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Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps
"Entertaining . . .an insightful and funny observer of pro wrestling's universe." -- Publishers Weekly
In this insightful, riveting book, Jericho takes us into WWE wrestling arenas around the world as he details his classic rivalries with The Rock, Steve Austin, HHH, Shawn Michaels, and John Cena, along with all the politics and backstage machinations he faced outside the ring. Chris recounts his hilarious escapades of breaking in with the Hollywood elite via doomed auditions, short-lived reality shows, made-for-television movies, and red-carpet interviewing fiascos.
Jam packed with CJ's trademark self-effacing humor, one-of-a-kind writing style, and ridiculous random encounters with everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Axl Rose, and Wayne Gretzky to Paul McCartney, and Howard Stern, Undisputed is one of a rare breed-a sequel that might be better than the original.
In this insightful, riveting book, Jericho takes us into WWE wrestling arenas around the world as he details his classic rivalries with The Rock, Steve Austin, HHH, Shawn Michaels, and John Cena, along with all the politics and backstage machinations he faced outside the ring. Chris recounts his hilarious escapades of breaking in with the Hollywood elite via doomed auditions, short-lived reality shows, made-for-television movies, and red-carpet interviewing fiascos.
Jam packed with CJ's trademark self-effacing humor, one-of-a-kind writing style, and ridiculous random encounters with everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Axl Rose, and Wayne Gretzky to Paul McCartney, and Howard Stern, Undisputed is one of a rare breed-a sequel that might be better than the original.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
131 people are currently reading
1496 people want to read
About the author
Chris Jericho
8 books208 followersChris Jericho lives in Los Angeles and Florida. He has been named one of the 50 greatest wrestlers of all time by the WWE.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
December 17, 2013
Undisputed covers Chris Jericho's career from the time he made his WWF debut to the time he made his comeback two years later.
As you can see by the rating, I did not like this one nearly as much as the first volume. First, the good parts.
Chris Jericho covers his arrival in the WWF, which was surprisingly rocky, and his relationship with his new co-workers. He talks about working with the Rock and Chyna while other wrestlers were trying to poison the office against him. He also talks about how things went down when Benoit, Guerrero, Saturn, and Dean Malenko, some of his best friends in the business, came to the WWF, and how Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash didn't run the show like they did in WCW. He also talks about the rise of John Cena, and the deaths of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit.
All that was pretty good. What killed the book for me was how much of it was devoted to Fozzy, the mostly cover band he was in. I didn't care about his band at all and probably half the book was spent on it. While I'm sure there were people who followed his music career, I am not one of them.
I hate to give this thing a 2 since I enjoyed the first book so much but a 2 is as good as it's getting. The wrestling bits were as good, maybe even better than those. Too bad they were entangled in the Fozzy sargasso.
As you can see by the rating, I did not like this one nearly as much as the first volume. First, the good parts.
Chris Jericho covers his arrival in the WWF, which was surprisingly rocky, and his relationship with his new co-workers. He talks about working with the Rock and Chyna while other wrestlers were trying to poison the office against him. He also talks about how things went down when Benoit, Guerrero, Saturn, and Dean Malenko, some of his best friends in the business, came to the WWF, and how Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash didn't run the show like they did in WCW. He also talks about the rise of John Cena, and the deaths of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit.
All that was pretty good. What killed the book for me was how much of it was devoted to Fozzy, the mostly cover band he was in. I didn't care about his band at all and probably half the book was spent on it. While I'm sure there were people who followed his music career, I am not one of them.
I hate to give this thing a 2 since I enjoyed the first book so much but a 2 is as good as it's getting. The wrestling bits were as good, maybe even better than those. Too bad they were entangled in the Fozzy sargasso.
October 17, 2014
For the longest time, Foley was the undisputed "king" of pro wrestling memoirs and deservedly so, until Chris Jericho's A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex was released in 2007 - Jericho began giving Foley a run for his money. Now, in 2011, Chris Jericho gives us his follow up, Undisputed.
In the 2nd part of what appears to be at minimum, a 3 part memoir, Jericho shares some backstage stories, his ventures into Hollywood, touring with Fozzy and tales of fatherhood. All of which, are just as entertaining as anything he's written about the wrestling business.
Picking up where A Lion's Tale finishes, Jericho is about to walk through the curtain debuting in WWE. What follows are his trials and tribulations having to basically "start over" in a new company, earning the respect of the boys in the back while establishing his character in a new market. Upon reading about his early days in WWE, I had no idea he had to work so hard to move through the political waters. Popular consensus was that WCW was a wasteland of backstage politics and scheduling as most workers often say the WWE experience isn't even comparable.
For some reason, I expected to want to skim over the other aspects of his life (i.e. those not involving wrestling). I can't say why I thought this but I can tell you without HYPERBOLE, that would be a huge mistake. Jericho writes with such passion in regards to all aspects of his life that it's all entertaining - every bit of it.
Keeping this rather short, if you're a fan of pro wrestling, both this and Jericho's first memoir should be considered required reading. You would be doing yourself a great disservice by not picking this up.
In the 2nd part of what appears to be at minimum, a 3 part memoir, Jericho shares some backstage stories, his ventures into Hollywood, touring with Fozzy and tales of fatherhood. All of which, are just as entertaining as anything he's written about the wrestling business.
