Chris Jericho is one of the most legendary personalities in the WWE. Find out more about the wrestler and rockstar, including his net worth.
Christopher Irvine, AKA Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho, Christopher Keith Irvine in real life, was born on the 9th of November in 1970. Although he is known to be a native of Winnipeg in Canada, Jericho was actually born in Manhasset, New York. His parents are Ted Irvine and Loretta Vivian Irvine. Jericho’s father Ted was a professional ice hockey player who was a part of the New York Rangers. That’s why their family spent some time living in New York. Jericho and his family returned to Winnipeg when his father retired from his NHL career in the late ’70s. Jericho attended the Red River Community College in Winnipeg where he studied creative communications. He graduated from his course with top honors. The wrestler currently resides in Tampa, Florida with his wife Jessica Lockhart, their son Ash Edward, and twin daughters Sierra Loretta and Cheyenne Lee.
Early beginnings as a wrestler
Growing up in Winnipeg, Chris Jericho started to develop an interest in professional wrestling after attending live events at the Winnipeg Arena. Jericho was also inspired by a fellow Canadian wrestler, the late Owen Hart. He also looked up to other popular pro-wrestlers such as “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. When Jericho was 19 years old, he entered the Hart Brothers School of Wrestling, more commonly known as the Hart Dungeon. This wrestling school in Calgary was run by the Hart family, which is where Jericho’s wrestling inspiration, Owen Hart, came from. Jericho made his wrestling debut at an independent wrestling show where he was billed as “Cowboy” Chris Jericho. Here’s an interesting fact. Do you know the inspiration behind the ring name “Chris Jericho”? It was the album “Walls of Jericho” by a German metal band called Helloween. Jericho would later use “Walls of Jericho” as the name of his submission finisher. Throughout the 90’s, Jericho competed in various independent promotions, including Calgary’s Canadian National Wrestling Alliance and Canadian Rocky Mountain Wrestling. He also wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in Mexico and Genichiro Tenryu’s Wrestling and Romance in Japan. Jericho also gained popularity for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
WWE career and championships
In the WWE, Chris Jericho is known as one of the greatest superstars of all time. His career has spanned over two decades and the WWE superstar shows no signs of slowing down.
Y2J and the “Attitude Era”
Chris Jericho made a huge impact when he debuted on the WWE, then known as WWF, in 1999. Jericho adopted the nickname “Y2J” and established his character as a heel. Most wrestling fans probably still remember his memorable debut where Jericho declared, “Raw Is Jericho.” A few months after his debut on Raw, Jericho entered into a feud with female wrestler Chyna. He won his first title in the WWE after defeating Chyna for the Intercontinental Championship. Jericho lost the title the following year but went on to win the European Championship and the WWF Championship. He is also famous for becoming the very first Undisputed WWF Champion. Jericho entered several storylines with other WWE superstars including Kurt Angle, Triple H, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Shawn Michaels. Whether as a heel or face, Jericho’s matches were well-received by wrestling fans. He became one of the most well-known figures of the WWE’s Attitude Era.
Recent storylines and championship
Chris Jericho might be older than most WWE superstars on the current roster, but that doesn’t mean his career is slowing down. In 2016, Jericho was drafted to the Raw brand where he was one of the top heels. He went on to win the United States Championship twice in early 2017. Jericho eventually had to drop the title to go on a tour with his band Fozzy.
Wrestling persona
Chris Jericho is known in the WWE for his exaggerated wrestling persona. A lot of people will probably agree that Jericho is one of the best when it comes to cutting promos. He frequently uses the catchphrase “stupid idiot” and puts people on the “List of Jericho.” Jericho is also a technical wrestler who is proficient in submission holds like his finisher “Walls of Jericho”, which is a modified Boston crab. Jericho’s most recent theme song in the WWE is called “Break Down the Walls.”
“Alpha vs. Omega” in Japan
In early 2018, Jericho went to Japan for a match against Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12. Although he lost, wrestling fans and critics praised the match. Jericho used the theme song “Judas” which was performed by his own band Fozzy.
A man of many talents
Chris Jericho is not just a legend in the ring. He is also involved in a bunch of other activities outside the squared circle. Did you know that he competed on “Dancing with the Stars” and starred in the movie “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!”? He is also a musician, an author, and a business owner. Read on to know just how impressive Jericho is.
Music
Chris Jericho is a musician. He has been the lead vocalist for American metal band Fozzy since 1999. Their most current record is called “Judas” which was released in 2017.
Movies
Chris Jericho is primarily a wrestler and a rockstar, but he doesn’t shy away from appearing in movies. He has appeared in movies like “Albino Farm,” “MacGruber,” and “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!”
TV shows
Aside from WWE’s Raw and SmackDown Life, Chris Jericho has made appearances in other TV shows. He showed off his dance skills when he competed in the 12th season of “Dancing with the Stars” where he survived until the 6th week. Jericho was also interviewed a few times by Jimmy Fallon when he appeared as a guest on “Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.”
Other activities
Chris Jericho is also an author. He has written four autobiographical books. His most recent publication is called “No Is a Four-Letter Word: How I Failed Spelling but Succeeded in Life.” Jericho also hosts a podcast and co-owns D1 Sports Training and Therapy. Clearly, Y2J never runs out of things to do.
Net worth
The self-proclaimed “The Best In The World At What He Does” continues to be successful as a wrestler, thanks to his ability to reinvent his character and to compete against other legendary wrestlers. Jericho’s net worth reflects not only his success in the ring, but also his accomplishments as the lead singer of Fozzy and as a best-selling author. Currently, his net worth is at $18 million.
Social media
Just like other professional wrestlers, Chris Jericho is very active on social media. He has over 3 million Twitter followers and over 2 million Instagram followers. Jericho is fond of replying to his followers on Twitter. You can follow Y2J on Twitter @IAmJericho and on Instagram @chrisjerichofozzy.
