Hardcore Holly in a Triple Threat match to become the sole WWF Intercontinental Champion. This was after a controversial co-champion decision with Chyna.
2000: Debut Album with Fozzy
In 2000, Chris Jericho's heavy metal band Fozzy released their debut album, marking the beginning of Jericho's career as a musician.
2000: WWE VHS release
In 2000, WWE released a VHS tape documenting Chris Jericho's career titled Break Down the Walls.
2000: European Championship Win and Title Loss
In 2000, at WrestleMania 2000 on April 2, Chris Jericho competed in a Triple Threat match and won the European Championship by pinning Chris Benoit. He lost the title the next night to Eddie Guerrero.
January 21, 2001: Intercontinental Championship Win
On January 21, 2001, at the Royal Rumble, Chris Jericho defeated Chris Benoit in a ladder match to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship for the fourth time.
2001: First Undisputed WWF Champion
In 2001, Chris Jericho became the first Undisputed WWF Champion, unifying the WWF and World titles by defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock on the same night.
January 20, 2002: Undisputed WWF Champion Retains Title
On January 20, 2002, at the Royal Rumble, Chris Jericho retained the Undisputed WWF Championship against The Rock.
January 13, 2003: Royal Rumble Entry Number Selected
On the January 13, 2003 episode of Raw, Chris Jericho won an over-the-top-rope challenge to select his entry number for the Royal Rumble match. He chose number two to start the match with Shawn Michaels.
March 14, 2004: Match at WrestleMania XX
On March 14, 2004, at WrestleMania XX, Christian defeated Chris Jericho after Trish Stratus "inadvertently" struck Jericho, leading to Christian getting the roll-up. Stratus then turned on Jericho, revealing that she and Christian were a couple.
January 9, 2005: Elimination Chamber at New Year's Revolution
On January 9, 2005, at New Year's Revolution, Chris Jericho competed in the Elimination Chamber for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Jericho started the match with Benoit and eliminated Edge, but was eliminated by Batista. Triple H won the match.
March 2005: The Rock of Jericho radio show
In March 2005, Chris Jericho started his own weekly XM Satellite Radio show called The Rock of Jericho, which aired Sunday nights on XM 41 The Boneyard.
2005: Iron Maiden Tribute Album and Dream Theater Guest Appearance
In 2005, Chris Jericho performed vocals on a cover of "The Evil That Men Do" on the Iron Maiden tribute album, Numbers from the Beast. He also made a guest appearance on Dream Theater's album, Systematic Chaos, on the song "Repentance".
May 2006: Appearances on VH1
In May 2006, Jericho appeared on VH1's "40 Greatest Metal Songs" and "Heavy: The Story of Metal" as a commentator.
June 24, 2006: Sci-Fi Channel Movie Debut
On June 24, 2006, Chris Jericho premiered in his first Sci-Fi Channel movie, Android Apocalypse, alongside Scott Bairstow and Joey Lawrence.
July 12, 2006: Appearance on "Attack of the Show!"
On July 12, 2006, Jericho made an appearance on G4's "Attack of the Show!".
2006: Stage Acting Debut and Hosting Sketch Comedy
In 2006, Chris Jericho debuted as a stage actor in the comedy play Opening Night at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. During his stay in Toronto, he also hosted the sketch comedy show Sunday Night Live with The Sketchersons.
2006: First Wrestler Interviewed for Bloodstained Memoirs
In 2006, Chris Jericho was the first wrestler attached and interviewed for the wrestling documentary, Bloodstained Memoirs. The interview was recorded in the UK during a Fozzy tour.
2006: Participation in Celebrity Duets
In 2006, Jericho was one of eight celebrities in the Fox Television singing reality show "Celebrity Duets", produced by Simon Cowell, and was the first contestant eliminated. Jericho worked at a McDonald's to show off his skills while prepping for the show.
September 24, 2007: WWE Promotes Jericho's Return
On September 24, 2007, WWE began promoting Chris Jericho's return with a viral marketing campaign using cryptic binary code videos, similar to the matrix digital rain used in "The Matrix" series.
October 25, 2007: Release of "A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex"
On October 25, 2007, Chris Jericho's autobiography, A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex, was released and became a New York Times bestseller. The book covers his life and wrestling career up to his debut in the WWE.
November 19, 2007: Return to WWE Television
On November 19, 2007, Chris Jericho returned to WWE television as a face, interrupting Randy Orton's "passing of the torch" ceremony and declaring his intention to reclaim the WWE Championship.
