'Chris Jericho is so much more than Sports Entertainment' - Hall of Famer praises new ROH World Champion (Exclusive)
The internet has been divided about Chris Jericho winning the ROH World Championship. Hall of Fame journalist Bill Apter, who has followed Jericho's career over many years, disagreed with the critics, dubbing The Wizard one of the all-time greats.
At AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam, Chris Jericho and Claudio Castagnoli went to war to determine the face of ROH. While both men hail from WWE, Jericho has made sports entertainment a part of his gimmick, something Ring of Honor purists haven't taken to. For him to win the ROH World Championship was certainly a divisive decision.
Bill Apter would have none of it. Sportskeeda Wrestling's Senior Editor lavished praise on Jericho, dubbing him one of the all-time greats.
"Chris Jericho is one of the most amazing pro wrestlers. When the greats of the game are mentioned, he has to be high on the list."
And even though sports entertainment is very much a part of Jericho's current gimmick, Apter mentioned how the Canadian megastar is so far beyond such terms.
"After his many, many years in the business...to win another major championship -- and looking great in the process -- is just amazing. He never ages. Chris Jericho is so much more than Sports Entertainment [keeping with his gimmick], he is an iconic pro wrestler."
How the promotion fares with The Lionheart leading the charge remains to be seen for now.
So what has the internet been saying about Chris Jericho becoming the ROH World Champion?
When this author stated that the reaction to Jericho's big win was divisive, he meant it. Castagnoli fans were not amused at how short the former WWE Superstar's reign was.
The best thing about this image is the Chilean flag behind it, we Chileans are big fans of wrestling, haven't you thought about a tour of South America? @aew @TonyKhan
PD: @IAmJericho is quality and whoever says otherwise is a person's lie #Thebestintheworld 😉 https://t.co/FVpVpOJZEq
@WrestleOps So to satisfy the olé “I’ve done it all” trope they had Jericho defeat Claudio? In his first major title defense? Smh… 🤦🏾♂️
@WrestleOps @IAmJericho What was the point of pissing off Gresham to do absolutely nothing with Claudio as champ?
Just seen someone compare Jericho winning the ROH title to Vince winning the ECW title 🤦♂️
You're trying to get a TV deal and the company says who's your top guy? Chris Jericho is a household name in their world so holds alot more weight than anybody else!
In any case, ROH now has a globally recognized heel at the top of the food chain. The chase for Castagnoli and the other babyfaces in the roster should be interesting.
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