Former WWE Writer Explains How The “List Of Jericho” Began
Between September 2016 and February 2017 everyone in WWE knew what happened if they crossed Chris Jericho.
A former WWE writer has shared how the “List of Jericho” was created and how the Superstar brought it to life.
September 19th, 2016 saw Chris Jericho confront Mick Foley on Raw, telling the former WWE Champion that due to his failings, his name was being added to a list of those that had aggravated the former WWE World Champion.
Over the coming months, Chris entertained fans by holding up a pen and letting his latest victim know that they “just made the list”.
Jimmy Jacobs was working as a writer for WWE at the time and has been discussing how he came up with the list idea, and how Chris made it his own.
Speaking on the latest McGuire on Wrestling episode, Jacobs explained how he wanted Chris Jericho to be “super petty.”
“We had a bit on Raw. We were in Memphis and Jericho was gonna come out and air his grievances against Mick Foley. So we thought, well, he should have a list of grievances, like a physical list. He’s gonna have grievances. Well, he should have like a physical list.
Then I thought about in real life, Steve Corino has the Corino’s s**t list, right? The people who in his life and his career they make his list, they’re like dead to him. So I thought, what if Jericho has the same sort of thing? Except he’s super petty and just like, puts all sorts of people on it for all different reasons.”
Jacobs would go on to discuss the former AEW Champion’s ability to bring the idea to life.
“I pitched it to Chris for Raw. I pitched it to him and he went to me ‘So you’re talking about doing this more than just a night.’ I’m like ‘Yeah dude, this can be your thing. You’ve been doing the Gift to Jericho – Drink it in Man! This could be like the List of Jericho.’ He got it right away and he added on to it.
He added the having the big clipboard. He added of course the way it was delivered with a click of the pen and all that sort of stuff. So he really brought it to life. But it was a really fun time. Getting a thing that just hit the bull’s eye.
For a while that was [the thing] that will get the biggest reactions at Raw. When Chris Jericho puts your name on the list that was like, that’s what you build to.”
The “List of Jericho” came to an end in February 2017 when Kevin Owens snapped and attacked his then partner Chris Jericho during a Festival of Friendship segment on Raw.
H/t to Sescoops