2007: Inspired by Anton Chigurh
In 2007, Chris Jericho created a new persona inspired by Javier Bardem's character Anton Chigurh from the film "No Country for Old Men".
January 27, 2008: Feud with JBL at Royal Rumble
On January 27, 2008, Chris Jericho faced JBL at the Royal Rumble, but was disqualified after hitting JBL with a steel chair.
April 2008: Involvement in Michaels-Batista Feud
In April 2008, Chris Jericho became involved in the feud between Shawn Michaels and Batista, suggesting Michaels enjoyed retiring Ric Flair, which led to Michaels attacking him. Jericho was then appointed as the special guest referee for the Batista-Michaels match at Backlash.
2008: Feud with Shawn Michaels
In 2008, Chris Jericho started a feud with Shawn Michaels, escalating to matches and attacks. This led to Jericho winning the World Heavyweight Championship later in the year.
2008: Feud of the Year
In 2008, Chris Jericho's feud with Shawn Michaels was named the "Feud of the Year" by Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Their ladder match at No Mercy was also named the "Match of the Year".
2008: Hosting Redemption Song
In 2008, Jericho hosted his own reality show titled "Redemption Song", in which 11 women tried their hand at getting into the music scene. It was shown on Fuse TV.
January 25, 2009: Royal Rumble Participation
On January 25, 2009, at the Royal Rumble, Chris Jericho participated in the Royal Rumble match but was eliminated by The Undertaker.
August 21, 2009: Second Appearance on "Attack of the Show!"
On August 21, 2009, Chris Jericho made a second appearance on "Attack of the Show!".
December 2009: Hosting VH1's 100 Most Shocking Music Moments
In December 2009, Jericho hosted VH1's "100 Most Shocking Music Moments", which began airing.
2009: Appearance in Albino Farm
In 2009, Chris Jericho appeared in the film Albino Farm, expanding his acting roles.
2009: Drafted to SmackDown Brand
In 2009, Chris Jericho was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the WWE draft.
2009: Guest Star on Aaron Stone
In 2009, Jericho guest starred as Billy "The Body Bag" Cobb in "Xero Control", an episode of the Disney XD original series "Aaron Stone".
January 4, 2010: Jeri-Show Lost Tag Titles to DX
On January 4, 2010, Jeri-Show lost the tag titles to D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels and Triple H) in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match. This event marked the end of Jeri-Show.
May 21, 2010: Appearance in MacGruber
On May 21, 2010, Chris Jericho made a brief appearance in the film MacGruber as Frank Korver, a former military teammate.
June 2010: Hosting Downfall
In June 2010, Jericho was named the host of the ABC prime-time game show "Downfall".
2010: Drafted to Raw Brand
In 2010, Chris Jericho was drafted to the Raw brand and formed a brief tag team with The Miz.
2010: World Heavyweight Championship Win
In 2010, Chris Jericho won the World Heavyweight Championship in an Elimination Chamber match, but later lost it to Jack Swagger.
February 16, 2011: Release of "Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps"
On February 16, 2011, Chris Jericho's second autobiography, Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps, was released, covering his wrestling career since his WWE debut.
March 1, 2011: Contestant on Dancing with the Stars
On March 1, 2011, Chris Jericho was named one of the contestants on the 2011 lineup of "Dancing with the Stars", partnered with Cheryl Burke. He was the fifth contestant eliminated on April 26.
November 2011: Cryptic vignettes promoting a wrestler's return aired
Beginning in November 2011, WWE aired cryptic vignettes promoting a wrestler's return, hinting at Chris Jericho's comeback.
January 2, 2012: Return on Raw SuperShow
On January 2, 2012, Chris Jericho made his appearance on Raw SuperShow after weeks of cryptic vignettes promoting his return.
January 2012: Co-ownership of Sports Training Facility
Since January 2012, Jericho (along with Tim Tebow, Derrick Brooks, and Chipper Jones) has been the co-owner of a sports training facility in Tampa, a franchise site of D1 Sports Training and Therapy.
January 17, 2012: Fourth Appearance on Attack of the Show!
On January 17, 2012, Jericho made his fourth appearance on "Attack of the Show!" in a segment called "Twitter Twister" where he portrayed a character called "The Twistercutioner" and read tweets as instructions for a game of Twister between Kevin and Candace.
February 26, 2013: Hosting Robot Combat League
On February 26, 2013, Jericho began hosting a robot combat competition program on SyFy titled "Robot Combat League".
