When Chris Jericho, the frontman for Fozzy, first entered the World Wrestling Federation in 1999, the height of the wrestler notably surprised Vince McMahon. This week marks the silver jubilee of when Jericho first set foot in the ring, his debut marked by his audacious interruption of The Rock during a Monday Night RAW promo.
Jim Ross, on a recent episode of his podcast “Grilling JR”, delved deep into the memories of Jericho’s debut and McMahon’s primary reaction to the newly signed wrestler from WCW. Recalling the incident, Ross notes,
“It was indeed a great catch for us. Chris was seasoned, a veteran. In such a setting as professional wrestling, he comprehended all the minuscule intricacies of achieving and maintaining stardom. He undeniably ranks among one of my best signees. I distinctly remember Vince startled at Jericho’s perceived shorter stature.”
“Chris’ signing proved beneficial for us and continued to do so for an extended period. He was exceptionally productive, contributed significantly to the company’s profit, just as he’s doing currently with AEW. Despite his age, he continues to participate extensively in wrestling. His enthusiasm, his readiness to take any assignment, his readiness to wrestle with anyone, is an aspect I highly admire about him.”
Chris Jericho, despite McMahon’s initial misgivings about his height of five-foot-eleven, emerged as one of WWE’s key players, even becoming a multi-time World Champion.
In 2019, Jericho decided to switch allegiances, joining AEW, where he had the honor of becoming the first AEW World Champion. Currently, he enjoys his premiere reign as FTW Champion.
[youtube link for Chris Jericho’s WWE Debut]
Overall, despite any doubts, the success of Chris Jericho both as a top star within WWE and as a notable champion within AEW affirms his importance within professional wrestling.