Picking up where A Lion's Tale finishes, Jericho is about to walk through the curtain debuting in WWE. What follows are his trials and tribulations having to basically "start over" in a new company, earning the respect of the boys in the back while establishing his character in a new market. Upon reading about his early days in WWE, I had no idea he had to work so hard to move through the political waters. Popular consensus was that WCW was a wasteland of backstage politics and scheduling as most workers often say the WWE experience isn't even comparable.
For some reason, I expected to want to skim over the other aspects of his life (i.e. those not involving wrestling). I can't say why I thought this but I can tell you without HYPERBOLE, that would be a huge mistake. Jericho writes with such passion in regards to all aspects of his life that it's all entertaining - every bit of it.
Keeping this rather short, if you're a fan of pro wrestling, both this and Jericho's first memoir should be considered required reading. You would be doing yourself a great disservice by not picking this up.
October 18, 2022
On one hand, it’s more of the same. So if you liked the previous book, you’ll like this one too. On the other hand, there seems to be more focus on Jericho’s career in music rather than his wrestling career in this book.
February 17, 2011
It was fitting that Mick Foley wrote the foreword to Chris Jericho's memoir, UNDISPUTED, and passed the torch to Jericho as the new champion of wrestling books. Jericho uses the formula that made Foley's books so successful, creating a personal connection with his readers with his openness and wit, and in the process does it even better than the long-reigning king of wrestling authors.
Unlike his autobiography A LION'S TALE, Jericho's new book UNDISPUTED is a memoir, chronicling his journey through WWE as he becomes one of the biggest stars in the wrestling business while he battles to be taken seriously as a musician and actor. The book is an intriguing look inside all three forms of entertainment and shows how his success in one venue often serves as a hindrance in the others. His metal band, Fozzy, struggles to break away from its reputation of a gimmick act and becomes a legitimate band that headlines sold-out events in some places and flops in others. HIs acting career seems doomed before it starts, as the black cloud of wrestling superstardom lurks over his head while he tries to catch a break as a "real" actor.
UNDISPUTED is entertaining cover-to-cover and, although I expected to skim over his adventures in music and Hollywood, those tales prove to be every bit as captivating as the wrestling. But there is plenty of wrestling in UNDISPUTED, offering readers an peek behind the curtain from his highly anticipated and disappointing start in WWE to his reign as the first-ever Undisputed Heavyweight Champion then back into mid-card purgatory. He details the political forces that worked against him, his backstage fight with the feared Goldberg, the heartbreaking loss of his close friend Eddie Guerrero, and the senseless Benoit family tragedy.
A LION'S TALE came close to unseating Foley's HAVE A NICE DAY as the greatest wrestling book of all time; I'd call it a draw. UNDISPUTED surpasses them both and now reigns as the new king of the wrestling genre.
Unlike his autobiography A LION'S TALE, Jericho's new book UNDISPUTED is a memoir, chronicling his journey through WWE as he becomes one of the biggest stars in the wrestling business while he battles to be taken seriously as a musician and actor. The book is an intriguing look inside all three forms of entertainment and shows how his success in one venue often serves as a hindrance in the others. His metal band, Fozzy, struggles to break away from its reputation of a gimmick act and becomes a legitimate band that headlines sold-out events in some places and flops in others. HIs acting career seems doomed before it starts, as the black cloud of wrestling superstardom lurks over his head while he tries to catch a break as a "real" actor.
UNDISPUTED is entertaining cover-to-cover and, although I expected to skim over his adventures in music and Hollywood, those tales prove to be every bit as captivating as the wrestling. But there is plenty of wrestling in UNDISPUTED, offering readers an peek behind the curtain from his highly anticipated and disappointing start in WWE to his reign as the first-ever Undisputed Heavyweight Champion then back into mid-card purgatory. He details the political forces that worked against him, his backstage fight with the feared Goldberg, the heartbreaking loss of his close friend Eddie Guerrero, and the senseless Benoit family tragedy.
A LION'S TALE came close to unseating Foley's HAVE A NICE DAY as the greatest wrestling book of all time; I'd call it a draw. UNDISPUTED surpasses them both and now reigns as the new king of the wrestling genre.
October 17, 2011
First of all, I don't think I'll be able to review this "objectively" because I've always been a biased fan of Chris Jericho (whether he's playing a heel or face). I also think I prefer this one more (by just a bit) than A Lion's Tale. Basically, Undisputed starts off where his last book, A Lion's Tale, left off, with his amazing WWE (WWF then) debut where he interrupts The Rock. I think the wrestling geeks will get a kick out of the behind-the-scenes look in wrestling, especially with how the business works. Some people did not like the Fozzy/rock/metal chapters but I personally liked it because I'm also a big metal/rock/music geek and it's always fun to learn funny anecdotes on my favorite music personalities.
(P.S. I'm now waiting for the third book because the WWE part was such a cliffhanger.)
(P.S. I'm now waiting for the third book because the WWE part was such a cliffhanger.)
March 18, 2011
Jericho surpasses his last effort with this book, and it is definitely one of the better pro-wrestling memoirs out there. It is fast-paced and entertaining from start to finish, and while I expected to want to gloss over his musical and acting endeavors, Jericho makes them every bit as interesting as anything he did in the WWE. He includes some great stories of his time on the road, both in wrestling and music, and provides some excellent glimpses into the lives and personalities of numerous popular celebrities. His personality and beliefs are rounded out for the reader with a consistent voice that is no doubt his own. Check out this book!
January 24, 2018
Highly entertaining memoir of Y2J, one of my all time favourite professional wrestlers. The book reveals his journey towards stardom and how he persevered to be the best.
He is undoubtedly G.O.A.T. simply loved the book.
