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Top 50 Chris Jericho Rivalries

Guess what? You just made the list... of Chris Jericho rivalries!

 

A seven-time World Champion, Jericho has competed in WWF/E, WCW, AEW, ECW, SMW, WAR and NJPW among other promotions during his legendary career. A future Hall of Famer, Jericho has competed against almost all of the top names during his run.

For this list, we're focusing on storyline rivalries Jericho had with wrestlers and non-wrestlers alike, not speculating on what may have happened backstage..

In counting down the Top 50 Chris Jericho Rivalries, Wrestling Merchandise and Memories looked at the following criteria:

 

  • How prominent was the rivarly?

  • What type of stage(s) did it play out on?

  • How memorable were the matches and/or segments?

  • How much did the rivalry do to advance either person's career?

 

If you'd like to be a part of this conversation, Tweet us at @canadianbulldog using the hashtag #Top50, or leave a comment below.

 

Ready? Here we go!

50.

Adam Page

At the first All Out PPV in 2019, Adam Page met Chris Jericho in the main event to determine the inaugural AEW World Champion. After Jericho won, he formed The Inner Circle, a group at odds with Page's membership in The Elite.

48.

Matt Hardy

Debuting in the WWF within a relatively short time of each other, Chris Jericho and Matt Hardy had their fair share of battles throughout the 2000s. Broken Matt followed Jericho into AEW in 2020 and renewed their rivalry.

46.

Negro Casas

During his early days in Mexico's CMLL promotion, Chris Jericho (as Corazon De Leon) was often matched against Negro Casas. The two battled in singles and tag team matches, including when Jericho became NWA Middleweight Champion.

44.

Tetsuya Naito

The night after his appearance at Wrestle Kingdom XII in 2018, Chris Jericho returned to NJPW to attack Tetsuya Naito. The two battled at the Dominion show in June, in which Jericho defeated Naito for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.

42.

Chavo Guerrero Jr. 

In 1998,  one of the most persistent challengers to Chris Jericho's WCW Cruiserweight Championship was Chavo Guerrero Jr. In one  encounter on Thunder, Jericho destroyed Chavo's hobby horse mascot Pepe, leading to an attack by an even larger hobby horse.

40.

Rhyno

When Rhyno was part of The Alliance, Stephanie McMahon handpicked The Man Beast to go after Chris Jericho at SummerSlam 2001. After Jericho handily defeated Rhyno at the event, the two would clash numerous times, including for the WWF Hardcore Title.

38.

William Regal

In 2001, Chris Jericho drew the ire of WWF Commissioner William Regal by peeing in his teapot backstage and dressing up as Doink The Clown. These antics led to a match at WrestleMania XVII, which Jericho won.

36.

Nick Patrick

Yes, we're fully aware that Nick Patrick was a referee. Shortly after the nWo was created, Patrick began officiating matches with an obvious bias towards the nWo. Enter Chris Jericho, who challenged Patrick to a match at WCW's World War III PPV in 1996, where, with one arm tied behind his back, Jericho still won.

34.

Kevin Nash

The rivalry between WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash and Chris Jericho began in 2003 on Jericho's Highlight Reel talk show, in which Y2J referred to Nash "nashhole". Later, the two had a Hair vs. Hair Match on Raw, in which Nash cut some (but not all) of his locks.

32.

Rob Van Dam

Chris Jericho's history with WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam began in the late 1990s in ECW. By 2001, both men were in the WWF, with RVD and Y2J meeting numerous times including at Unforgiven. When RVD made his WWE return in 2013, he was matched against Jericho.

30.

John Bradshaw Layfield

The bad blood between Chris Jericho and WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield began in late-2007, when JBL attached Jericho in a WWE Title match. This led to a bout between the two of them at the 2008 Royal Rumble in which Jericho was disqualified, and a series of rematches in the coming weeks.

28.

Trish Stratus

In 2004, Chris Jericho and Christian made a $2 (Canadian) bet over whether Jericho could sleep with WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus. After Stratus learned of the plan, Jericho developed feelings for her, which backfired at WrestleMania XX when she sided with Christian.

26.

AJ Styles

The night after AJ Styles' WWE debut in 2016, he was paired against Chris Jericho. While the two agreed to put their differences aside and form a tag team, Jericho soon turned on The Phenomenal One, leading to Jericho winning their match at WrestleMania XXXII.

24.

Cody Rhodes

While Chris Jericho faced Cody Rhodes several times when both were in WWE, their primary rivalry began in AEW, when The American Nightmare unsuccessfully challenged Le Champion for his AEW Championship at Full Gear in 2019.

22.

Randy Orton

The rivalry between Chris Jericho and Randy Orton began in 2007 when Jericho returned to WWE. They also battled at Night of Champions in 2014, amongst dozens of other high-profile confrontations over the years.

