Chris Jericho

With his athletic prowess and ladies' man swagger, Chris Jericho proved he was a true king of the ring. The professional wrestling champion was born Christopher Keith Irvine on Nov. 9, 1970 in Manhasset, NY and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Jericho - who took his stage name from German power metal band Helloween's album Walls of Jericho (1985) - began wrestling on independent matches when he was 19. He made his mainstream debut in 1996 with a pay-per-view match against Chris Benoit for World Championship Wrestling. Using his trademark moves such as the "Swinging Choke Drop" and "Liontamer," and wooing female viewers with his golden boy stature, Jericho quickly won the hearts of wrestling fans. He became a staple part of the WCW organization after he appeared on numerous televised series and specials, including "WCW Monday Nitro" (TNT, 1995-2001) and "Clash of the Champions XXXV" (1997). Jericho signed a contract with World Wrestling Federation in 1999, where he went head-to-head against marquee players such as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Triple H. Jericho was crowned the WWF's Undisputed Champion in 2001, following his wins at that year's "Royal Rumble" and "WWF Rebellion." Jericho remained an active competitor in World Wrestling Entertainment until 2010 when he put his wrestling career on hiatus.