Shadow and Flame with Magik

In December 2001, Chris Jericho accomplished the greatest achievement I thought he could ever do.

He not only defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin to win the WWE World Title

Thanks to DailyMotion poster Main_Eventer for hosting the video

but he also defeated The Rock to win the WCW World Title

Thanks to DailyMotion poster yiyi_marginal for hosting a two part video

To become the first Undisputed Champion in WWE History in maybe thirty years!

I’m still conflicted on how I feel that once he lost the title to Triple H, and how HHH got a fancy new merged title – one would think Jericho would have had the honor of actually holding that title first.  Though I imagine it is much cooler to carry the actual two titles.

I read Chris Jericho’s second book, Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps, just to finally read more about the decision behind it as it is a crazy one.  2001 was such a transition year of talent with established names taking a back seat to grow the mid-carders into main eventers.

One would think to just have the honor of being the first Undisputed Champion would go to Steve Austin or the Rock and then just drop the title to the next guy who will have the official run to it.  I extremely admire Vince for taking the chance on Jericho and realizing the situation he was in at the time.  Austin was ‘retiring’ due to medical problems and the Rock was going to Hollywood.  He only had these two on temporary basis, at best.  Jericho could grab the titles and have an awesome three month run with it.  And he really did!

At the Royal Rumble, he had to defeat the Rock to officially claim the titles.

At No Way Out, he had to defeat Steve Austin (a DVD that is extremely hard to find!)

At Wrestlemania 18, he lost it to returning HHH – which was just a matter of time as its HHH and it was the early years of 2000 when, if HHH was in a match, 90 percent of the time, he was going to win it and there was really nothing one could do about it.  But I like HHH, so I was okay with it (for the most part).