20.

Goldberg

In 1998, Chris Jericho kept calling out "Greenberg" on WCW telecasts, only to defeat others and declare that WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg feared him. After a match on Nitro proved otherwise, the two didn't battle again until 2003, when they met at WWE's Bad Blood PPV.

18.

Christian

Christian and Chris Jericho were tag team partners, but dissolved their team at WrestleMania XX, when Trish Stratus sided with Christian. The two did battle in a series of Raw and PPV matches that lasted throughout the year, including a Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Title.

16.

Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho became "best friends" in 2016, capturing gold and dominating on Raw. Jericho eventually made The List Of KO and the two faced off at WrestleMania XXXIII, trading the U.S. Title back and forth.

14.

John Cena

John Cena's first PPV appearance (Vengeance in 2002) was against Chris Jericho. Their paths would cross again when Cena was drafted to Raw and Jericho turned heel, leading to a WWE Title Match at SummerSlam 2005 and a World Title Match at Survivor Series 2008.

12.

Kurt Angle

The first major meeting between Chris Jericho and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle was at No Way Out in 2000, where the Olympic Gold Medalist snagged Y2J's Intercontinental Title. They met again at WrestleMania 2000 and many other times over the years.

10.

CM Punk

In 2012, a battle between Chris Jericho and CM Punk began, leading to a WWE Championship match between the two at WrestleMania XXVIII. Jericho later revealed that Punk's family were alcoholics, leading to several rematches between the two.

8.

Jon Moxley

The rivalry between Chris Jericho and JOn Moxley (then Dean Ambrose) began at Payback in 2016. After Jericho destroyed Ambrose's beloved plant Mitch, the two had an Asylum Match at Extreme Rules. In 2020, they rekindled their feud in AEW, culimating in a match at Revolution.

6.

Rey Mysterio

Chris Jericho and WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio first feuded over the WCW Cruiserweight Championship in 1998. About a decade later, the two picked up their rivalry in WWE, which led to a series of matches for the Intercontinental Championship in 2009 and one where Y2J unmasked Mysterio.

4.

Stephanie McMahon

While Stephanie McMahon only faced Chris Jericho once in the ring (as part of a Triple Threat match in 2002), their feud dates back to 2000, when Jericho referred to The Billion Dollar Princess as a "filthy, dirty, disgusting, bottom-feeding, trashbag ho" in numerous promos throughout the years.

2.

The Rock

When Chris Jericho debuted in the WWF in August 1999, the very first person he targeted was The Rock during an unscheduled promo battle. After that, the two had numerous classic matches together, including at No Mercy 2001, where Y2J won the WCW Championship, and in the semi-main event at Vengeance 2001. 

49.

Ricky Steamboat

WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat was someone Chris Jericho idolized growing up, so it made sense they would cross paths. In 2009, Jericho faced Steamboat in a handicap match at WrestleMania XXV and one-on-one at Backlash.

47.

Batista

Although Batista and Chris Jericho had crossed paths several times in the past, perhaps their biggest match happened at 2008's Cyber Sunday. Jericho, dropped the World Championship to The Animal. Jericho regained the title the next night. 

45.

Booker T

The bad blood between Chris Jericho and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T began in WCW, when they feuded over the Television Championship. After referring to Booker as "Tooker B," they renewed their feud in WWE, including the InVasion.

43.

Ken Shamrock

Shortly after Chris Jericho's 1999 WWF debut, he targeted Ken Shamrock, angering the former UFC Champion in a series of segments. Jericho hid behind Howard "Harold" Finkel and a shark cage, leading to a First Blood Match.

41.

Eddie Guerrero

Chris Jericho's early career pattern had closely mirrored that of WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero. The two battled in WCW, including for Guerrero's United States Title at SuperBrawl VII. When both were in the WWF, the two feuded over Jericho's European Championship as well.

39.

Roman Reigns

In 2016 and 2017, Roman Reigns and Chris Jericho were often on opposite sides of the ring. The Big Dog defended his United States Championship against Y2J several times, and in a Handicap Match featuring Kevin Owens, Jericho defeated Reigns to capture the gold.

37.

Hardcore Holly

In late-1999, Hardcore Holly was inserted into the Intercontinental Championship title picture, which was being co-held at the time by Chris Jericho and Chyna. This led to a Triple Threat Match at Royal Rumble 2000, which Jericho won.

35

The Heavenly Bodies

In 1994, Chris Jericho and Lance Storm were relative newcomers to SMW, and as The Thrillseekers, they entered into an issue with The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) when The Bodies attacked them in a parking lot. This led to an epic, bloody match at Night of the Legends.

