The WWF Debut of "Y2J" Chris Jericho
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2020
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The debut of Chris Jericho in the WWF is fondly remembered as one of the greatest pro wrestling debuts in history. Chris Jericho had made a name for himself in various promotions but he became popular during his time in Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling. After a planned Goldberg match never happened, Chris decided to leave WCW and join the WWF in 1999.
To bring Chris Jericho into the company, a Millennium countdown clock was shown on WWF television for weeks, counting down the time until Chris was ready to show up on Raw. The clock reached zero when The Rock was in the ring, Chris Jericho introduced himself as Y2J, and the rest is history. What you may be surprised to find out though is that Chris Jericho's WWF debut wasn't as smooth as many believe it was, Chris was having some issues backstage in the WWF, and this video from Wrestling Bios tells the complete story of Chris Jericho's famous WWF debut.
Topics covered in this video include:
01:29 - Chris Jericho before the WWE
04:07 - Y2J and the the millennium clock
06:47 - The WWF debut of Chris Jericho on Raw
11:20 - Chris Jericho interrupts The Undertaker on Raw
13:20 - Chris Jericho's first WWF match
15:43 - Chris Jericho's issues with Chyna and Triple H
- Much More!
#WWE #Documentary #Wrestling - Sport
Jericho is really knows what he is doing.he left WCW at the best time possible and now he left wwe at the best time possible.
Good Point!
Yeah, smart man that Jericho.
Left the 2nd time at the right time too
He is, Wrestlestradamus.
I agree. Great point!!
I remember the promo with Taker. He was talking about dark spiritual stuff and Jericho walks out and said "Personification of evil?...more like personification of boredom" 😂 I always remembered that line because it made me actually laugh out loud
It didn't help Taker that his promo was also incredibely boring
@@exe2517 Why didn't Jericho's WWF beef with Ken Shamrock last?.
@@steventopper9310 coz Shamrock bolted pretty quickly after Jericho joined
Jericho catching flak for saying that is precisely why he had trouble in WWF/E. That's what made Jericho so awesome in WCW he was just able to riff, and the more arrogant he was the more heat he got.
I don't like Jericho's backstage arrogance, but as an entertainer he's great and creative. Love the list of finisher names, my favorites are:
Big Finish
Y-2-3
The J Factor
Millenium Buster
Turn of the Century
Jericoil
Everybody talks about WCW Backstage politics. But WWF sure as hell weren't that clean either themselves. Another Fantastic video btw.
Why would they be?he came from the number 1 rival company,I have to agree with what was said about taker in that sense,at least things worked out for the best though
@@poopsyko True. I mean just look at many of the WCW guys that came for the Invasion angle. DDP was a huge example of someone coming from a rival company and trying to give notes to Taker. Look what happened to his career. Though Taker's promo that night wasn't the best.
True, but at least the WWF gave him multiple chances against top stars. They new he could cut good promos but they also wanted him to get accustomed to backstage politics.
The difference is WWF/E were willing to work with mid card talent, and a number of the top guys actually didn't have giant egos. Undertaker would pretty much work with anyone, so long as you didn't disrespect him (though he have a drama period during the Invasion era) and The Rock is just about the nicest guy you could run with. Meanwhile, WcW had the likes of Hogan, Goldberg, Nash and Hall who pretty much refused to job to anyone.
True but WWF and WCW were like 2 zoo's one had the animals running all over the place and the zoo keeper was trying to be one of the animals and listening to them the other zoo had the animals where they needed to be and the zoo keeper ran the zoo
The crowd pop is awesome when his name shows on the titantron. Still very cool moment to relive
This should be a series of everytime Jerhico has come back and what changes he made
Yeah, he's essentially the David Bowie of wrestling.
Matt Hardy has joined the conversation
Man I don’t remember Y2J having a shaky start, I just remember the hype and loving the character.
There’s no bigger way to debut than to interrupt the great one!! 🔥
Jericho had more in ring talent in his little pinky then goldberg did in his entire body.
Perhaps, but you have to remember that Goldberg looked like a Superstar that would draw in the crowds with his physique, presence, and charisma. Jericho, while a great worker was never going to draw in the same way a Goldberg did in his prime.
Dude stop hating on goldberg. Not everybody needs to be a technical workrate guy in order to get over. Larger than life characters will always draw more than technical workrate guys anyday
@@camerondalton1495 Goldberg relied too much on his size and strength, he started to get a bit boring during the end of wcw career. At least Chris was fun to watch and cut good promos.
