WWE News: Chris Jericho’s United States Title Win Puts Him In Elite Company

After weeks of chasing Roman Reigns and the United States Championship, Chris Jericho finally captured the one championship that has eluded him during his near two-decade WWE career.

Teaming with his best friend and current WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens, Jericho and K.O. faced Reigns in a handicap match in Monday Night RAW’s main event. While Reigns put forth a valiant effort, his championship reign ended after a powerbomb on the ring apron by Owens and a pair of codebreakers.

The handicap bout for the title was announced just days earlier, putting up a roadblock that Reigns could not overcome.

.@IAmJericho pins @WWERomanReigns to win the #USTitle for the first time ever! #RAW@FightOwensFightpic.twitter.com/AwcweDFGw7

— WWE (@WWE) January 10, 2017

With the victory, Jericho has now put himself in elite company; he’s just the second WWE superstar to hold every major championship in WWE history (WWE, World Heavyweight, WCW, European, Hardcore, United States, Intercontinental, and Tag Team). Here’s the list of all the gold Jericho has held since making his WWE debut in July 1999.

• Undisputed WWF Championship (Once)
• Unified WWE Tag Team Championship (two times) – with Edge and Big Show
• World Heavyweight Championship (three times)
• WCW/World Championship (two times)
• WWE United States Championship (current)
• WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (nine times)
• WWF European Championship (once)
• WWF Hardcore Championship (once)
• WWF/World Tag Team Championship (five times) – with Chris Benoit, The Rock, Christian, Edge, and Big Show

The only other person to hold all of those championships? Kurt Angle.

Angle, who last wrestled for the WWE in 2006, racked up a litany of accolades during his seven-year career with the federation. While Angle never held the WWE’s version of the United States title, he did have a brief reign as WCW United States Champion when the title was in the WWE following the merger with WCW in 2001.

Here’s a list of Angle’s championships in the WWE.

• WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Once)
• WCW Championship (Once)
• WCW United States Championship (Once)
• WWF/E Championship (Four times)
• WWF European Championship (Once)
• WWF Hardcore Championship (Once)
• WWF Intercontinental Championship (Once)
• WWE Tag Team Championship (Once)

However, Jericho’s lengthy stint in WWE has allowed him to not only win every championship — he’s set records. Perhaps his proudest moment — and the one he never lets people forget — is that he defeated The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on the same night at Vengeance 2001 to become the first ever WWF/E Undisputed Champion.

Furthermore, Jericho has held the Intercontinental Championship a record nine times. One neat tidbit that Jericho frequently points out is that he has never held the WWE World Heavyweight Championship as a fan favorite (babyface).

Another fun fact on Jericho’s win on Monday is that it’s his first championship victory since he won the World Heavyweight Champion (his last time holding a world title) at Elimination Chamber.

Below are some additional factoids per WWE Stats & Info.

• Jericho competed for the United States title almost 20 years ago against Eddie Guerrero at WCW SuperBrawl VII.
• Jericho is now the seventh WWE superstar to hold the United States, Intercontinental, Tag Team, and WWE Championship (Angle, Eddie Guerrero, John “Bradshaw” Layfield, Edge, The Miz, Daniel Bryan, The Big Show)
• Jericho is one of three WWE superstars to hold the WWE, United States, Intercontinental, European and Hardcore Titles (JBL, Angle).
• The first time a championship changed hands on RAW in a handicap match was Los Conquistadores (The Hardy Boyz) defeated Edge for the World Tag Team Championships in 2000.
• The last time the United States Championship changed hands in a handicap match was when General E. Rection (Bill DeMott) defeated “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Lance Storm on October 29, 2000, at WCW Halloween Havoc.

[Featured Image by WWE]