5 highlights from Chris Jericho's AEW career so far - First faction of his career, Role in breaking open the Forbidden Door

#2 He broke open the Forbidden Door for AEW

AEW is lucky to have Chris Jericho lead the charge in prying open the Forbidden Door for the company.

He was the very major WWE star to crossover to New Japan Pro Wrestling when he first challenged Kenny Omega for the NJPW US Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 12, thereby opening mainstream wrestling fans to the possibility of recognizable wrestlers working in other promotions.

Something that WWE is very strict about is that its talent works specifically for them alone. But even after signing with AEW, Jericho has been able to work with New Japan Pro Wrestling and hold a title with the company.

He even wrestled NJPW legend Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 2020 when he was the AEW Champion, first hinting at the possibility of the Forbidden Door opening. This has led to AEW working with multiple companies since such as AAA, Impact, NJPW amongst others.

Chris Jericho was also able to appear on the WWE Network when he was interviewed by Stone Cold for his Broken Skull Sessions show without even working for the WWE. Ever the multi-tasking entrepreneur, Jericho still manages to go on tour with Fozzy, run his annual cruise vacation and write a book. He truly epitomizes what it means to be an independent contractor.