Chris Jericho had a very successful career in WWE during his time there, but he was never pushed to the same heights as superstars such as The Rock, Steve Austin, and Triple H. Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, by way of 411 Mania , Jim Ross recalled how Vince McMahon wasn’t a fan of “Y2J” at first, even though the superstar had every tool required to be a main event player.
“What would you dislike? What would be your bad box checkmarks for Chris Jericho? He can’t work? No, he’s a real good worker. Oh he can’t talk, can he? No, he’s a real good talker. Is he injury free? No, he hasn’t been injured, he’s about as durable as anybody we’ve ever hired. So what is it? His blue eyes? Fact he’s from Winnipeg?”
Ross went on to say that McMahon thought Jericho was too small, which is why it took the chairman a while to warm to him. When Jericho joined WWE, the chairman was known for favoring tall, muscle-bound performers. Even when Jericho became the inaugural Undisputed Champion, he still played second fiddle to other superstars.
Ross also recalled how Jericho tried to make himself look taller in order to impress the boss, as he knew that his smaller stature was preventing him from receiving more main event opportunities.
“Jericho wore lifts in his shoes in those early days in WWE, so he could get another inch or two.”
See what sparked @IAmJericho to create the #ListOfJericho in his crusade against #RAW GM @RealMickFoley! pic.twitter.com/34y06kSPwW
— WWE (@WWE) September 20, 2016
However, Ross also said that Jericho’s height is ultimately what prevented him from ever headlining a WrestleMania pay-per-view. Even after he became an established player in the main event scene, the chance to close out the company’s biggest show of the year always evaded him. Many fans and pundits believe that his match with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 19 deserved the main event spot, but it wasn’t to be.
Jericho is a prime example of a superstar who had to work extra hard to impress the boss, though there have been several performers throughout the years who’ve had a similar experience. Daniel Bryan and Edge had similar experiences, even though both eventually experienced WrestleMania glory.
Jericho left WWE last year to join All Elite Wrestling , where he became the promotion’s first ever champion. However, as documented by Wrestling Inc , McMahon reportedly wasn’t happy with the veteran joining WWE’s main competition and even asked him if he could sever his contract with the upstart promotion.
