Chris Jericho Names His Greatest Rivalries and Why Time Made Them Work

Chris Jericho didn’t hold back when asked to name his greatest wrestling rivalries—and he made one thing clear: the best storylines take time.

During an interview on Radio X’s Kickabout 500 special, Jericho looked back on the most memorable feuds of his 35-year career. The WWE Hall of Famer and Fozzy frontman didn’t hesitate to name a few that stood out.

“If you're going WWE, the Shawn Michaels Chris Jericho feud from 2008 is one of the all-time great feuds for sure. I think Jericho Kevin Owens from 2016 was a great one. I think Jericho MJF from 2020 was a great one.”

Jericho explained why those stories worked so well—they were slow-burn builds that paid off over months. And when it comes to MJF? That feud hit a full-year milestone:

“The ones that are my favorite are the long builds. That take six, seven, eight months before you get to the big showdowns. So, and to go that long, it has to be something special, something magical.”

“Actually the MJF storyline was literally 366 days to end. So that’s when you know you have something good.”

When asked to pick the ultimate rival from his career, Jericho said it isn’t that simple. It’s all about the story being told. He tied it all back to one key measure of success: money.

“The Shawn Michaels angle was great. Kenny Omega story in AEW is great. Moxley in AEW, Dean Ambrose in WWE—which is the same guy. There’s so many of them. But like I said, I’m just thinking storylines, which equals who your nemesis and rival is.”

“If the storyline is going long, that means the ratings are good, that means you're selling a lot of tickets, and they want it to continue. People are very entertained by it, you're making money off it.”

And in classic Jericho fashion, he reminded everyone that live audiences dictate everything:

“If the crowd is enjoying it, you lean into it. If the crowd does not like it or is silent or has not responded the way you want, then you make changes and move to something else.”

Jericho’s insight proves one thing—longevity isn’t just about staying in the business. It’s about earning every moment with fans, match after match, promo after promo.

What’s your favorite Chris Jericho storyline of all time? Did the MJF feud deserve to last 366 days—or was there one that hit harder for you? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.