Jericho Interview...

[Guest webmasterofwrestlegame]

Source: The Winnipeg Sun

 

Mat baddie grapples with fame

Chris Jericho is king of the wrasslin' world

By Kevin Engstrom

 

 

He's the man millions love to hate.

 

And it's little wonder why people loathe Chris Jericho. The World Wrestling Entertainment star is seen every week acting as a dastardly, self-absorbed, cowardly jerk whose hobbies include sinister plots and smacking people over the head with steel chairs.

 

But those facts are ignored whenever Jericho makes it back to Manitoba to visit family and friends. Fans here embrace the former Winnipegger's on-screen bravado without hesitation, even endorsing his claim to be "the king of the world."

 

If it's a little overwhelming for Chris Irvine -- Chris Jericho's real-life alter-ego -- he doesn't let it show.

 

"Some people get angry when they get stopped on the street and asked for autographs," Jericho said. "I look at it as you may not always be in the best of moods and people aren't always the most polite or have the best manners, but if they weren't asking you for your autograph or recognizing you -- there's probably a problem."

 

Since moving away from this city 13 years ago, Jericho has seen success no other Canadian-born wrestler -- outside of perhaps Bret Hart -- has ever witnessed.

 

At 32, he's already achieved every possible milestone the fictional world of wrestling has to offer. He's been the champion, he's worked the main event of a WrestleMania, and he's been able to lock horns with everyone from The Rock to boyhood idol Hulk Hogan.

 

Not bad for a guy who became fascinated with wrestling while watching it on television with his grandmother. But Jericho insists he doesn't need oversized championship belts to keep him satisfied.

 

More than just showbiz

 

"I don't care about winning, I don't care about losing, I don't care about championships," he said. "I just care about putting on the best match I can and having the people entertained because this is show business."

 

But it's obviously more than just showbiz for Jericho -- it's a passion he's had since he first started thinking of a ring career when he was 15. It's what caused him to pack his bags and head to Calgary four years later to train at the legendary Hart family wrestling school, leaving family and a job with The Winnipeg Sun behind.

 

He said he still remembers everything about his first match, at a bingo hall in Alberta before 100 people.

 

"I just remember the crowd yelling and screaming and thinking 'Man, I'm almost as popular as Hulk Hogan already,'" said Jericho. "If you watched it back now there's probably only three people yelling but it seemed like everybody was going crazy."

 

Since then Jericho has wrestled all over the world, becoming well-known to North American audiences after arriving in World Championship Wrestling in 1996. He parlayed that into a contract with WWE, then known as the WWF, in 1999.

 

Four years later Jericho is considered one of the company's cornerstones. With seemingly no professional challenges left to overcome, he said he could retire in as little as two years if he were able to find another creative outlet.

 

If it's a challenge he wants, the Westwood Collegiate grad now has it. His wife, Jessica, gave birth to the couple's first child -- son Ash -- on Sept. 24. Acting with the trademark cockiness of his on-screen character, Jericho is confident things will work out.

 

"It's going to be a huge challenge, but I'm really looking forward to it," he said just prior to his son's birth. "I've kind of succeeded at everything else so I'm sure I can be a good father as well."

 

---

 

BLOND AMBITION

 

Name: Chris Jericho (real name Chris Irvine)

 

Aka: Y2J, the King of Bling Bling, the Highlight of the Night, and the Ayatollah of Rock and Roll-ah.

 

Famous bloodlines: Although raised in Winnipeg, Jericho was born in New York City, where father Ted Irvine played for the New York Rangers.

 

Starting blocks: Graduated with a journalism diploma from Red River College in 1990, trained with the Hart family in Calgary that summer. Made debut on Oct. 2, 1990, in Ponoka, Alta., wrestling to a 10-minute draw with future WWE star Lance Storm.

 

In the ring: Defeated wrestling legends The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin in San Diego Dec. 9, 2001, to capture undisputed WWE title. Held title nearly four months, losing to Triple H in front of 67,000 "Jericho-holics" in main event of Wrestlemania X-8 at Toronto's SkyDome.

