Chris Jericho speaks about wanting to work with the newer talent of AEW and reflects on WWE's main event of 'Crown Jewel'.
"The Ayatollah Of Rock N' Rolla" Chris Jericho is signed to All Elite Wrestling and is looking to be a key piece of the company for the next three years of his deal. Jericho is set to clash with former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega at AEW's 'Double Or Nothing' on May 25th in Las Vegas and the feud for that match dates back to Wrestle Kingdom 12.
AT the age of 48, Y2J is still given heavy amounts of praise from those who watch him work at this point in his career for the matches that he has had with Omega, Tetsuya Naito and EVIL. The current crop of talent that AEW has contracted excites Jericho and he feels that his career resurgence began back in 2016 when he had the chance to work with the likes of Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns. Jericho spoke more about that when he sat down with Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales of Wrestling Observer Radio and also touched on the main event of WWE 'Crown Jewel' which was DX (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) versus The Undertaker and Kane. Jericho stated that he would've never done that match because there was too much nostalgia involved and it should've been an old school versus new school type of match.
“The reason there has been a real resurgence for me; A, because of who I’m working with. [2016] was Ambrose and Owens, Rollins and Reigns, Sami Zayn. All these guys that are like fifteen years younger than me, but, we’re having great matches and not only are we having great matches because of things I know, I’m learning from them. Like there’s this thing that I… Seth Rollins doing three topes in a row -- never would of done that. The way I was trained, that’s a waste of time." Jericho shared. "But then you understand the reason why he does it and start incorporating it into, ‘Oh, okay’. Now I’m learning a little bit from these guys as well. Then I go to Japan and work with Kenny. Probably the best wrestler in the world. Also 35-years old. So that’s spurring me at 46, 47, 48 to have great matches because I can still… not keeping up but you’re putting your mind and your experience together with these guys, suddenly you become this relevant guy -- like a seasoned vet. You’re still working with all these younger guys. That to me, is way more exciting -- like I never would’ve done the match that they did at Crown Jewel. Shawn and Hunter, versus Taker and Kane. I think that was such a mistake." Jericho expressed. "It should’ve been Shawn and Hunter versus Rollins and Reigns or Zayn and Owens. That to me was the big mistake that they made in that match, because you don’t won’t to go out there and make it a nostalgia match -- I’ll never do that."
Jericho said that he cannot wait to work with the MJFs and Joey Janelas of the world. Although he loves working those aforementioned legends of WWE, he is content with not wrestling them again because he's wrestled them hundreds of times in the past and the options that he has in front of him from the next generation excites him more.
"That’s what keeps you fresh and exciting and relevant, and just to finish up what you said, a great football team, a great hockey team wins championships because you’ve got a couple seasoned vets that have won a few cups. You've got a great group of guys that are in their prime. You’ve got a bunch of rookies that are learning from the guys in their prime. Learning from the guys that have won a few cups. That’s how the business works, and that is what we have here in AEW. It’s a real great mix. Even if you haven't heard of these guys before, just wait until you see them and wait until I get a hold of them with my experience." He teased. "I can’t wait to work with Hangman Page, or MJF, or Joey Janela. Any of these guys that are so good, but really have no idea of how good they can possibly be until they learn some of the secrets that I know. So it’s very exciting to be involved with all of these guys. Sure I love working Kane, Undertaker, Shawn and Hunter. It’s awesome. But I’ll probably never work with them again and that’s fine. I’ve had hundreds of matches with those guys and they’re great, but now it’s time to work with some of these newer guys which not only makes it exciting for the fans, [it] makes it exciting for me too.”
While on the topic of mixing the past with the present, it was reported by PWInsider that WWE has brought Bruce Prichard back to the creative team full-time and he'll start tomorrow on RAW.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Wrestling Observer Radio with an H/T to Fightful for the transcriptions.
