Hello my name is Jeff and yes.....I am a Jerichoholic

A new hero.
Your new party host.
The Ayatollah of Rock n' Roll-a.
The Y2J problem.
Call him whatever you want, but the fact remains...Chris Jericho has arrived in the World Wrestling Federation!

After weeks of speculation on the Internet, Chris Jericho finally made his World Wrestling Federation debut on RAW this past Monday. Despite his cocky and annoying attitude, no one doubts he can make good on his promise to lead sports-entertainment into the next Millennium.

However, amidst the spectacular of his first appearance on WWF Television, there are surely some viewers who are unaware of the credentials of this superstar. Millions of "Jerichoholics" circle the globe, the but fact remains that some fans have yet to become addicts to his talent. Courtesy of his official website, www.chrisjericho.com, this is your chance to learn about the man behind Chris Jericho.

Jericho is a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, but spent a good deal of his youth in the 70s in New York City watching his father Ted Irvine play for the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden. Hockey was always an important part of Chris’ life, and the superstar was ready to follow in dad’s footsteps—until he discovered his love for wrestling. In fact, Jericho was so profoundly influenced by Madison Square Garden and his dream to wrestle in it that, years later, he claims it was one of his reasons for signing with the Federation.

According to Jericho, after graduating from college with a degree in journalism he traveled to Calgary to train with the Hart family. After three months, he made his professional debut in October of 1990 in Canada. In the years that followed, Jericho would wrestle all over the world, but eventually concentrated his efforts in Mexico and Japan—where he developed his high-flying style. It was in Mexico where Jericho got his nickname of "Lionheart," but not for his golden locks. According to the superstar, when he first went to Mexico, promoters wanted him to competed under a different name than Jericho. They came up with "He-Man," but the superstar shot it down and instead offered up "Lionheart." The nickname stuck, and his career was soon on the rise.

During his time competing in Canada, Jericho was a great influence on many of the young Canadian stars currently in the business. For example, Edge and Christian (both natives of Toronto) employed a similar style used by Jericho from witnessing so many of his matches.

Keeping his ties to Japan, Jericho briefly competed in ECW in 1996 before moving on to WCW. There, he not only became the promotion’s cruiserweight champion on five occasions, but amassed a huge fan following as well. Seeking a greater opportunity in the industry than the company offered him, Jericho left WCW earlier this year and signed a multi-year contract with the WWF. With his mix of youth, talent and Attitude, Jericho is an athlete that fits perfectly into sports-entertainment.

The countdown to the Millennium has ended, and Chris Jericho has finally arrived in the World Wrestling Federation. With an appropriate display of pyrotechnics and rock music, the man nicknamed Lionheart announced his presence in the Federation…

… and it’s clear that things will never be the same again.

For those of you that don’t know who Chris Jericho is, allow me to offer up a brief primer. Jericho, a veteran of countless federations around the world, is one of the most confident (read: cocky) and vocal superstars in the business. Amazingly, Jericho is more than capable of backing up his words, as he’s one of the greatest ring technicians in the history of the industry.

A fan-favorite (despite his frequently questionable tactics), Jericho has more than his share of supporters in arenas around the world. One need only look to the scores of pro-Jericho signs at Chicago’s Allstate Arena during RAW for proof of this. Despite this remarkable amount of fan support, it’s obvious there’s one person in the Federation that doesn’t label himself as a "Jerichoholic"… The Rock

The Rock has already felt Lionheart’s bite, as Jericho chose to get under the skin of the People’s Champ like only he can. Jericho’s debut actually took place during one of The Rock’s beloved sessions with the microphone. He then cost the third-generation superstar a victory in a match against the Big Show, showing that Lionheart is willing to take the fight to the Rock on both a personal and on a professional level.

On a more personal level, I’m ecstatic that Jericho has entered into the World Wrestling Federation. I’ve been fortunate enough to see Jericho compete in person many times, and I can see how much he has to offer the Federation. Also, with the less restrictive style of the Federation, we will be allowed to see "Jerichomania" taken to new heights, a prospect that I (and millions of other fans) find very appealing.

All told, Chris Jericho has made an immediate impact on the World Wrestling Federation, and it’s all but certain that he will soon become one of the upper-echelon superstars. Stone Cold, The Rock, Triple H … I suggest that they all prepare for the man who has been labeled by many as the future of the Federation…

And who knows… before long, we may actually get to watch an episode of "Raw is Jericho."

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