He is undoubtedly G.O.A.T. simply loved the book.
July 29, 2011
I love professional wrestling and professional wrestling memoirs for an almost-anthropological glimpse into a world very foreign to me. The world of wrestling is a bastion of old-fashioned masculine status and dominance rituals, and Chris Jericho details those hierarchy struggles with hilarious gusto. The testosterone-laced narrative, however, falls away at intriguing points to reveal a deep melancholy: the pro wrestling business is a dangerous one in many different ways, and the ghosts of Owen Hart (killed by a fall during a stunt), Eddie Guerrero (heart failure from years of battering and steroids), and Chris Benoit (murder-suicide of his wife and son) haunt the pages of this story. Add to that the death of Jericho's mother, her life shortened by an assault by her boyfriend when Jericho was 19, and some of this is pretty somber reading. Jericho keeps things from getting too grim with an engaging mix of braggadocio and self-deprecation, and he writes intelligently about various parts of the life and craft of wrestling (I was impressed by his respect for Japan and Japanese wrestling fans, for example).
My only gripe (and I almost feel guilty saying it) is that Jericho also has a band, and it's clear that he's always really, really, really wanted to be a rock star. He spends a lot of time talking about life in his band, and because he takes that part of his life more seriously than wrestling, the pace drags a surprising amount during those chapters. It's like reading Julia Child's memoirs and finding out what she really wanted to do with her life was compose haiku, so you get chapter after chapter of her poetry and earnest discussion of her persona as a poet, while you're groaning, "Get back to the food, Julia!" Jericho comes across as such a likable guy I want his band to succeed, but I'm not that interested in reading about it.
My only gripe (and I almost feel guilty saying it) is that Jericho also has a band, and it's clear that he's always really, really, really wanted to be a rock star. He spends a lot of time talking about life in his band, and because he takes that part of his life more seriously than wrestling, the pace drags a surprising amount during those chapters. It's like reading Julia Child's memoirs and finding out what she really wanted to do with her life was compose haiku, so you get chapter after chapter of her poetry and earnest discussion of her persona as a poet, while you're groaning, "Get back to the food, Julia!" Jericho comes across as such a likable guy I want his band to succeed, but I'm not that interested in reading about it.
January 31, 2025
good nostalgic content for any wrestling fan who grew up in the early aughts but man is the delivery not so good. I read his first memoir in 9th grade and was largely enamored with it but even then, I was put off by his comedy writing shtick, particularly his repeated use of the adjective “ricockulous” - certainly it’s not just him thinking it’s funny to replace dick with cock, I thought to myself. and maybe I was wrong then and I’m wrong now. maybe it’s funny to read that word repeatedly
in any case: there’s a lot of that in here. he’ll be recounting contract negotiations saying shit like, “when I saw the number on the page, I inhaled in a way that even Bill Clinton couldn’t deny (Google that one, kiddos)!”and then immediately shoehorn in a bizarre, grim foreshadowing of the benoit family murder-suicide. but I was there for all of the events so it was nice to hear about them. when he was talking about how the internet was obsessively trying to decode the Second Coming promos in 2007, that was me. I was the one doing that. a lot of people were convinced that they were meant for D’Lo Brown but I knew it was all for Jericho. he gave me all the clues
in any case: there’s a lot of that in here. he’ll be recounting contract negotiations saying shit like, “when I saw the number on the page, I inhaled in a way that even Bill Clinton couldn’t deny (Google that one, kiddos)!”and then immediately shoehorn in a bizarre, grim foreshadowing of the benoit family murder-suicide. but I was there for all of the events so it was nice to hear about them. when he was talking about how the internet was obsessively trying to decode the Second Coming promos in 2007, that was me. I was the one doing that. a lot of people were convinced that they were meant for D’Lo Brown but I knew it was all for Jericho. he gave me all the clues
October 4, 2011
If you're going to pick this up, you owe it to yourself - and to Chris - to pick up "A Lion's Tale" first so you can get completely caught up with Chris' life and history with wrestling.
"Undisputed" is the perfect companion to that. It's one of the most in-depth looks behind-the-scenes of the wrestling world that I've ever read and in many ways, it outshines Mick Foley's "Foley Is Good," which was the follow-up to his masterpiece "Have a Nice Day."
Jericho's sense of humor that you saw on RAW and SmackDown, and got to see more of on VH1, is right here in these pages. The man is passionate about what he does, he is outstanding at it, and he is a constant student of it, and that shines through in spades.
Just thinking about the book as I write this makes me want to pick up the Kindle and start reading it all over again. Trust me, even if you are not a wrestling fan, you really should read both of his books to get an honest glimpse at a fascinating lifestyle...
"Undisputed" is the perfect companion to that. It's one of the most in-depth looks behind-the-scenes of the wrestling world that I've ever read and in many ways, it outshines Mick Foley's "Foley Is Good," which was the follow-up to his masterpiece "Have a Nice Day."
Jericho's sense of humor that you saw on RAW and SmackDown, and got to see more of on VH1, is right here in these pages. The man is passionate about what he does, he is outstanding at it, and he is a constant student of it, and that shines through in spades.
Just thinking about the book as I write this makes me want to pick up the Kindle and start reading it all over again. Trust me, even if you are not a wrestling fan, you really should read both of his books to get an honest glimpse at a fascinating lifestyle...
