Some wrestlers learn their biggest lessons under the bright lights of the ring.
One of Chris Jericho, however, ended up learning the hard way at six in the morning in a Paris hotel, with Shawn Michaels delivering a verbal blow that floored him harder than any superkick.
It was deep into a WWE tour in Europe in the late 2000s, with the roster bouncing between countries and late-night flights leaving little time for rest.
A post-show run from Liverpool to Paris saw the crew touching down as the sun came up – and Jericho, by his own telling, still in full party mode.
By the time they reached the hotel, the lobby bar was the last stop before bed for most of the wrestlers. For Jericho, it was the start of a moment that would stick with him for the rest of his career.
“I was drinking Crown Royal, which is pure firewater for me,” Jericho recalled in his autobiography The Best in the World: At What I Have No Idea.
“It was the only thing I drank at the time although I have no idea why, as the wicked elixir turned me crazy and the nights never ended well.”
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By his own admission, “Drunkicho was in full force” when they arrived at their Paris hotel at 6am and he was “swearing up a storm” while the rest of the crew ate quietly.
“Everything was ‘F*** this’ and ‘F*** that,’” he wrote, until Hurricane Helms warned him he was swearing too much around Shawn Michaels and his family, seated nearby.
“I’m not swearing that much! Besides, he shouldn’t have his kids out this late anyway,” Jericho replied, worsening the damage with a blow The Heartbreak Kid took hard.
When Shawn and his family got up to leave, Jericho called out: “See you tomorrow, man!” – a line that was taken very differently than intended.
Within seconds, Michaels was back at the table, his family out of sight and eyes blazing. “You shut your damn mouth,” he warned. “Yeah, my family is up late and if you’ve got a problem with that, go to hell!”
The words hung heavy. Trusted WWE veteran Hurricane explained to Y2J: “He’s mad because you said he shouldn’t have his kids here.”
It shouldn’t have come as a huge shock. Michaels had spent the 1990s raising hell in the wrestling ring, backstage and in public as part of what he readily admits was a challenging past.
It was never going to be Jericho’s loud behaviour that was the issue – for the icon it was all about family.
As a result, Jericho spent the rest of the following day dreading a confrontation, eventually seeking out Michaels at the venue.
“I don’t really have much to say to you, but let me be clear about something,” Michaels told him when they eventually spoke. “All I care about is my family and I don’t give a damn about you or what you think about them being here with me.”
When Jericho tried to apologise, Michaels cut him off. “I don’t care about your apology. Now, you listen to me. I’ve stood up for you so many times when people said you were a pain in the a, but never again.
“You think you’re untouchable, but you’re not. This Best in the World s*** is going to your head and you need to get yourself straight.”
Michaels wasn’t done. “You need to start acting like a top guy if you’re ever gonna be one. Staying up all night drinking and being an a… you’re losing everyone’s respect.”
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Jericho admitted the words hit home. “I was humbled because I knew he was right.” He asked for help, but Michaels shook his head. “You’re on your own with this one, Chris.”
Later, Jericho sought out Michaels’ wife Rebecca to apologise. She accepted but told him the worst part had been his sarcastic send-off as they left, explaining: “We felt it was a real Eddie Haskell two-faced thing to do. Like you were mocking him and challenging him to do something about it if he didn’t like it.”
That night, Jericho said he made himself a promise to keep his cocky, arrogant act in the ring and ensure the man behind it toned things down a little.
Shawn Michaels’ words had been a wake-up call and, if Jericho’s career since that WWE tour is any indication, they did their job – the multi-time champ is a shoo-in for the company’s Hall of Fame thanks to a stellar career that’s still going.
Michaels is now mentoring the next generation of talent in WWE with NXT – presumably giving them the benefit of the same wisdom he dished out to the master of the Codebreaker – but Jericho remains active at 54.
The All Elite Wrestling star featured as recently as April on the company’s Dynasty pay-per-view.