Chris Jericho has once again added James Ellsworth to The List, reviving one of the more memorable running jokes from the road to WWE Survivor Series 2016.
Ellsworth, who is also known as Chince McMahon, had hoped that enough time had passed for Jericho to remove his name from the infamous list. Instead, Jericho’s response has left Ellsworth in an even worse fictional position: he has now been double listed.
For anyone familiar with the original gag, that is not a favorable development. The List was one of Jericho’s defining WWE character devices during that period, used whenever someone committed a perceived offense against him, frustrated him, or simply found themselves on the wrong end of his judgment. The humor came from the arbitrary nature of the punishment as much as Jericho’s absolute conviction that being placed on it was a serious consequence.
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A decade after Ellsworth first landed there, Jericho has shown that the bit still has enough life to produce another punchline.
For more background on this topic, read Zayda Steel Details How Her AEW Opportunity Came Together Just Days After WWE ID Exit.
The original Survivor Series-era segment
Ellsworth became part of a major WWE segment before Survivor Series 2016, when the men’s traditional elimination teams from Raw and SmackDown were brought together. It was a star-heavy scene built around the collision between the two brands and the personalities selected to represent them.
Team Raw consisted of Braun Strowman, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. Across from them, Team SmackDown featured AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton and Shane McMahon.
That collection of names alone illustrates why Ellsworth’s involvement stood out. The segment placed him amid world champions, future top stars, established main-event figures and some of the most recognizable personalities on either roster. Ellsworth had become an unlikely presence in the WWE landscape, and his association with Dean Ambrose had put him in situations far beyond what viewers would have expected from him when he first appeared.
Jericho used the occasion to put Ellsworth on The List. The moment fit the tone of Jericho’s character at the time: a veteran performer treating a relatively small issue, or a person he viewed as irritating, as though it required an official and severe response.
The phrase “You just made the list” became a familiar part of Jericho’s act in that era. Its success relied on repetition without losing timing, with the list serving as a flexible tool for promos, backstage material and interactions involving wrestlers at every level of the card. Ellsworth’s inclusion gave the joke another memorable target, particularly because he was surrounded by so many bigger names in the Survivor Series build.
Ellsworth’s attempt to settle an old score
Ten years later, Ellsworth attempted to revisit the matter and get his name removed. Rather than offering a reprieve, Jericho doubled down on the joke and added him to The List again.
The result is a simple continuation of a WWE-era bit, but it also reflects the durability of wrestling character work. Promotions, rosters and storylines change, yet a well-established persona can carry certain traits forward for years. Jericho’s willingness to return to The List in this context gives longtime viewers an immediate point of recognition without requiring a complicated explanation.
It also keeps the humor centered on the same premise that made the original moment work. Ellsworth is looking for closure. Jericho sees no reason to provide it. In Jericho’s world, a name that was once worthy of The List can apparently remain worthy of it ten years later—and may be worth adding twice.
There is no indication that the exchange is attached to a larger wrestling program or that Ellsworth is scheduled for an AEW appearance. The moment instead stands as a callback between two figures whose careers crossed during a highly visible stretch of WWE television in 2016.
That distinction matters. Wrestling callbacks can sometimes be presented as the opening move in a new storyline, but not every social-media interaction needs to become one. In this case, the value is in the recognition of a shared piece of wrestling history and the preservation of Jericho’s comic commitment to a character trait that fans remember.
Jericho’s focus turns to Nick Wayne
While the Ellsworth callback has supplied a nostalgic diversion, Jericho is set to compete on Tuesday at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam France. His opponent will be Nick Wayne.
The match places Jericho opposite a much younger wrestler in Wayne, offering a contrast that is familiar throughout Jericho’s long career. Jericho has repeatedly worked against performers from different generations, adapting his presentation while maintaining the larger-than-life character elements that have followed him across multiple eras.
For Wayne, a match with Jericho represents an opportunity to share the ring with one of the most experienced and recognizable names in modern professional wrestling. For Jericho, it is another chance to bring his veteran presence to an AEW event with a major setting and an international identity.
Grand Slam France is the immediate competitive priority, and the Jericho-Wayne bout will be the relevant in-ring development to watch on Tuesday. The Ellsworth material does not alter the stakes of that match, but it has added another layer to the public conversation around Jericho before he returns to action.
That is part of the benefit of a callback that lands cleanly. It can generate attention without taking focus away from the upcoming contest. Fans who remember Survivor Series 2016 get the reference, while viewers focused on AEW have a reminder that Jericho’s career remains connected to a deep archive of recognizable moments.
A character joke with long-term mileage
The List was effective because it was both specific and adaptable. It had a clear visual and a clear verbal payoff, but it could be applied to nearly anyone. Jericho could use it against a major rival, a partner, an authority figure, a commentator or an unexpected participant such as Ellsworth. The act of writing a name down was less important than the certainty with which Jericho delivered the verdict.
Ellsworth’s return to that premise demonstrates why certain wrestling bits endure. Fans do not necessarily need every reference explained when the central idea is easy to understand: someone wants to be forgiven, and Jericho refuses. The added idea of being “double listed” pushes the joke one step further while staying faithful to its original logic.
It is also a reminder of how quickly an unusual supporting player can become tied to a much larger moment. Ellsworth was not one of the captains in the Raw versus SmackDown showdown, nor was he among the headline names in the Survivor Series match buildup. Yet his presence beside Team Raw and Team SmackDown gave him a role in a segment that has remained memorable enough to revisit ten years later.
Jericho’s career has included championship runs, major rivalries, reinventions and appearances across different wrestling environments. But performers are often remembered just as strongly for smaller pieces of business that connected with an audience. The List belongs in that category, and Ellsworth’s name remains attached to one of its lasting punchlines.
Now, rather than escaping the record, Ellsworth has been entered again. As Jericho prepares for Nick Wayne at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam France, the old ruling appears to stand: James Ellsworth is still on The List.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.