September 21, 2015
3.5 stars. I would've never thought that one of my favorite wrestlers fought as hard as CJ during his formidable years in the WWE. You couldn't tell me that Chris Jericho wasn't a rock star, so it was sobering to read how much of his career was an uphill battle that he sometimes stumbled on, but never gave up on. I have some little annoyances with this, but overall an interesting follow up. It makes me nostalgic for the Attitude Era in wrestling.
June 28, 2019
For the better part of this book, I thought it will be grade 4, at the moments even 3, but last several chapters turned it for me and her it is rate 5.
Thing is some of the stories I heard before (Chris talked about them on the podcast), some aren't that interested to me (sry Chris I do listen to Fozzy but those stories just aren't that fun to me) and some doesn't connect that much to me.
What brought me back was Chris Benoit story, I should say it isnt story of Chris Benoit, but that of Chris Jericho taking that story that changed my mind about this book.
Why you might ask, well it is written in such a way that it shows what it means to be wrestler, you lose friends, you make huge sacrifices and still you get a punch in the gut similar to the what Jericho experienced when he heard Chris killed himself and his family.
Long story short, wrestling business take its toll, for some on the body, for some on the psyche and for some even on the very life.
Pretty sure were I casual fan of Y2J this would be more closer to the rate 3, but I am not (mark here), so this is 5.
Thing is some of the stories I heard before (Chris talked about them on the podcast), some aren't that interested to me (sry Chris I do listen to Fozzy but those stories just aren't that fun to me) and some doesn't connect that much to me.
What brought me back was Chris Benoit story, I should say it isnt story of Chris Benoit, but that of Chris Jericho taking that story that changed my mind about this book.
Why you might ask, well it is written in such a way that it shows what it means to be wrestler, you lose friends, you make huge sacrifices and still you get a punch in the gut similar to the what Jericho experienced when he heard Chris killed himself and his family.
Long story short, wrestling business take its toll, for some on the body, for some on the psyche and for some even on the very life.
Pretty sure were I casual fan of Y2J this would be more closer to the rate 3, but I am not (mark here), so this is 5.
February 9, 2024
Chris Jericho is damn fine storyteller and his second book is a testament to that. I may need to read A Lion’s Tale after this one, but Undisputed is a lengthy read foretelling Y2J’s experiences during his early days in WCW, rocking out and touring with his band Fozzy, winning championships left and right, and constantly reinventing himself as a character that most people will remember as one of the best who’s ever stepped foot in the wrestling ring.
December 8, 2021
20 years ago this week, on December 9, 2001, Chris Jericho defeated both The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to become the first Unified Champion in WWE history. To mark the occasion, the Literary Squared Circle blog is reviewing Jericho’s second memoir, 2011’s Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps by Chris Jericho with Peter Thomas Fornatale (Grand Central Publishing, 2011).
Undisputed picks up right where Jericho’s first book, A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex left off. A Lion’s Tale covered Jericho’s life from birth to his World Wrestling Federation debut in August 1999, ending with him stepping through the curtain to confront The Rock on Raw. Undisputed covers Jericho’s career from when he first stepped through the curtain into the WWF to his return to the now WWE in November 2007 following a two-year hiatus away from wrestling.
Jericho devotes an entire chapter (chapter 21) to his being crowned the Undisputed Champion of the World. He states that when he arrived at the arena the night of the Vengeance pay-per-view, he had no idea that he would be coming out the winner. Jericho, who meticulously keeps a record of all of his matches, notes that it was the 1,372nd match of his career… thus the subtitle of the book, “How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps”.
Jericho discusses his feud with Chyna over the Intercontinental Championship. His programs with William Regal, The Rock, Triple H, Goldberg, and Christian among others are also covered. In addition, Jericho discusses his life outside of wrestling including the formation of his rock band, Fozzy, as well as his getting married and starting a family. He even coins a new word, “froot” which is akin to “awesome”.
He left wrestling for two years to tour with Fozzy. Just prior to his 2007 return to the WWE, the unthinkable happened. Jericho’s close friend Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son before committing suicide. In what is perhaps the most compelling part of Undisputed, Jericho openly and honestly discusses his friendship with Benoit and his reaction to the horrific events involving his friend. Jericho responds to the WWE erasing Benoit from their company history stating, “I’ll never be able to erase Chris Benoit from my memory, and his actions still haunt me every single day.”
Undisputed ends the same way A Lion’s Tale did, with Jericho going through the curtain and entering a new stage of his career. The book began with his 1999 WWF debut and ends with his 2007 return to the WWE. Undisputed is not better than A Lion’s Tale, but it is equal to it. If read together the two books could run together one long tome. Both are well worth your time, and both are among the best wrestling memoirs out there. Chris Jericho joins Mick Foley, Jim Ross, and a select few others as the best in the wrestling memoir business.
If you haven’t done so already, check out Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps. It’s froot!
5 Stars out of 5
Undisputed picks up right where Jericho’s first book, A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex left off. A Lion’s Tale covered Jericho’s life from birth to his World Wrestling Federation debut in August 1999, ending with him stepping through the curtain to confront The Rock on Raw. Undisputed covers Jericho’s career from when he first stepped through the curtain into the WWF to his return to the now WWE in November 2007 following a two-year hiatus away from wrestling.
Jericho devotes an entire chapter (chapter 21) to his being crowned the Undisputed Champion of the World. He states that when he arrived at the arena the night of the Vengeance pay-per-view, he had no idea that he would be coming out the winner. Jericho, who meticulously keeps a record of all of his matches, notes that it was the 1,372nd match of his career… thus the subtitle of the book, “How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps”.
