Smark Out Moment

On this thirteenth edition of SUPERSTAR SCORES, we break down the man who just made his return to WWE after an absence of a few months, CHRIS JERICHO. Touted as "the best in the world at what he does", how does Y2J actually stack up to our ratings?

If you're unfamiliar with how the segment works, here is a quick breakdown: Each edition, a wrestler will be put under the spotlight and rated on a 0-100 scale based on 10 categories that have been broken up into 5 umbrella sections: In the Ring Skills, On the Mic Skills, Appearance, Behavior, and Crowd Reaction. The rating scale is as basic as you can get: 0-1-2-3-4 | 5 | 6-7-8-9-10. It follows the Three-Count Critique method of green being the good, yellow being in the middle, and red being the bad. A perfect 100 is the goal.


Update: On March 20, 2020, we did a recalibration of points for a 25th episode special. In that episode, nearly every wrestler saw some adjustments. Below, you'll see the original scores on the left and then the updated score on the right, with the original description for the original score underneath. For explanation on the updated points, check out the 25th edition podcast.

IN THE RING SKILLS

Athleticism: Does the person have a good signature moveset and finisher? Can they perform a wide variety of moves on a regular basis and not botch them?

My Rating = 8
If a 10 is someone like a Neville who goes absolutely crazy, Jericho isn't at the same level, but is very close. He's extremely versatile, has had great finishers over the years, and can wrestle a match with almost anybody.

Psychology: The wrestler's ability to tell a story in the ring. Do they make you believe it's real or do they forget to sell their injuries properly? Can they make a long match stay interesting and not get boring?

My Rating = 9 / 10
Just as good as Jericho is when it comes to the athleticism, he also understands how to tell a story, which is rare. In particular, Jericho excels at being a heel and milking the audience for all their boos, setting up his opponent to get a huge pop when he starts fighting back.

ON THE MIC SKILLS

Charisma: If they get a mic, can they cut a promo without stuttering? Are they repetitive or do they keep things fresh?

My Rating = 9 / 10
Do I need to explain?

Character: Is their gimmick(s) interesting? Can they pull off being both a heel and a face?

My Rating = 8 / 10
Jericho has been the snarky babyface cool guy, the snarky suit-wearing heel who carries himself as better than everyone else, the cowardly cheater, the valiant hero who stands up for what's right and tries to make people laugh, etc. He has a range and it's all been great.

APPEARANCE

Physique: Are they in the proper shape for their gimmick or are they out of shape? (note: someone like Mabel isn't supposed to look like John Morrison, but Matt Hardy gaining weight deducts his points).

My Rating = 7
By no means was Jericho ever in bad shape, but if there's anything I need to dock him on with this, it's the physique in comparison to some of the other people that have come through the company over the years. He was never the most muscular, nor the most cut and lean. Major commendations for being able to stay in the same shape for as many years as he has, although I can't see myself giving him an 8-9-10 when there are simply better examples for those than him.

Entrance: Their music, the pyro if they have any, whatever taunts or actions they do to make it interesting.

My Rating = 10
There aren't many people that can get a 10 in this category, but Jericho is one. His theme song is iconic and super catchy, the pyro is always cool, he's energetic (unless he's not supposed to be) and all aspects of his entrance has changed over the years to fit his gimmick, not just the Titantron.

BEHAVIOR

Backstage Professionalism: Are they a locker room leader or do they cause problems behind the scenes? Are they bogged down in politics? Do they put other people over or screw people over?

My Rating = 5 / 6
I know Jericho has rubbed some people the wrong way, but it doesn't appear as though any of that gets in the way of business. Still, he's had some backstage altercations, so that can't be ignored.

Public Relations: Is this wrestler a public relations problem with arrests and such, or are they someone that promotes the company well, does charities, talk shows, etc?

My Rating = 7
As mentioned with the professionalism section, Jericho may have his moments, but overall, he's a fantastic asset. He's one of the best people to trust to go out and not only deliver when it comes to guesting on a show, but even host the damn thing, and anything negative that he says about the company is always in some form of constructive criticism while also saying that he would never work for anyone other than Vince McMahon. He's docked some points for having been arrested before and causing some bad P.R. for the company with the Brazilian flag incident.

CROWD REACTION

Popularity: How loud are the cheers and boos for them? Do they sell merchandise? Are ratings up or down when they're on screen? How many Twitter and Facebook followers do they have?

My Rating = 8 / 9
Jericho is one of the most popular stars in WWE history. No, he's not at the same level Hulk Hogan, The Rock and Steve Austin are at, but he's transcended being a wrestling star and made himself a true pop culture icon. Even in WCW, he was a major coup for WWE and was positioned to feud with The Rock immediately, which speaks volumes.

Credibility: Is this person someone you would see as a main eventer and a future legend or are they doomed to forever be a jobber?

My Rating = 7 / 9
I couldn't quite give him a 9 or a 10, since he's cheated for a lot of his wins, but there's no doubt whatsoever that Jericho could win any title at any time and it would make sense. He's a future Hall of Fame headliner and I'd love to hear anyone try to argue against that.

TOTAL SCORE: 78/100 - 86/100

FINAL THOUGHTS: This is the second-highest rank anyone has gotten so far, just behind Shawn Michaels, tied with Triple H. Perhaps that's fitting, as Jericho has had a career where he's been compared to him many times and the two have had amazing chemistry against each other. HBK is above Y2J, but credit to The Man of 1,004 Holds, he can now be also titled The Man with 78 Points—a feat nobody other than Michaels and Triple H have been able to achieve so far.

Update: After the 2020 recalibration, Jericho is now 1 point ahead of Shawn Michaels as the top ranked superstar from this segment.