@@Narrowcros Perhaps, but that was the appeal of Goldberg though. People didn't watch him for his ability to cut all-star promos, they wanted to see Goldberg go in and destroy the competition. You're right that Jericho was the all-around better performer, but Golberg had the all-important look and larger than life presence that is seriously lacking in wrestling today.
@@kingsosa2481 Don't get me, I love all styles and types of Pro Wrestling/Wrestlers. But how many "workrate" guys ever got to the top. And the ones that did, how long did they stay there? I'm talking the modern era, btw. Say, 1970 to present.
Man, I remember watching this on TV, to this day it still gives me goosebumps to hear that crowd roar the moment "JERICHO" flashes across the Titantron. I didn't really watch WCW so I didn't know much about Jericho, but when the crowd exploded I thought "Okay, this guy must be a big deal, let's see how this goes..." and I ended up being totally hooked; absolutely one of the greatest of all time, and my personal favourite ever, and it all began that night on RAW.
I feel you on that man. I was watching Raw at my friends house and remember seeing the countdowns every week. When he debuted interrupting the Rock I just got the sense that this guy must be a big deal. Had no clue who Chris Jericho was but the way they brought him in sent the message : audience you should be paying attention to this guy. Very well done. The buildup, the music everything. Nothing like putting your friend into the Walls of Jericho back in the day !!
Jericho & Kane had the best WWF debuts hands down.
@@shithawk89 Haha rko and walls of jericho have to be the most universally used moves by wwe fans
@@MarvoloSalazarwe called it the lion tamer back in the day when he wrestled for wcw lol
One of the most memorable wrestling Debuts.
100% and with so much pressure too ! Interrupting the face of the company
Agreed
My personal favourite debut!
Nothing will ever be more memorable than The Shockmaster (for all the wrong reasons, obviously.)
@@SatoshiKongif youre under 30 you saw it on You Tube 😂😂😂
I was so surprised when this happened, back when the internet wasn’t as big as it is now and there weren’t any spoilers.
Apparently the wwe had announced what day Y2J would make his debut,on their website a month before. It was kind of a test to see how much ppl were paying attention to websites.
I was already such a Jericho fan from his WCW run. I marked out so hard when Chris came out to interrupt the Rock. Still find Jericho so entertaining now in AEW. What a career. One of the GOAT’s for sure
No you didn’t. You are lying to be both cool and hip.
The GOAT!
@@sherrix6881 shut up!
@@sahilarora850 🚫
@@sherrix6881 I still have my Monday Night Jericho WCW shirt.
I don't even watch wrestling anymore, haven't in about 20 years, but I still occasionally rewatch this moment... Best debut ever... 1 of the best wrestling moments ever
so you weren't a wrestling fan..just watched it when it was p[popular
@@laoch5658 I was a huge fan, but Shawn Michaels was my favorite wrestler & the main reason I watched, so I slowly but surely started tuning out after he retired post mania 14...
@@billepperson2662 So you haven't watched his match against the Undertaker on WrestleMania 25?
@@nikiardo oh of COURSE I made sure to see that & the rematch @ 26, 2 of the best matches I've seen in my life, hands down... Good looking out, on making sure I saw that one 👍
Still get goosebumps watching it. The "Jericho" shows up and that YEAHHH pop is just insane. I am sure they enhanced it for the TV, but the reaction was genuine, the whole scenery just perfect.
The Rock and Jericho had some really great segments whenever they were on the same screen.
That pop from the crowd at his WWF debut says it all
Jericho calling Dean Malenko "Stinko Malenko" was comedy freakin' gold.
Before the internet spoiled everything. I remember this like it was yesterday. The glory days of wrestling
He certainly had some balls trying to upstage the Rock on his very first night in the company.
Then going after Taker and Big Show the week after
Go after the top guys, that’s how you make a name for yourself!
Agreed take the head off the body will fall he is the reason why I went from WCW to WWF
Yet he became the first undisputed champion and held it for quite some time
@@brandonrichardson4111he beat both Rock and Austin the same night to become THE Undisputed Champ. I believe it was at Vengeance (Dec. 2000 or 2001?)
The main thing I learned in this video is just how ambitious Jericho is. No wonder the guy became one of the biggest wrestling stars. I really wanted to see that Goldberg-Jericho match in WCW too.
I love that he wrote down "Doomsday Device" for his finisher suggestions. :P
My wife and I met Chris at a book signing for Undisputed. Not just an amazing talent in the ring, but a REAL guy outside of it. An honest person who will openly discuss pretty much anything with someone who is willing to treat him like a "regular" person. We were very impressed with him, both in ring, and in real life. If you ever get a chance to meet him, I highly recommend doing so.