Jericho discusses his feud with Chyna over the Intercontinental Championship. His programs with William Regal, The Rock, Triple H, Goldberg, and Christian among others are also covered. In addition, Jericho discusses his life outside of wrestling including the formation of his rock band, Fozzy, as well as his getting married and starting a family. He even coins a new word, “froot” which is akin to “awesome”.
He left wrestling for two years to tour with Fozzy. Just prior to his 2007 return to the WWE, the unthinkable happened. Jericho’s close friend Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son before committing suicide. In what is perhaps the most compelling part of Undisputed, Jericho openly and honestly discusses his friendship with Benoit and his reaction to the horrific events involving his friend. Jericho responds to the WWE erasing Benoit from their company history stating, “I’ll never be able to erase Chris Benoit from my memory, and his actions still haunt me every single day.”
Undisputed ends the same way A Lion’s Tale did, with Jericho going through the curtain and entering a new stage of his career. The book began with his 1999 WWF debut and ends with his 2007 return to the WWE. Undisputed is not better than A Lion’s Tale, but it is equal to it. If read together the two books could run together one long tome. Both are well worth your time, and both are among the best wrestling memoirs out there. Chris Jericho joins Mick Foley, Jim Ross, and a select few others as the best in the wrestling memoir business.
If you haven’t done so already, check out Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps. It’s froot!
5 Stars out of 5
April 23, 2013
I've been a pro wrestling fan for over 20 years. In that time, I've only read a few autobiography's. Mick Foley's Have a nice day being the best one I've ever read.....Until now.
I'm a Chris Jericho fan but not some super fan, I just really like what he does and who knew he could write a book this good. His first autobio was Lion's tale While it is a good book, Undisputed just builds on its predecessor in so many ways.
Firstly, you have to know that Chris Jericho can be very funny. His comedic timing in the ring and now apparently out of it is second to none. In almost every chapter, Jericho had me rolling... in particular, a story his exploits as the leader of the band Fozzy could get me laughing til I almost cried.
Then in the next chapter, Chris could make a grown man cry talking about how his mother passed away without really knowing who her son was at the end, never holding her grandchildren. The deaths of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit are also highlighted, in tragic detail. Guerrero's death chapter hit me hard because he was my favorite wrestler and reading how Jericho was told, his reaction just broke my heart all over again.
In the end, Undisputed: How to become world champion in 1,372 easy steps is a rollercoster of laughs and tears that just can't be missed by any true wrestling fan. I can't wait til the next Jericho book, I hope to enjoy it as much as I did this one.
Highly recommended.
I'm a Chris Jericho fan but not some super fan, I just really like what he does and who knew he could write a book this good. His first autobio was Lion's tale While it is a good book, Undisputed just builds on its predecessor in so many ways.
Firstly, you have to know that Chris Jericho can be very funny. His comedic timing in the ring and now apparently out of it is second to none. In almost every chapter, Jericho had me rolling... in particular, a story his exploits as the leader of the band Fozzy could get me laughing til I almost cried.
Then in the next chapter, Chris could make a grown man cry talking about how his mother passed away without really knowing who her son was at the end, never holding her grandchildren. The deaths of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit are also highlighted, in tragic detail. Guerrero's death chapter hit me hard because he was my favorite wrestler and reading how Jericho was told, his reaction just broke my heart all over again.
In the end, Undisputed: How to become world champion in 1,372 easy steps is a rollercoster of laughs and tears that just can't be missed by any true wrestling fan. I can't wait til the next Jericho book, I hope to enjoy it as much as I did this one.
Highly recommended.
July 8, 2012
This is the 2nd book about the awesome career of my 2nd favorite wrestler of all time: Chris Jericho.
I really enjoyed this book about the original WWE run of Jericho and found it highly entertaining. I read it in only a couple of days in fact(kind of a big deal for yours truly, don't laugh). It's got many of the elements that made 'Y2J's' first book so great, from his terrific story telling, laugh out loud humor, and ability to allow the reader to feel as if they are in the very scenario he is describing.
As good as this book is tho I do have to say that it falls short of beating the original (not a terrible thing tho as the original rocked). There are a few dull chapters (mainly stuff about his rockband Fozzy) where as the first book literally had me extremely entertained the ENTIRE BOOK. Something I hadn't had in a wrestling book since dare I say Mick Foley's original masterpiece.
All that being said I highly recommended reading this if you are a fan of Chris, wrestling, or tales of a young man achieving his dream. Very good read. :)
I really enjoyed this book about the original WWE run of Jericho and found it highly entertaining. I read it in only a couple of days in fact(kind of a big deal for yours truly, don't laugh). It's got many of the elements that made 'Y2J's' first book so great, from his terrific story telling, laugh out loud humor, and ability to allow the reader to feel as if they are in the very scenario he is describing.
As good as this book is tho I do have to say that it falls short of beating the original (not a terrible thing tho as the original rocked). There are a few dull chapters (mainly stuff about his rockband Fozzy) where as the first book literally had me extremely entertained the ENTIRE BOOK. Something I hadn't had in a wrestling book since dare I say Mick Foley's original masterpiece.
All that being said I highly recommended reading this if you are a fan of Chris, wrestling, or tales of a young man achieving his dream. Very good read. :)
January 27, 2015
Chris Jericho's second book which charts his first run in the WWE plus the forming of his band Fozzy and his attempts to get into acting.
Parts of the book I liked and other parts I didn't. While I've seen Fozzy live (they were really good) and know it's an important part of Jericho's life it wasn't why I was reading the book. Plus the constant name dropping of celebrities I either wasn't familiar with, didn't care about or (mostly) both got old quick. Also Jericho's confidence and brash forwardness about certain situations made him sound like a real jerk at times.