33.

Claudio Castagnoli

While it's true that Claudio Castagnoli (then known as Cesaro) battled Chris Jericho many times in WWE, their issue truly began in AEW in 2022, when Jericho defeated Castagnoli for the ROH World Title. Three months later, the rivalry ended with Castagnoli regaining the gold.

31.

Ric Flair

In 2002, Chris Jericho was a surprise draft to the Raw brand, and debuted in surprising fashion by attacking WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. This led to a match at SummerSlam, which The Nature Boy won. The following month, Jericho defeated Flair at Unforgiven.

29.

Juventud Guerrera

In 1998, Chris Jericho defended his WCW Cruiserweight Championship against Juventud Guerrera at that year's SuperBrawl. As a result of the pre-match stipulation, Guerrera lost his mask. Guerrera would get his revenge later in the year at Road Wild, when the luchador regained the championship from Jericho.

27.

Mick Foley

In his book Undisputed, Chris Jericho repeatedly jokes that Mick Foley never scored a win over him. Despite meeting several times in both ECW and the WWF, Y2J got the better of the best-selling author, although Foley scored a "pin" during his WWE Hall of Fame induction.

25.

Ultimo Dragon

During his run in Japan's WAR promotion, Chris Jericho was matched up against Ultimo Dragon, including a match he used on his "audition" tapes for many years. The two met later when both were in WCW, including a Cruiserweight Title match at the 1997 Bash at the Beach PPV.

23.

Bray Wyatt

When Chris Jericho returned to WWE in the summer of 2014, he was attacked by Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family. This led to a trilogy of matches that summer,  including a bout at SummerSlam and a Steel Cage Match.

21.

Kane

Chris Jericho's rivalry with WWE Hall of Famer Kane dates back to 2000, when Jericho accidentally spilled coffee on The Big Red Machine backstage. This led to a series of matches on PPV that year, with both men scoring victories. 

19.

Stone Cold Steve Austin

One of the biggest matches in Chris Jericho's career was against WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin at Vengeance in 2001, when Y2J won the Undisputed Championship. They continued their rivalry after Austin retired and became an authority figure.

17.

Chyna

Chris Jericho's first major WWF feud came at the hands of WWE Hall of Famer Chyna, who had just captured the Intercontinental Championship. The two battled at 1999's Survivor Series, with Chyna retaining the title. The two even co-held the Intercontinental Title briefly.

15.

Kenny Omega

In 2017, Kenny Omega made an open challenge in NJPW, which was answered by WWE's Chris Jericho. The two battled at Wrestle Kingdom XII, followed by Jericho attacking Omega at All In, and the main event of AEW Double or Nothing.

13.

Lance Storm

Chris Jericho and Lance Storm's first match was against each other, as both were students of the Hart Brothers Wrestling Camp in Calgary. Although they teamed for many years, the two friends also opposed each other in promotions such as WAR and at the ECW One Night Stand PPV in 2005.

11.

Edge

Chris Jericho and WWE Hall of Famer Edge were often pitted on opposite sides in singles and tag team matches over the years. In 2009, they became a tag team, but Jericho dropped The Rated R Superstar when he was injured, leading a main event at WrestleMania XXVI.

9.

Dean Malenko

In 1998, Chris Jericho defeated Dean Malenko in a WCW Cruiserweight Championship match. During his time off from the ring, Jericho constantly badgered The Iceman, leading to Malenko returning at Slamboree 1998 as a surprise, and regaining the gold.

7.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman

In 2020, Maxwell Jacob Friedman was able to form a hasty alliance with Chris Jericho through his Inner Circle faction, though he was soon kicked out of the group. MJF then created his own faction (The Pinnacle) and began a lengthy feud with Jericho that ended a year later.

5.

Chris Benoit

Chris Jericho patterned his career after fellow Canadian Chris Benoit, and the two had numerous matches throughout their careers. They battled in 1995 Super J Cup in Japan, throughout their run in WCW, and numerous times in the WWF, including an Intercontinental Title Ladder Match at the 2001 Royal Rumble.

3.

Triple H

The rivalry between Chris Jericho and WWE Hall of Famer Triple H began in 2000, when Jericho temporarily defeated The Game for the WWF World Title on Raw (the decision was overturned). They feuded since then, including the main event of WrestleMania XVIII and in tag team matches involving DX and JeriShow.

1.

Shawn Michaels

Chris Jericho had not one, but two feuds with WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels over the years. In 2003, Jericho attempted to better his idol Michaels, leading to a match at WrestleMania XIX. They rekindled their feud in 2008, in a rivalry that began with May's Judgment Day and went all the way through to October's No Mercy, when Jericho was World Champion and he defeated Michaels in a classic Ladder Match.

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