 

Man of Music: In addition to wrestling career, is the lead singer for Fozzy -- hard-rock band that performs a mix of heavy metal covers and originals. About 100,000 people bought their latest album, Happenstance, since released last year.

 

Ring ties: Married Jessica Lockhart of Minneapolis on July 30, 2000, now lives in Tampa, Fla. First child -- son Ash -- born on Sept. 24.

[AndrewTS 0]

Do it, Chris! GET THE HELL OUT AS SOON AS YOU CAN!!

[Guest BionicRedneck]

Yeah, and Terry Funk was gonna retire in 1988.

[TheFranchise 0]

In all sincerety, if Jericho left, i might just give it up myself.

[Guest Loss]

While it is worth nothing that this was in the article, Lords of Paste doing headlines like "Y2J" Chris Jericho talks about retirement in the near future is very irresponsible and misleading.

[Jack_Bauer 0]

I am with Franchise on this one.

 

Well, Smackdown I can still stand, but for RAW, that would be it for me.

[Nevermortal 0]

Happenstance did NOT sell 100K.

[Fökai 0]

Yeah, and Terry Funk was gonna retire in 1988.

Jericho doesn't have the same attachment to wrestling as Funk had. Terry kept coming back, just because he missed the feeling of stepping into the ring.

 

Jericho will keep going for 8-10 more years, just because he has the charisma and appeal to last that long - the money makes it a viable option, too.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Nobody ever retires.

 

Like...Foley and that's it.

[Guest Loss]

Just think, in two years, RVD may jump to TNA, Booker, Jericho and Benoit will be retired, and HHH will be running the company.

 

The future's so bright I gotta wear shades.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Just think, in two years, RVD may jump to TNA, Booker, Jericho and Benoit will be retired, and HHH will be running the company.

 

The future's so bright I gotta wear shades.

HA.

 

It's so true.

[AndrewTS 0]

I am with Franchise on this one.

 

Well, Smackdown I can still stand, but for RAW, that would be it for me.

You can still stand SD?!

[Guest webmasterofwrestlegame]

The problem if Jericho etc. retire, yes its WWE's fault and they will get what they deserve, but the fans also miss out as well.

[Jack_Bauer 0]

SD has enough talent to at LEAST do a good show once in a while so I can at LEAST still get into them

 

RAW is painful though

[AndrewTS 0]

SD has enough talent to at LEAST do a good show once in a while so I can at LEAST still get into them

 

RAW is painful though

3 minute matches! Terrific! Most of the shows focusing on shit! WHOO!!

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I'm more entertained by RAW at this point.

 

At least when Raw sucks I can blame it on lack of talent.

 

When SD! sucks (as it does quite often now) I get the extra pain of watching talent being wasted.

[Guest Loss]

Oh, and I forgot, Meltzer seems to think Nash will take a front office job and retire from in-ring competition in January. So not only does the long-term future see Booker, Jericho, Benoit and RVD slowly fading out, but it also sees HHH and Nash running things!

 

Gotta wear shades ...

[BifEverchad 0]

I'm more entertained by RAW at this point.

 

At least when Raw sucks I can blame it on lack of talent.

 

When SD! sucks (as it does quite often now) I get the extra pain of watching talent being wasted.

My thoughts exactly bps. When I watch RAW, and it sucks, I'm like "Well, what do you expect?" But when I watch SmackDown! and we get shit like last week's show, I don't understand what they're thinking when they have excellent quality matches and storylines, at their disposal.

[Guest Boo_Bradley]

Jerich retires at WM 22, after a 18 min Classic with HHHe-man, which sees Jericho submit to his own finisher

 

/flame bait

[AndrewTS 0]

Jerich retires at WM 22, after a 18 min Classic with HHHe-man, which sees Jericho submit to his own finisher

 

/flame bait

Sounds about right, but doubtful they'll let him main event Wrestlemania.