On the plus side reading about his time in the WWE, gaining the respect of the locker room and his many accomplishments during his first run were very insightful as well as getting his insight into the behind the scenes running of the company.
Since he spends more time away from the ring I won't be reading Jericho's third book. If you're a fan of both WWE and Fozzy this book is for you, if you're only interested in his wrestling career then I'd get it from the library and skip quite a few chapters.
Parts of the book I liked and other parts I didn't. While I've seen Fozzy live (they were really good) and know it's an important part of Jericho's life it wasn't why I was reading the book. Plus the constant name dropping of celebrities I either wasn't familiar with, didn't care about or (mostly) both got old quick. Also Jericho's confidence and brash forwardness about certain situations made him sound like a real jerk at times.
On the plus side reading about his time in the WWE, gaining the respect of the locker room and his many accomplishments during his first run were very insightful as well as getting his insight into the behind the scenes running of the company.
Since he spends more time away from the ring I won't be reading Jericho's third book. If you're a fan of both WWE and Fozzy this book is for you, if you're only interested in his wrestling career then I'd get it from the library and skip quite a few chapters.
July 15, 2022
Another Jericho masterpiece!!! I am reading his books backwards like Jericho himself said to me, "It's like a Jericho Star Wars tale" This book had a little more to do with his beginnings in the WWE. I enjoyed his tales involving Chyna, Rock, Austin, HHH & Stephanie McMahon. He is so damn witty in his delivery and his thought process is impeccable. The stories of how Fozzy came to be, with all the ups and downs they faced to then become one of the greatest un-mainstream metal bands out today. You don't believe me?? Go see them live and you'll agree with me. Anyway this is such an enjoyable read. You'll laugh, cry and laugh unit you cry in some cases. So in the end to quote WCW Jericho..."GO JERICHO GO...GO JERICHO GO"!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. Reading this was kind of funny because Jericho talks about his transition between WCW and WWE. Starting a new job myself I related to it. (Except my new boss is far nicer than Vince McMahon.) Jericho has a very entertaining voice which makes it easy to keep turning pages. In addition to his wrestling, I mean sports entertainment career, Jericho lets you into his music career with Fozzy, his acting career, and into the good, tough and bittersweet of his real life. It's a froot read that will make you laugh and cry. (If you want to know what the meaning of froot is you need to read this book.)
September 13, 2012
Blasted through this on the flight from Hong Kong to Sydney. The writing is slick and entertaining, the subject always engaging (even if I'm not really up on the rock and metal scene as much as in my youth and a lot of the bands and musicians mentioned meant nothing to me). One star off for there not being quite as many behind-the-curtain insights we've been spoiled with in the previous book or Mick Foley's offerings.
All-in-all, proof of why Y2J is the still the frootest cat on the block.
All-in-all, proof of why Y2J is the still the frootest cat on the block.
January 11, 2016
This is my favorite of Jericho's three books simply because I grew up watching him wrestle when this book takes place. I love his humor in his writing and getting to read about what was going on behind the scenes when I was watching him every week was fascinating.
October 14, 2011
Jericho's WWE runs aren't nearly as interesting as his stories about Japan and WCW. I couldn't care less about Fozzy, either...his first book was much better.
March 13, 2023
If you're any kind of wrestling fan you've likely heard of Chris Jericho, and the fact he is still going strong in AEW as I type this in 2023 is beyond impressive. I really enjoyed his debut autobiography a Lion's Tale, and was looking forward to more of the same here in Undisputed. I wasn't disappointed.
This book is split roughly 50/50 . Half deals with Jericho's WWE career from his debut in the late 90's all the way up to his break from wrestling and return a couple of years later around 2008. The other half focuses on his music career with Fozzy and other personal projects.
Both subjects are thoroughly enjoyable and interesting to read. Jericho gives a brutally honest assessment of his WWF debut and how many people seemed to want him to fail. He definitely had to work hard to find his success and reading about how he evolved as a performer, earned respect, and eventually became the first ever Undisputed champion is very satisfying. This is echoed in his career with Fozzy who went from being a cheesy cover band to a genuine and respected rock group.
If you've read Lion's Tale you'll know what style of writing to expect here. If not, I can say Jericho's personality really comes through the pages. I've always found him hilarious to watch (in a good way) whether he's a face or a heel and I found myself laughing frequently at his off the wall references and snappy one liners. Personally I think he's so likeable because while he takes what he DOES seriously - whether it's wrestling, music, or anything else - he doesn't take HIMSELF seriously which makes him feel like the kind of guy you'd love to go out and have a beer with.
Anyway, another great wrestling book for fans and newcomers alike. Thanks for the great read Chris!
This book is split roughly 50/50 . Half deals with Jericho's WWE career from his debut in the late 90's all the way up to his break from wrestling and return a couple of years later around 2008. The other half focuses on his music career with Fozzy and other personal projects.
Both subjects are thoroughly enjoyable and interesting to read. Jericho gives a brutally honest assessment of his WWF debut and how many people seemed to want him to fail. He definitely had to work hard to find his success and reading about how he evolved as a performer, earned respect, and eventually became the first ever Undisputed champion is very satisfying. This is echoed in his career with Fozzy who went from being a cheesy cover band to a genuine and respected rock group.
