Jericho, Chris 1970- (Chris Irvine)

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Jericho, Chris 1970- (Chris Irvine)

PERSONAL:

Born November 9, 1970, in Manhasset, NY; son of Ted Irvine (a hockey player); married; wife's name Jessica; children: Ash Edward Irvine. Education: Graduated from college with a degree in journalism.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Tampa, FL. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Former professional wrestler with the World Wrestling Federation; works variously as an actor, radio host, rock star, and writer; Ash Records, founder; appeared in the films Android Apocalypse and Albino Farm; Unleashed, Uncensored, Unknown documentary, for MTV, writer, director, 2000; appeared in the play Opening Night, Toronto Centre for the Arts; appeared in the comedy Ebaum's World, pilot episode, USA Network; regular guest on VH-1 and E! Entertainment networks; hosts "The Rock of Jericho" radio program, XM Satellite Radio; Fozzy, lead singer; directed several of the band's music videos.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Undisputed Champion of the WWE, 2001; won Cruiserweight Title five times.

WRITINGS:

A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex, Grand Central Pub. (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Chris Jericho was born Chris Irvine, November 9, 1970, in Manhasset, New York. Despite being athletic and playing sports in high school, he also had his nerdish streak, and he considered a career as a sports journalist. He graduated from college, earning a degree in journalism, but was captivated by wrestling in his late teens and soon made that his career. Growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, he watched wrestling on television but stuck to other sports in real life, becoming an all-star in high school on the hockey team, and also playing water polo. Jericho did not become personally involved with the sport of wrestling until he was nineteen years old. Once he was finished with college, he traveled by train to Calgary, home of the Hart Brothers Pro Wrestling Camp. Once enrolled, he trained for a total of three months before he was ready to made his professional debut, fighting his first match in October 1990. Jericho continued to wrestle in Canada for a couple of years before broadening his horizons. At the end of 1992, he fought in San Francisco and then Mexico. In January 1993 he won his first title, defeating Biff Wellington for the Heavyweight Championship. Later that same year, he won the WWA Tag Team Championship with El Dandy in a match against Texano and Silver King that was held in Mexico City.

Jericho's wrestling career continued to rise from that point on. He began wrestling in Europe and Asia, appearing in Germany and Japan, as well across the United States. He also began to wrack up titles, including the NWA Middleweight Championships, the Canadian Mid-weight Belt, the Junior Heavyweight Tournament, the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Belt, and others. By 2001, he had won the WWF Intercontinental Championship a total of three times, the Cruiserweight title five times, and was considered the undisputed champion of the WWE.

Rather than simply resting on his achievements, Jericho took the fame and fortune he garnered as a professional wrestler and turned his attention toward a number of other ventures, ultimately becoming a well-respected actor and television personality, as well as a radio host and a rock star, delving into the abilities he developed as a performer in wrestling and using them for other purposes, but continuing to work in the spotlight and to perform. He has appeared in several films and also worked in comedy, becoming involved with the comedy troupe the Groundlings and garnering a standing invitation to perform as a regular guest star in their improvisational shows. He has appeared on a number of television programs and has hosted his own radio program for XM Satellite Radio, "The Rock of Jericho."

Jericho shares many of the anecdotes of his colorful life in his memoir, A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex, focusing in particular on his early days as a wrestler just learning the trade in Canada. Less emphasis is placed on his time with World Wrestling Entertainment or the other career highlights he has enjoyed outside of the world of pro wrestling, leaving plenty of material available for a sequel should he choose to write one. The humorous and intriguing side of his life is tempered by stories of tragedies, including the death at a young age of several friends and colleagues. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly considered the book to be a "funny, insightful and compulsively readable autobiography." A contributor for Kirkus Reviews noted of Jericho that, "a born storyteller, he understands that losers are funnier than winners, struggle is more compelling than success and a happy ending is all the sweeter after a miserable beginning."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Jericho, Chris, A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex, Grand Central Pub. (New York, NY), 2007.

PERIODICALS

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2007, review of A Lion's Tale.

Publishers Weekly, August 6, 2007, review of A Lion's Tale, p. 179.

Wrestling Digest, October 1, 2002, "A True Headbanger: When Chris Jericho Isn't Using His Walls of Jericho vs. an Opponent in the Ring, He Produces the Wails of Jericho as the Lead Singer of Fozzy," p. 34.