I loved Jericho with Ralphus in WCW. 😂. They had the most fun and funniest ever Jericho moments for me. You should do a whole video just on Ralphus.
Good videos, Wrestling Bios.
100% agree. I wish Ralphus had come to WWF with Jericho. Ralphus was hilarious and at the same time was a naturally gifted athlete!
Break the Walls will always give me goosebumps because of his debut
I do agree about calling Undertaker boring and saying people were sleeping was not a smart move. Undertaker was a great character, but sometimes he wasn't that quick witted on the mic. I remember this interview with Big Show, he said something like this is going to be Armageddon. I was like ugh, because I thought the interview was boring, and when Jericho said it I got the feeling he was shooting. Kind of funny it's mentioned, and I remembered that. I think guys like Taker and Show believed that Chris thought he was a better interview and more entertaining.
That debut pop though 🤯
Honestly, the walls of Jericho is one of the best finishing move names. It works in different ways, incorporating his ring name, its a biblical reference while Jericho himself is a Christian. It just works
Not just that, one of Chris Jericho's favorite metal albums is Helloween's The Walls of Jericho.
WELCOME TO RAWWWW IIIIS JERICHIOOO
I didnt know who he was...
still marked out
I need that shirt to go along with my Monday Night Jericho shirt.
Great video. It's funny how critical Chris was of his first 2 promo cuts. For one, the facial expressions he made during the Rock shoot, to me that's Jericho. He's flamboyant and a wild card. I've always equated Jericho to the WWE's David Lee Roth. Constantly in movement with emotions. The disrespect to the Undertaker is also ridiculous. Anyone who had beef with Jericho was too comfortable being catered to at WWE and Jericho was the fresh breath of life that it needed.
His debut was the very first WWF (WWE) show I had ever watched. My dad was a big wrestling fan at the time but I didn’t care really care for it until that one night. I was bored and decided to watch it and after that night I was hooked. Between Jericho, The Rock, and Stone Cold becoming my favorite. I don’t watch it anymore but it was a huge part of my teenage years. Just hate that I missed out on the best years of the attitude era as 1999 was toward the end of it and it was going toward the “Ruthless Aggression” Era at that time.
Jericho is one of the best ever look how hes reinvented himself since 1999 so many times, also I would love to see the rock 1999 the rock 2000/2001 as he's my favourite
Jericho was one of my favorites in the late 90s/early 00s. His WWF debut may have been the best flip of the era. Looking forward to chapter 2!!
jericho's debut was not just good as a gimmick but showed that with the right push, you actually can get somebody over and also hitting above their previous weight class. he fit in better with the attitude era than the nwo did a few years later
Love his undisputed title run. It was a shame it was so short, he was a great heel!
When Chris Jericho was making a name for himself with his skills and great promos in WCW, then suddenly he was then nowhere to be seen on Nitro, I had that gut feeling that he would soon turn up in what was the WWF. So when the countdown came to an end and the introduction music came on with Break the Walls down. I was ecstatic. The roar from the Chicago crowd when the name JERICHO appeared was deafening and incredible
Yep. Nitro only gave mic time to nWo.
I also want to say the man of a 1001 holds had me keeled over laughing. He was the best
*1004* not 1001
Wcw Jericho, best Jericho
@@justinwood6407 mr p (_!_)X
That was golden especially they had to cut to commercial
1004* Armbar 😉
That POP at his name was deafening.
The loudest WWF/WWE debut I've ever heard.
He was my favorite before I knew anything about faces or heels.. Jericho is known worldwide
Brilliant time in wrestling !! Attitude era peak 🔥
Still one of the loudest pops I ever heard!! He's a genius, and can sing pretty well too!!
Y2J is the absolute goat he’s done everything in the industry
This was the Littest debut of all time. The crowd went nuts. And I still remember watching this live on TV. I couldn't give a hell about wcw, and barely knew much about CJ, but the atmosphere and that countdown for weeks made it undeniable.
If Goldberg wouldn’t have had such a huge ego and undeserved sense of accomplishment, he could’ve been an even bigger star than he was, even after he lost the streak. He could’ve been on, say, the Rock’s level if he would’ve let guys like Jericho do the heavy lifting and put him over.
I don't know, Goldbergs was already a huge star and Jericho was just a cruiserweight at the time. Afterall Golderberg ran through everyone on the roster so it probably would've hurt his aura of dominance to struggle against Jericho during that part of his career. Also, I think even Jericho said the plan was to have Goldberg squash him, though I could be wrong.