October 29, 2013: Release of "But I'm Chris Jericho!"
On October 29, 2013, Jericho released a comedy web series loosely based on his life called "But I'm Chris Jericho!", in which he plays a former wrestler trying to make it as an actor.
December 2013: Launch of Talk Is Jericho Podcast
In December 2013, Jericho began hosting his own podcast, "Talk Is Jericho". Episodes usually include a loosely scripted monologue before an interview.
2013: Untold stories in 'The Best In The World...At What I Have No Idea'
In 2013, Chris Jericho began working on his third book 'The Best In The World...At What I Have No Idea', which covers some untold stories of the "Save Us" era, his Fozzy career, and his multiple returns from 2011 to 2013.
October 14, 2014: Release of "The Best In The World...At What I Have No Idea"
On October 14, 2014, Chris Jericho's third book, The Best In The World...At What I Have No Idea, was released, covering stories from the "Save Us" era, his Fozzy career, and returns from 2011 to 2013.
April 2015: Hosting Live! with Chris Jericho
In April 2015, Jericho hosted his own video podcast on the WWE Network, "Live! with Chris Jericho", with John Cena as his first guest, followed by Stephanie McMahon later that month.
April 23, 2015: End of Robot Combat League
On April 23, 2015, the TV series "Robot Combat League" ended. Chris Jericho was the host.
January 4, 2016: Full-Time In-Ring Return to WWE
On January 4, 2016, Chris Jericho returned to in-ring competition full-time on Raw, confronting The New Day.
2016: Starring in "Nine Legends"
In 2016, Jericho starred in the documentary film "Nine Legends" alongside Mike Tyson and other wrestlers.
August 29, 2017: Release of "No Is a Four-Letter Word: How I Failed Spelling but Succeeded in Life"
On August 29, 2017, Chris Jericho's fourth book, No Is a Four-Letter Word: How I Failed Spelling but Succeeded in Life, was released, detailing twenty valuable lessons he learned as a wrestler and musician.
November 5, 2017: Return to NJPW
On November 5, 2017, Chris Jericho returned to NJPW in a pre-taped vignette, challenging Kenny Omega to a match at Wrestle Kingdom 12 for Omega's IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.
2017: Launch of Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea
In 2017, Jericho launched "Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea", a cruise combining rock and wrestling with a vacation experience.
2017: "But I'm Chris Jericho!" Season 2
In 2017, the second season of Jericho's web series "But I'm Chris Jericho!" was produced by CBC and distributed over CBC's television app and CBC.ca.
August 2018: Cast in "KillRoy Was Here"
In August 2018, Jericho was confirmed to star in the film "KillRoy Was Here".
2018: "Talk Is Jericho" Moves to WestwoodOne
In 2018, Jericho's podcast, "Talk Is Jericho", moved to the WestwoodOne network.
2018: First Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea
In 2018, the first "Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea" sailed from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas, from October 27–31.
January 8, 2019: AEW Signing
On January 8, 2019, Chris Jericho made a surprise appearance at an All Elite Wrestling (AEW) media event, after which he signed a three-year performers contract with AEW.
January 2019: Joins AEW
In January 2019, Chris Jericho joined AEW and became the inaugural holder of the AEW World Championship in August of that year.
March 14, 2019: Cast in "Jay and Silent Bob Reboot"
On March 14, 2019, Kevin Smith cast Jericho as a KKK Grand Wizard in "Jay and Silent Bob Reboot".
August 10, 2019: Launch of WebIsJericho.com
On August 10, 2019, Jericho launched his own dirtsheet website called WebIsJericho.com, dedicated to the memory of Axl Rotten.
2019: WWE marquee draw
As of 2019, WWE had declared Chris Jericho a "marquee draw" with a reputation as one of the best ever, and he was one of the ten most prolific pay-per-view performers in the company's history.
2019: Best Box Office Draw
In 2019, Chris Jericho was voted as the Best Box Office Draw by readers of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
May 2020: Joins Movie Trivia Schmoedown
In May 2020, Jericho officially joined as a competitor of the Movie Trivia Schmoedown under manager Roxy Striar in the Roxstars faction.
2020: Second Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea
In 2020, Chris Jericho hosted a second cruise, "Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea Part Deux: Second Wave", which ran from January 20–24.
February 3, 2021: Tag Team Victory
On February 3, 2021, on the Beach Break episode of Dynamite, Chris Jericho and MJF won a tag team battle royal to become the number one contenders for the AEW World Tag Team Championship.