If you've read Lion's Tale you'll know what style of writing to expect here. If not, I can say Jericho's personality really comes through the pages. I've always found him hilarious to watch (in a good way) whether he's a face or a heel and I found myself laughing frequently at his off the wall references and snappy one liners. Personally I think he's so likeable because while he takes what he DOES seriously - whether it's wrestling, music, or anything else - he doesn't take HIMSELF seriously which makes him feel like the kind of guy you'd love to go out and have a beer with.
Anyway, another great wrestling book for fans and newcomers alike. Thanks for the great read Chris!
March 9, 2023
Love that he has the actual email with the rejected name ideas for his finisher. He’s got great perspective on why things weren’t working right away for him in WWF. Triple H’s hazing stuff sounds so lame, same with Michaels dragging him for roasting Taker since he’s locker room leader and main event. Nothing positive to say about Chyna or Mr. Hughes. Forgot how mean he was with Stephanie during their feud. Cool stories with Zakk Wylde, but it does sound like Drunkicho has a drinking problem. Cringe about claiming 9/11 wouldn’t have happened if the WWE were flying on the planes. Nice to hear Gretzky is as great a guy as he seems. Insane trajectory overall, I never quite understood why Vince went with Jericho for the undisputed championship. Pretty nice to see positive stuff about Hogan. Goldberg fight is always wild whenever I hear about it. So strange how Vince just buried him after the undisputed reign. He talks about how he didn’t want to do a Magical Mystery Tour version of Liverpool and does all the things the Magical Mystery Tour does. Really sad chapter on his mom’s final days and passing. Pretty wild how little traction he got starting out in Hollywood despite a decade of television prior. The Joan Rivers snub was funny, and I liked that he got a chance to play hockey with his dad at MSG. His overnight DUI jail stay sounds pretty intense. Axl Rose sounds chill. Bruce Campbell almost appeared on Raw to give a eulogy to Vince the night of the Benoit show?! Benoit stuff is still hard for me to read. Original name for the Codebreaker was Boomstick. I remember the Save Us Y2J stuff so vividly. Jesus rocks!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2021
He’s done it again. After finishing Jericho’s first book ‘A Lions Tale’, I was excited to start this one straight away, as this was taking through his first WWE chapter. And it did not disappoint. What I love most about both books, is how Jericho doesn’t only relive the tails, he does so in great detail, and remembers every single moment, how the energy was and the feeling at the time of said event. It’s like he’s taking you back in time and immersing you in the moment.
The tale of his first WWE run is an interesting one. It’s not all smiles and rainbows. There was some real speed bumps on the way, that almost derailed his run early doors. It’s always fascinating reading about the ‘behind the scenes’ stories that we would not have known at the time. What I love most about this one, is how it mixes in the story of Fozzy. I love that it jumps from wrestling to music as the chapters go on. It’s keeps the whole book flowing really well.
It’s great how honest Jericho is throughout too. He talks about his arrest of DUI (or as close as a DUI) to his mother’s death and of course the death of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit. The second to last chapter is solely on Benoit and it truly is a hard read. The whole book is fantastic, a superb wrestling book mixed with some great music stories to boot. Another must read from the Jericho library. I’m off to start his third book as I write this review.
The tale of his first WWE run is an interesting one. It’s not all smiles and rainbows. There was some real speed bumps on the way, that almost derailed his run early doors. It’s always fascinating reading about the ‘behind the scenes’ stories that we would not have known at the time. What I love most about this one, is how it mixes in the story of Fozzy. I love that it jumps from wrestling to music as the chapters go on. It’s keeps the whole book flowing really well.
It’s great how honest Jericho is throughout too. He talks about his arrest of DUI (or as close as a DUI) to his mother’s death and of course the death of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit. The second to last chapter is solely on Benoit and it truly is a hard read. The whole book is fantastic, a superb wrestling book mixed with some great music stories to boot. Another must read from the Jericho library. I’m off to start his third book as I write this review.
October 28, 2024
I read another review while on my recent Jerich-quest that said, like Mick Foley, Jericho's one of the great wrestling autobiography authors but each subsequent release is a little less compelling and fun than the last. Jericho's epic first book A Lion's Tale is one of the best wrestling autobiographies you can find, in my opinion, and much of Undisputed is written as personably and passionately as his first. Obviously it's very important to his life story, but a lot of this was Fozzy stories that I just didn't really care about. There's a career (and book quality) down period near the end where Jericho leaves WWE for the first time in 2005 where you get a good 3 or 4 Fozzy-centric chapters because he's not really doing wrestling at all. If you like Fozzy, you'll probably like this, but it's definitely a lot of Jericho being Jericho and putting himself over. The wrestling content, though not nearly as compelling as his rise and struggles breaking into the business, is still very compelling and well-written. His touching tributes and recollections of the deaths of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit are easily the highlight of the book. Like many wrestling books, this works best when being confined to mainly wrestling. Undisputed is, for the most part, very good - not nearly as eye-opening or must read as the first book. If you can stomach Chris at his Jericho-iest believing he's the second coming of David Lee Roth, the rest is an easy and fun read.
June 9, 2020
Though not as wrestling-focused as his debut autobiography, Chris Jericho still is able to charm his readership with his straight-forward and “froot” storytelling in “Undisputed.” Following a timeline from his 1999 WWF debut to his 2007 WWE return, Jericho highlights many of his key wrestling moments, as well as the increasing fame and workload of his rock and roll band Fozzy. As I was mostly just interested in the wrestling storyline, the forty consecutive pages concerning Fozzy early on in the book almost ruined the entire reading experience for me. However, Jericho recaptured my attention in the remaining 300 pages and satisfied my urge to hear a professional wrestler tell-all, especially from an era that defined my childhood. Though I did not follow professional wrestling in the early stages of the PG Era, nor do I fully embrace the rock and roll dialogue, I look forward to Jericho's third (and possibly final) good autobiography "The Best in the World", which I hear may be even better than this first sequel and a return to the level of "A Lion's Tale"!
