When Chris Jericho told Daniel Bryan to develop some new catchphrases, Bryan’s response wasn’t “YES!” Perhaps the former World Heavyweight Champion should take Jericho up on his advice. As he showed recently on Raw SuperShow, Jericho has crafted a cadre of catchy comments that have endeared him to the WWE Universe for more than a decade. Join WWE.com as we recall five of the best “Y2J-isms.”
From the moment his “Countdown to the Millennium” ended and he made his WWE debut ( WATCH), Chris Jericho made it clear that he believed the Monday night spotlight should be on him. He interrupted one of the biggest Superstars in history, The Rock, to declare that WWE’s flagship show was now … well, him.
Over the years, Jericho has created many unforgettable Raw moments that would give him good reason to petition WWE to formally change the name of the show. From his explosive debut and returns to his thrilling Undisputed WWE Championship Match against Triple H to the grilling he put his fellow Superstars through on his “Highlight Reel,” Chris Jericho has proven that Monday nights are just a bit more exciting when “Raw is Jericho!”
He doesn't have Adamantium claws and mutant healing powers like a certain other “best in the world at what he does.” When it comes to in-ring competition, however, few can top Chris Jericho … and he isn’t shy about letting people know it. ( WATCH)
After capturing the World Heavyweight Title in 2008, Jericho was quick to declare himself “the best in the world at what I do.” His numerous championship reigns certainly back up his claim to a moniker he’s vociferous in defending. In fact, it was his motivation in returning to WWE in 2012, as he believed WWE Champion CM Punk was unworthy of calling himself “Best in the World,” and set out to destroy The Straight Edge Superstar.
Jericho rarely lets his rivals get a word in edgewise. However, should they be lucky enough to sneak in a dig at him, the former World Champion is quick to tell them what they can do.
It doesn’t matter if it was the newest rookie on the WWE roster or The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment, Chris Jericho has never been afraid to speak his mind. In fact, it was early in his WWE career, during a side-by-side interview with The Rock, that Jericho silenced The Great One, setting off a back-and-forth between the two that made the WWE Universe realize Y2J was no joke. ( WATCH)
Jericho has always set out to make change. Whether it’s updating his look or embarrassing his opponents in the ring, it has been the goal of WWE’s first-ever Undisputed Champion to make sure no one ever forgets him. Therefore, it’s not surprising Chris Jericho created a catchphrase for it.
During his second-ever WWE appearance, he daringly interrupted The Undertaker and Big Show ( WATCH), then claimed that he was here to save the WWE Universe from boredom. Jericho felt that upon his arrival, WWE would “never, EEEEVER be the same again!” He definitely made sure that happened, earning a myriad of championships and establishing a bond with the WWE Universe that few Superstars have attained.
It’s quite obvious that Chris Jericho has a very high opinion of himself. If you’re not sure of it, just ask him. But his sky-high self-esteem often results in condescension toward his rivals in the ring. It begins before the bell ring, as soon as Jericho grabs the microphone.
To assert his dominance over opponents, Jericho prefers to verbally decimate them, then finish off by calling them “Junior.” It’s not the flashiest weapon in Jericho’s verbal arsenal, but it gets the job done, letting his rivals know exactly where the former World Champion sees them in comparison to him. ( WATCH)