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In late 1999, there were two WWE superstars whose careers were following different trajectories. In August of that year, Chris Jericho first appeared in WWE on an episode of Raw in what is considered the greatest wrestler debut ever. Meanwhile, Chyna was making history, going from being a simple bodyguard with DX to becoming a woman who wrestled with the men and would become the Intercontinental Champion.

The two would become legends in the sport, with Chyna becoming a Hall of Famer as a part of DX and Chris Jericho sure to be one once his career is over. Before they would become allies in 2000, they would first feud in 1999. It should have been an interesting feud, but the two didn’t click in the ring. It even landed Jericho in trouble.

Chris Jericho Was Struggling In His Early WWE Days

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Jericho may have had a monumental debut in WWE on the night he interrupted The Rock in Chicago and became Y2J, but the follow-up was lackluster. The Rock ripped him apart in his promo and there was no match that followed. Jericho interrupted and insulted The Undertaker next, but again, no match came of it. It took over two weeks for Chris Jericho to make his WWE wrestling debut, and it was a letdown, seeing Y2J passed over by The Rock and The Undertaker to have a match with…Road Dogg. Chris Jericho had already been relegated to the midcard before he even had a match.

Jericho’s first long-term feud in WWE would be with Chyna. It could have been seen as a huge demotion, to have a new star come in and immediately start a program with a woman wrestler. For Jericho, though, it was his chance to get noticed and turn around his bad fortune.

RELATED: Chris Jericho Has The Most Reigns, But Was Never A Good Intercontinental Champion

Chyna Was A WWE Superstar Who Wrestled The Men

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When Chyna first met Chris Jericho, she had been with WWE for nearly three years. She acted as the imposing bodyguard for Triple H and Shawn Michaels in D-Generation X. While Triple H and Michaels may have hogged the spotlight, Chyna was always right there with them, whether as an intimidating background presence or a beast who attacked DX’s opponents.

As her time in WWE progressed, so did her use. She was put in a romantic storyline with Mark Henry, that while beneath her capabilities, at least gave her time to develop her character. 1999, however, saw her become a historic figure. In January, she entered The Royal Rumble, the first woman to ever do so. Later that summer she was part of King of the Ring, again the first woman to ever compete in the tournament. She would follow that up by becoming the first-ever woman to be the number one contender to the WWE Championship.

October 1999 saw Chyna’s biggest moment when she became the first woman to become Intercontinental Champion after beating Jeff Jarrett in his last WWE match. Her first challenger would be Chris Jericho.

RELATED: Chyna's Family Begins A Renewed Push For A Solo WWE Hall Of Fame Induction

The Jericho Vs Chyna Feud Was Successful Yet Controversial

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It’s safe to say that Chris Jericho’s feud with Chyna saved his WWE career. The pair were put together in storylines from late 1999 into early 2000. It began with Chyna beating Jericho to retain the IC title at Survivor Series. Jericho would get revenge and defeat Chyna at Armageddon. They would face off again, this time in a Triple Threat with Hardcore Holly at Royal Rumble, which Jericho would retain again. Giving Jericho a championship run salvaged his wasted start in WWE, but he still found a way to get in trouble behind the scenes.

Chris Jericho, in a recent interview with True Geordie podcast, called Chyna a terrible worker.

“Terrible. She was terrible to work with. She wasn’t good, but she thought she was. She also was in a position where they were pushing her really big that she could beat up guys. She couldn’t...I got in big trouble from working with her. Because at one point I remember when I first started working with her, Vince was like, ‘Don’t treat her like a woman, treat her like a wrestler.’ She was really stiff too which means she worked very strong. Listen, I am not talking bad of her, I’m just telling the truth. So when we worked together, it was a solid fight in a lot of ways.

I remember one time she got a little bit of a black eye from me, and you would have thought I cut her arm off with a chainsaw. I got in so much trouble.

Though Jericho may have gotten some heat for the incident, it wouldn’t deter his career. Following a brief alliance with Chyna, Chris Jericho would move on, eventually becoming WWE’s first ever undisputed champion and one of the biggest names in the company’s history. Had Vince McMahon not been in a forgiving mood, or if Chyna had been seriously hurt, however, everything Y2J would accomplish may have never happened.