2021: Scheduled Third Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea
In 2021, a third cruise, "Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea Triple Whammy", was scheduled for October 21–25.
March 6, 2022: Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston at Revolution
On March 6, 2022, at Revolution, Chris Jericho was defeated by Eddie Kingston, after which Jericho refused to shake Kingston's hand.
June 27, 2022: Raw Appearance via Video Message
On June 27, 2022, Chris Jericho appeared via video message on Raw to congratulate John Cena on his career.
2022: Competition in The Masked Singer
In 2022, Jericho competed in season eight of "The Masked Singer" as "Bride". He was eliminated on "Comedy Roast Night".
January 8, 2023: PWG Debut
On January 8, 2023, Chris Jericho debuted for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) as part of PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2023 night 2. He teamed with the Jericho Appreciation Society (Daniel Garcia, Angelo Parker, Matt Menard and Sammy Guevara) to defeat Jonathan Gresham, Kevin Blackwood, Michael Oku, Player Uno, and SB Kento in a ten-man tag team match.
August 9, 2023: Jericho Appreciation Society Disbands
On August 9, 2023, during an episode of Dynamite, all members of the Jericho Appreciation Society, with the exception of Sammy Guevara, walked out on Chris Jericho due to his association with Don Callis, effectively disbanding the stable.
December 2023: Omega's health issues end The Golden Jets
In December 2023, Kenny Omega was diagnosed with diverticulitis and was forced to take time off from wrestling, which effectively ended the tag team known as The Golden Jets, which he formed with Chris Jericho.
2023: Charitable Donations
In 2023, Jericho donated $10,000 to Damar Hamlin's charity, initially misspelling his name and donating an additional $5,000 to correct it. He also donated to victims of the Alberta forest fires and Brian Knobbs' knee surgery.
January 13, 2024: AEW World Tag Team Championships challenge
On January 13, 2024, at Battle of the Belts IX, Le Sex Gods, consisting of Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara, unsuccessfully challenged Ricky Starks and Big Bill for the AEW World Tag Team Championships due to interference from Hobbs and Takeshita.
February 2024: Revival of the Lionheart persona
In February 2024, Chris Jericho revived his "Lionheart" persona, showcasing a return to a character he has previously portrayed in his career.
March 2024: Attempt to form a mentorship with Hook
Starting in March 2024, Chris Jericho began attempts to establish a mentor-student relationship with Hook, which was ultimately rebuffed, leading to a match between the two at Dynasty.
October 23, 2024: ROH World Championship victory
On October 23, 2024, Chris Jericho defeated Mark Briscoe in a Ladder War on Dynamite to win the ROH World Championship for the second time. This victory marked his ninth overall world title and he adopted the nickname "The Nueve".
February 22, 2025: ROH World Championship defense
On February 22, 2025, during an episode of Collision, Chris Jericho successfully defended his ROH World Championship title against Bandido.
December 2025: Contract extension with AEW
In December 2025, Chris Jericho's contract extension with AEW is set to expire, a contract that saw him take on roles as a coach and creative consultant, in addition to being an in-ring performer.
Mentioned in this timeline
John Cena is an American actor and professional wrestler signed...
McDonald's is an American multinational fast food chain established in...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
World Wrestling Entertainment WWE is a prominent American professional wrestling...
Elizabeth II reigned as Queen of the United Kingdom and...
Ric Flair born Richard Morgan Fliehr is a highly celebrated...
Trending
38 minutes ago College Board Restructures: Staff Cuts and Trustee Stability at Waubonsee College
38 minutes ago Henderson and Witt Jr. Compete, FOCO Releases Henderson Bobblehead.
39 minutes ago Tega Cay councilman censured after Rittenhouse Facebook post: Controversy and repercussions unfold.
2 hours ago Bruce Bochy Celebrates 70th Birthday with Rangers, Grandson's First Pitch Highlights
2 hours ago Simpson College President Jay Byers passes away unexpectedly at the age of 54.
2 hours ago Rayan Cherki transfer: Manchester United eyes Lyon's wonderkid amidst Liverpool pursuit rumors.
Popular
Doug Ford is a Canadian politician and businessman currently serving...
The Real ID Act of is a US federal law...
Justin Trudeau served as the rd Prime Minister of Canada...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
Bernard Bernie Sanders is a prominent American politician currently serving...
Michael Jordan also known as MJ is a celebrated American...