Chris Jericho's First Interview Since Leaving WWE

[Guest Hass of Pain]

The following is the writeup of Chris Jericho's appearance on Between the Ropes from several hours ago courtesy of a mighty fine blog on wrestling news and history:

 

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Chris Jericho granted his first interview on the subject of professional wrestling in nearly three months when he joined Between the Ropes Radio live this evening at 11pm Orlando time. Jericho stated that he did not miss wrestling at all, and though he would always leave the door open, for now he has no reason to return to wrestling as he wants to pursue other avenues. Jericho stated that until those avenues dried up, he didn't see a return to wrestling happening. Chris Jericho is coming off of a tour with his band Fozzy that makes several stops in Florida this next week, and joked that he left wrestling to spend more time at home, but that doesn't seem to be happening as of yet. When the tour winds down in a few weeks, Chris Jericho stated that he was looking forward to spending time with his family in his Tampa residence. Chris Jericho has been keeping busy lately, taking acting classes and trying to prove to himself that he can make it in Los Angeles. Chris Jericho is a regular guest on VH1's Best Week Ever, and also currently worked the red carpet at awards shows for E! Entertainment with Joan and Melissa Rivers. Chris Jericho is also working on a book which he stated wasn't an autobiography, but something that focused on a particular time in his life, though he didn't elaborate. Chris Jericho also has a lead in a film produced by the Sci-Fi Network which costars Joey Lawrence.

 

When asked about the picture that appeared on his website displaying the TNA logo, Chris Jericho explained it to be a practical joke on his behalf. Jericho stated that while looking at messageboards, he saw a lot of fans speaking as though they knew everything about him. Jericho put over the dedication and support of internet fans, but stated that he called his webmaster and told him to put the photo up as a joke so that he could watch the "shitstorm" unfold. Jericho stated that within hours, he was receiving calls from high ranking officials within both TNA and WWE.

 

On his wrestling career, Chris Jericho put over John Cena as a guy who gets a bad reputation as a wrestler who didn't deserve it, and claimed to be touched by being cheered by half of the crowd in his match with Cena as Jericho considered his opponent to be the biggest babyface in several years. Jericho also light-heartedly claimed that Kurt Angle calls himself the best in the world, but his matches with John Cena weren't nearly as good as his own. On the subject of Christian, Jericho stated how proud he was of him, and put him over as a top all around performer who never got his due because of his size. Jericho stated that he regretted never having a run with the title as a babyface, but it was hard to have regrets when you were a three time World Champion and the first Undisputed Champion. Chris Jericho called the biggest problem with wrestling today the scripted nature, and recalled writing his debut promo with The Rock in a hotel room the night before. Jericho also stated that he wasn't a fan of Vince McMahon's affinity for "toilet humor".

 

On the subject TNA, Chris Jericho admitted that he watches more TNA than WWE currently. In spite of that, Chris Jericho said that he loves Vince McMahon as a boss and feels a strong sense of loyalty to him, so he didn't see TNA in his future anytime soon. Jericho put over Samoa Joe as his current favorite wrestler and someone who could be a top level star in WWE almost immediately. Chris Jericho also put over A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels, and stated that he thought Monty Brown or Samoa Joe should be the ones to take the title off of Jeff Jarrett. Chris Jericho closed the interview by plugging Fozzy and thanking his fans.

 

Credit: The Pro-Wrestling Chronicle

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It sounds like their is a very good chance that one or two Wrestlemania appearances might be the most we see of Chris Jericho for the new two years.

[UZI Suicide 0]

Chris Jericho also has a lead in a film produced by the Sci-Fi Network which costars Joey Lawrence.

 

 

Well I'm glad he's moving onto bigger and better things.

[Adam 0]

Jericho put over Samoa Joe as his current favorite wrestler and someone who could be a top level star in WWE almost immediately.

 

This is by far my favourite part of this interview.

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Chris Jericho also has a lead in a film produced by the Sci-Fi Network which costars Joey Lawrence.

 

 

Well I'm glad he's moving onto bigger and better things.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

WHOA!!

[CBright7831 0]

It just pisses me off that they gave him such a shit goodbye with him being carried out, crying and screaming. And then, they gave JR such a shit goodbye, by having all of the McMahons (minus Shane) humiliate him. It makes me worry about what they will do with Ric Flair when he finally retires.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Probably have HHH rape him in the middle of the ring.

[The Mandarin 0]

but his matches with John Cena weren't nearly as good as his own.

 

I agree completely. I thought the Vengeance, SummerSlam and post-SummerSlam Raw matches destroyed Angle vs. Cena from No Mercy 2003, No Way Out 2004 and Unforgiven 2005. However, I have yet to see the No Way Out 2005 match.

 

Samoa Joe gets the rub. Who woulda thunk it?

[JN News 0]

Probably have HHH rape him in the middle of the ring.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

No, that's Asshaw's job.

[bob_barron 0]

Asshaw's

 

No.

[Downhome 0]

Chris Jericho must really like TNA to do this:

 

He's really having fun with the net fans.

[Guest Leelee]

Jericho put over Samoa Joe as his current favorite wrestler and someone who could be a top level star in WWE almost immediately.

 

He's gotta be working the internet now...

[Celtic Guardian 0]

If Chris Jericho's current actions constitute "loyalty" to Vince McMahon, we need to have a new definition for the term.

[Guest clockworkraven]

Chris Jericho must really like TNA to do this:

 

He's really having fun with the net fans. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Either that, or he's just really bored without wrestling.

