Christopher Keith Irvine

Biography

Christopher Keith Irvine, better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor who signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2019, where he became the inaugural AEW World Champion. Noted for his over-the-top "rock star" persona, his in-ring technical wrestling prowess, and his ability to reinvent his character throughout the course of his career, Jericho has been named by journalists and industry colleagues as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. During the 1990s, Chris Jericho competed in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and promotions across Canada, Japan, and Mexico before debuting in World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later renamed WWE 2002) in 1999, later becoming the first Undisputed WWF Champion in 2001 by defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock on the same night, headlining major events including WrestleMania X8, helping pioneer matches like TLC and Elimination Chamber, earning induction into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2010, and winning multiple world titles, a record nine Intercontinental Championships, becoming the ninth Triple Crown and fourth Grand Slam Champion, and earning Slammy Awards including 2008 Superstar of the Year and 2009 Tag Team of the Year with Big Show as Jeri-Show. After his departure from WWE in 2018, Jericho signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he became a one-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, becoming the first man to have held both the WWE and IWGP versions of the Intercontinental Championship. In January 2019, Jericho signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and became the inaugural holder of the AEW World Championship in August of that year. While in AEW, Jericho would also capture the ROH World Championship, the main title of AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor, twice and the FTW Championship. In 1999, Jericho became the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Fozzy, who released their eponymous debut album the following year. The group's early work is composed largely of cover versions, although they have focused primarily on original material from their third album, All That Remains (2005), onward. Jericho has also appeared on numerous television shows over the years, including the 2011 season of Dancing with the Stars. He hosted the ABC game show Downfall, the 2011 edition of the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, and the UK's Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in 2012 and 2017.