March 2, 2021
Zuerst: Nur 3 Sterne, weil es in direkter Konkurrenz zum hervorragenden Vorgänger A Lions Tale steht. Undisputed ist auch eine wahnsinnig lustige Biographie, die sofort an A Lions Tale anschließt.
Undisputed kann nur durch ein paar Mängel auf hohem Niveau nicht mithalten: Zum einen folgt es häufig nicht einem ganzen roten Faden. Es gibt häufig Zeitsprünge, die man hier definitiv auch besser gestalten könnte. Zum anderen ist das Buch auch sehr klar gesplittet in das Wrestlingleben, seine startende Musikkarriere und dem Versuch als Schauspieler zu starten. Häufig sind es dann einfach nur kleine Anekdoten, die zu Geschichten ausgeschlachtet werden und im Kern nicht ganz so interessant rüberkommen.
Nichtsdestotrotz schreibt Jericho einfach klasse unterhaltsam, als ob er neben dir sitzt und erzählt. Dazu kommt an gleich 3 Stellen die Bedeutung von Tod, Tragödie zum tragen (Mutter, Eddie, Benoit)
Jericho ist ein frooter Typ, den Mick Foley nie besiegt hat und alles weitere dazu findet man in A Lions Tale (in jeder gut sortierten Buchhandlung) :D
Undisputed kann nur durch ein paar Mängel auf hohem Niveau nicht mithalten: Zum einen folgt es häufig nicht einem ganzen roten Faden. Es gibt häufig Zeitsprünge, die man hier definitiv auch besser gestalten könnte. Zum anderen ist das Buch auch sehr klar gesplittet in das Wrestlingleben, seine startende Musikkarriere und dem Versuch als Schauspieler zu starten. Häufig sind es dann einfach nur kleine Anekdoten, die zu Geschichten ausgeschlachtet werden und im Kern nicht ganz so interessant rüberkommen.
Nichtsdestotrotz schreibt Jericho einfach klasse unterhaltsam, als ob er neben dir sitzt und erzählt. Dazu kommt an gleich 3 Stellen die Bedeutung von Tod, Tragödie zum tragen (Mutter, Eddie, Benoit)
Jericho ist ein frooter Typ, den Mick Foley nie besiegt hat und alles weitere dazu findet man in A Lions Tale (in jeder gut sortierten Buchhandlung) :D
May 22, 2022
Der zweite Teil von Chris Jericho's Autobiographie hat mich wieder hervorragend unterhalten.
Diesmal startet er mit seinem Beginn in der WWE. Neben Wrestling gibt es diesmal auch einen größeren Anteil über seine Musik-Karriere mit der Metal-Band Fozzy.
Das Ganze ist gut geschrieben und fasst einzelne Stationen zusammen. Beide Karrieren für sich bieten Abwechslung und unzählige, sehr komische, Anekdoten. Man fühlt die Verbindung zu Chris, der seine Profession äusserst ernst nimmt, aber sich selber nicht unbedingt.
Nach dem Buch von Justin Roberts habe ich Jericho's Schilderungen über die WWE intensiv verfolgt. Er kommt besser zurecht, aber insgesamt bekräftigt sich auch hier das erratische Verhalten der Firma bzw. des CEOs, sowie eine teils sehr unangenehme Arbeitsatmosphäre. So z.B. die Null-Verständnis Reaktionen, als Chris aufgrund extremer Unwetter oder wichtiger familiärer Verpflichtungen Termine verpasst oder nur ganz knapp einhalten kann.
Diesmal startet er mit seinem Beginn in der WWE. Neben Wrestling gibt es diesmal auch einen größeren Anteil über seine Musik-Karriere mit der Metal-Band Fozzy.
Das Ganze ist gut geschrieben und fasst einzelne Stationen zusammen. Beide Karrieren für sich bieten Abwechslung und unzählige, sehr komische, Anekdoten. Man fühlt die Verbindung zu Chris, der seine Profession äusserst ernst nimmt, aber sich selber nicht unbedingt.
Nach dem Buch von Justin Roberts habe ich Jericho's Schilderungen über die WWE intensiv verfolgt. Er kommt besser zurecht, aber insgesamt bekräftigt sich auch hier das erratische Verhalten der Firma bzw. des CEOs, sowie eine teils sehr unangenehme Arbeitsatmosphäre. So z.B. die Null-Verständnis Reaktionen, als Chris aufgrund extremer Unwetter oder wichtiger familiärer Verpflichtungen Termine verpasst oder nur ganz knapp einhalten kann.
September 3, 2018
This book was awesome. I love how Chris Jericho gave insight to how he started in the WWE and the ups and downs of his life and career. Most of the time watching Chris Jericho, I loved his promos and technique with the wrestling moves. I never knew he had such a hard time in the beginning and had become one of the guys no really liked in the start of the book. I also heard about the start of his band Fozzy and the success and failures of the band. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of WWE, and anyone who loves Chris Jericho. I also got an inside look into the world of WWE and what it takes to become a WWE Superstar and earn everyone's respect. Chris Jericho is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time. " You Just Made the List"- Chris Jericho( WWE promo 2016-2017
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