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Jim Ross Reveals Why WWE Chose to Put Chris Jericho Over The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin: “It Was a Pretty Smart Idea for Jericho”

Published Jan 18, 2022 | 6:30 AM EST

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The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin are undoubtedly two of the biggest stars in the world of professional wrestling. Over the years, they have got the better of several professional wrestlers inside the squared circle.

However, Chris Jericho did the unthinkable back in 2001 when he defeated both The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin on the same night.

At the WWE Vengeance 2001 PPV, Jericho first defeated The Rock and then defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin to become the first-ever undisputed WWF Champion.

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Recently, during an episode of the Grilling JR Podcast, Conrad Thompson asked Jim Ross whether he knew Jericho was going to become the first-ever undisputed WWF Champion.

Addressing this question, Jim Ross said, “I knew that’s where we were heading. Trying to get him over because of The Rock’s increased movie schedule and all those other opportunities that he had and Austin is coming off injuries. We gotta be smart how we use him, and he’s gonna be smart what he does.”

“So, you want to build some depth that can have on top main event level status and the way to facilitate that I thought it was a pretty smart idea for Jericho to have that epic night,” he added.

That night will certainly be among Chris Jericho’s best moments in WWE.

It is an incredible achievement to get the better of ‘The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment’ and the Texas Rattlesnake on the same night. The former WWE United States Champion later lost the title to Triple H at WrestleMania 18.

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Is Chris Jericho still wrestling?

Yes, Chris Jericho is still performing inside the squared circle. However, he is no longer working in WWE.

Jericho is currently signed to AEW. Jericho started off his AEW career on a high by becoming the inaugural AEW World Champion in 2019.

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The former WWE superstar first defeated Kenny Omega at the AEW Double or Nothing PPV. Later, he defeated “Hangman” Adam Page at the AEW All Out PPV for the title. He followed it up with successful title defenses against several AEW superstars.

But his title reign ended at AEW Revolution in 2020 after Jon Moxley defeated him.

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Do you want to see Chris Jericho back in WWE? Let us know in the comments below.

Written by:

Shouvik Nath

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Shouvik Nath is a WWE and AEW author at EssentiallySports. Having completed his graduation from St.Xavier’s College, Shouvik wished to follow his passion for pro wrestling.
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