@@camerondalton1495 Dude! That is what putting over is all about. Or at least giving someone a deserving match, just like what The Undertaker gave to Jeff Hardy during that ladder match which elevated Jeff Hardy right away as a singles competitor and The Undertaker was a heel at that time, something that makes it even more respectable. Goldberg on the other hand was a babyface and could have easily helped Jericho grow in ranks to a top level with such a small step, but his damn ego came in between and ruined it for everyone.
Few examples - Mankind losing to triple H.
Mick Foley putting over Randy Orton.
Mick Foley losing to Edge.
Bret Hart putting over Shawn Michaels.
Chris Benoit putting over Randy Orton.
Chris jericho putting over Dean Ambrose.
Chris Jericho putting over Kevin Owens.
Chris jericho putting over Bray wyatt.
Chris jericho putting over Fandango.
Chris jericho putting over AJ Styles.
Chris jericho even putting over Chyna. What more can you ask for.
Chris Jericho putting over John Cena.
The Rock losing to Chris Jericho.
The Rock losing to Chris benoit.
The Rock losing to Brock Lesnar.
The Rock losing to Hurricane.
The Rock losing to even Goldberg which was completely opposite of what should have happened if you see it.
The Rock was WWF/WWE's biggest star at the moment. And Bill was WCW's.
WWF/WWE could have easily got the win for The Rock to solidify their brand image and to show that their brand was always dominant, still The Rock chose to lose to help the other guy, which if Triple H would have been their, he wouldn't have done. Actually, Triple H did just the opposite.
So this is what putting over means. And this is the only way The Business runs.
@@sahilarora850 True, but the ultimate result was for Goldberg to squash him. He was in the hottest run of his career as well.
One of my top 5 favorite pro wrestlers of all time. Looking forward to your other documentaries on Y2J.
Also, please do a complete history of Christian. He's my #1.
Jericho is a class act. Right up there with the Rock for sure!
I'm watching this in anticipation of Jericho's WWF debut on RTW tomorrow. One of my favorites
jericho was out here predicting the future back then
" television ratings down word spiral" "ppv buy rates , plummeting" "the steady stream of uninteresting , untalented , mediocre , sports entertainer , who you're forced to cheer for and care for"
I remember when my little brothers friend came over with a taped episode of WWF superstars from the night before and our minds were just blown. I rewatched it immediately after
This deserves a part 2❗️❗️💯
I remember back in 2014 I took a flight from LA to RDU, when I enter the plane I saw Chris Jericho sitting on 1st class and I was like OMFG!! but did not approached him or anything. When we landed I went to the restroom (it was a 5 hour flight) and he was there again taking a piss.
I thought about approaching him and telling him that I was big fan of his WWF & WCW career , but I remembered that I saw a video of him getting into a brawl with fans while back so I did not wanted to provoke him. But he started washing his hands besides me and stared at me a lot, not sure if he was expecting me to say something but I just walked away LOL.
just re-watched his debut and yep.... chills down my spine
I remember looking at the WWF website at the time and seeing an article about Chris Jericho arriving at Titan Towers. Was excited as all hell when his name showed on the titantron!
Gotta love all of the metal names he thought of for the walls of jericho. I remember when I was really young and thought that was a biblical reference, and then when I realized it was the first Helloween album, I loved him.
THAT INTRO MUSIC THOUGH!
AGAINNNN!!!
BREAK THE WALLS DOWWWWWWN
The main things I remember feeling watching Jericho's WWF debut live:
1. Wow, pretty cool Titantron
2. Dude's somehow gotten even better on the mic since WCW
3. Those unruly strands of hair are really getting on my nerves for some reason
That debut was probably the best ever. I remember watching it live on Raw.
I love Jericho. He's such an unique performer. Like a good wine he gets even better the older he becomes. The best wrestler I have ever seen. Truly the 🐐
One of my favorite debuts ever
Loved Chris Jericho one of my favorite wrestlers ever
What an awesome debut and the promos Rock and Jericho did off each other
Chris' debut is the best I've seen in WWF/E and seeing his constant evolution he is easily in my top 3 of favourite wrestlers of all time.
I can't wait till the next part of this, I had no idea Jericho was looked down on so much back stage
The best part of Y2J's debut, was Rock asking him his name :)
I was there that night. Still gives me chills.
You know exactly what we need in these sad times America is living in right now. Thank you wrestling bios! Still fighting for the bio behind the man of wrestling bios!
he wasnt really my favourite wrestlers, but he is definitely one of the greatest wrestlers ever. good face, good heel, on mic, skills. the total package. and him moving from company to company, makes him interesting.
Funny thing is I was watching his debut and all of his returns yesterday and today I get blessed with this video 😁
Chris Jericho and Cactus Jack WWF debuts are probably my top 2 favorites.