[Gary Floyd 0]

Probably have HHH rape him in the middle of the ring.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This summer, Chris Jericho stars in "I Spit On Your Ring"

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Chris Jericho must really like TNA to do this:

 

He's really having fun with the net fans. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Check out the "commentary" section there on his site for some more interesting tidbits from Jericho.

 

I still get people everyday asking me when I'm going back to wrestling and it's kind of funny for me, as I've only been gone for about 3 months.  Things move so fast in the WWE that it seems so much longer.  I've been enjoying watching as a fan though.  It's fun for me to see the improvement of guys like Snitsky and Kurt Angle as well as the emergence of Ken Kennedy and MNM (Melina is too hot!).  I'd like to know where the heck Shelton Benjamin is though... I can't understand why he's not being given a bigger and better chance  Believe me when I say that Shelton is the real deal...I know.  I also don't understand how the WWE could let Christian go as he's a superstar waiting to happen...once again, believe me as I know!  Don't even get me started on the whole JR situation...he's the best ever although Joey Styles is badass in his own right.

[Guest Leelee]

It's fun for me to see the improvement of guys like Snitsky and Kurt Angle as well as the emergence of Ken Kennedy and MNM (Melina is too hot!).

 

That's like saying he's happy to see the improvement of Dan Gadzuric and Michael Jordan.

[jwpeer 0]

I think Jericho watches raw and says out loud "Poor Shelton".

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Do you think it's possible that Jericho is hyping the TNA PPV because of the heavy rumors that Christian is going to be there? Especially since he keeps name dropping Christian in the interview and his website. It's like he's trying to give his good friend a boost. And it's possible that since he's good friends with Christian he already knows that Christian is going to be at the TNA PPV.

[Dangerous A 0]

I've heard Christian and Jericho aren't as close as people think. Not saying they're enemies or anything, just that a lot of people assume they are best buds when they kind of just like and respect each other.

 

Jericho may also be doing this to kind of keep Vince on his toes if he ever considers coming back to wrestling as sort of a negotiating tactic through speculation. Kind of like letting Vince think about what the possibilities are that he'd go to TNA. If and when negotiations come up, Jericho could then position himself to get a decent deal.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Well I'm not saying they spend Christmas together or anything, but if he respects Christian and thinks WWE should have kept him, he might try and give him a boost by promoting the PPV he's going to be on so to possibly boost the buyrates. If people see Jericho promoting the PPV and hear him promoting TNA wrestlers more might buy it.

[2GOLD 0]

Jericho isn't stupid. He knows it's in the best interest of himself and everybody that there be a second wrestling company. Second company means more options, more money, and battles for your services. He's no longer part of the WWE and he's helping promote a company he likes. He'll probably turn it into a WWE banner next weekend.

 

Two companies= better for his friends and better for Y2J when he gets too bored staying home.

[dubq 0]

Not to mention - why be loyal to WWE? They've shown time and time again that they're not loyal to any of their wrestlers. Do what's good for yourself and they take their ball home and call you names.

[hyperchord24 0]

Not to mention - why be loyal to WWE? They've shown time and time again that they're not loyal to any of their wrestlers. Do what's good for yourself and they take their ball home and call you names.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly, and IIRC, Luger, Hall and Nash's contracts were up when they jumped. They just had "verbal" agreements with the WWE that they would eventually re-sign. Then look what happened.

 

Not to mention that Vince and co. are classless individuals and don't care about anything besides stroking their own ego.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

It's not like WWE won't take him back later down the road anyway even if he did go to TNA. As long as he doesn't cut some scathing shoot interview about how WWE is the worst company ever.

[Guest Brian]

Y2J Jem-    November 9, 1994-Chris has a 36 hour long birthday, when he flies from Japan to Mexico City.  He leaves Tokyo at 2 pm and arrives in Mexico City at 1 pm...technically arriving 1 hour before he left and extending his birthday an extra 12 hours or so!

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I listened to the interview...and you can tell that he is a legit fan of the TNA product.

 

He says the same things that we say everyday in the TNA folder.

 

-Samoa Joe rules

 

-They need to develop characters because (and this is as near a quote as I can recall) I can't tell Austin Aries from Roderick Strong...and that's sad.

 

He also said that he watched the 3 way with Joe, Styles and Daniels and questioned whether or not he could perform at that level.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Chris Jericho getting into movies as well? Very interesting. I think he can pull it off.

 

Jericho stated that he did not miss wrestling at all, and though he would always leave the door open, for now he has no reason to return to wrestling as he wants to pursue other avenues.

 

Considering all the bullshit he's had to put up with over the years along with the fact he was constantly not being pushed, I don't blame him for not wanting to come back.

[Downhome 0]

 

http://www.chrisjericho.com/images/TNAGenesis.jpg

 

http://www.gerweck.net/news/1131657932.shtml

 

 

Like I said, Jericho is having a ball with this.

[cabbageboy 0]

He probably ought to take that down, since it gives a false impression (?) that he'll be at the PPV when he's not...at least I don't think he is. His previous TNA mention on the site was a fun little bit of business but it didn't flat out say he was coming.

[Dangerous A 0]

That's the beauty of being a fee agent. He can do this without serious reprecussions. What's the worse that happens? TNA asks him to take it down. He's having fun.

 

Besides, it's not like WWE hasn't hinted at people showing up and then they didn't.

 

*coughbrethartsummerslamcough*