One of the most memorable if not the most memorable. EVER!
Jericho and Kane top 2 debuts of all time
One of the most awesome, unforgettable debuts in any wrestling promotion! Even though my buddies and I knew that it was Jericho associated with the countdown clock, it was still incredible to see. To debut in a segment with The Rock, it didn't get much better than that. Damn, hard to believe that Chris's debut took place nearly 21 years ago!
jericho was amazing.best talker.best in the world.what he does.
Big fan of Jericho. Best debut ever. WCW did it to themselves.
I really wish they went with “Jerichonium of Pain” for his finisher. That list is incredible.
When it comes to wrestling you can't really please everybody and it's easy to get hung up on all the what ifs but watching back Jericho vs. Guerrero at Fall Brawl 97 the fact thatboth guys had WWF title runs along with Benoit is unbelievable. I remember watching them when I was 6-7 years old and yeah the cruiserweight division was damn hypnotizing, unless it was Sting, Bret Hart or Randy Savage I'd usually stop watching at the main event.
I remember thinking that the countdown clock was actually until Jan 1, 2000, until August 9th, 1999 just before Raw and it showed less than an hour and a half, and I was like whaaaaat?
I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE REST OF THIS.
"The Heroes Welcome" is an awesome name for a finisher from that list. Kassius Ohno should call his discuss elbow this.
"Hero's Welcome" is what he called his version of the rolling cutter
Jericho: taker hey I'm coming in hard with my promo. Like all out.
Taker: sure kid show me what you got.
Jericho: the fans are so bored of undertake and big show, I am here to bring entertainment back.
Taker: 😭😭 he was so mean to me
OOF... at least Vince took the verbal beating that Heyman gave to him during the Invasion Storyline though... that was definitely Brutal lol
A True Legend Of Wrestling
Time to watch his debut 100 more times after this. When that name came up on the titantron, I was the only person that marked out in my friend's house and he was biased towards WWF and only knew bigger WCW wrestlers.
I was so pumped watching this on tv. Jericho was one of my favs from wcw and when he switched and they pushed him I was so pumped cus he deserved it.
He was supposed to be in the WrestleMania 2000 fatal four way. Instead he took part in arguably the best match that night vs Benoit & Angle.
It's a shame he didn't get another run with the belt after losing the title to HHH.
I remember seeing on a website that he was signed but I didn't know he was gonna be the clock until I saw those signs. One of the best debuts ever...
I absolutely love how respectfully you talk and present, @WrestlingBios.
Legitimately, thank you so much for no negative connotations throughout, making your commentary an easy listen lol
I would love it if you could cover Chris Benoit's US Title Victories/Defences.
I honestly think it gelled and added so much to the Ruthless Aggression Era and brought upon prestige to the US Title, which is only really revived a little, thanks to MVP.
Or even all the feuds/matches that Kurt Angle has had against Chris Benoit, solely due to the fact that whenever they got into the Ring, it was ALWAYS a 5 Star Match!!
Hopeful that you notice the comment, thanks again for such amazing Content!
The rollout to his debut was one of the best
I definitely want more Y2J videos 😎👍
If Jericho wasn't in AEW right now, I would totally believe he is the "Smackdown Hacker".
Starting watching this channel a couple of months back. You do some outstanding work my friend! Thanks!
I've been a huge fan of Jericho since WCW, and I thought that debut was maybe the best ever. I found out later about his struggles in WWF during this time, but I would never have guessed. I thought he was a big star getting a big push, who would have thought?
It's funny how Jericho's debut promo describes the WWE today nearly perfectly.
I remember falling in love with Jericho! I thought that he was just so talented and funny!
I was at the Milwaukee show. Y2J’s second show. That show was awesome. Got to meet him in 2019 😍
Hell yeah. One of my favorites!
Good video. Looking forward to more Jericho from you.
jericho Is ......JERICHO!!!
UNTOUCHABLE.......🤘💎🤘
When is part 2? Loved it when he beat Trple H for the title on Raw but decision was revered. Great angle that never followed through
This video completely took my mind off of all the crazy stuff thats going on in America... thanks, bro.. i needed the therapy
I still remember my cousin telling me Chris Jericho was leaving WCW for WWF back in the summer of 1999, and his new gimmick was going to be...... The Blue Blazer. I shat you not!
This was a surprise to me as well. I've never understood why people would want to get on their website or some other website and get leaked information and just spoil it for themselves. The experience and the surprises in wrestling is what makes it great.
You have been pumping out some quality content lately!! Thank you for all your hard work, it is appreciated!!