Ultimo Dragon says he'd like to face Chris Jericho in AEW and finish their rivalry.
Dragon and Jericho have clashed in the past; they memorably battled at WCW Bash at the Beach 1997. This bout was one of many highlights in Dragon's remarkable career. He has been wrestling for over three decades, and he has performed all over the world. He had brief runs with WCW and WWE, and he is a major star in Japan. Among many other accolades, he is a two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. The legend is returning to the United States for the Revolución de la Lucha Libre event in San Jose on October 22. There, he and Misterioso will face Border Patrol.
Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Dragon discussed the upcoming match and made it clear that he still feels honored to compete. He stated that he'll retire once he stops feeling that way.
“It doesn’t matter where I am in the world, it is an honor every time I step in the ring. What makes it special are the venue, the fans and giving my everything to the crowd. When I stop feeling that way, that is the day when I will retire," Dragon said.
Coming back to the United States opens up a number of possibilities for the legend, including potentially competing for AEW. When asked about the prospect of a bout against Jericho, Dragon made it clear that while he's not familiar with the company, he'd like to face Jericho one last time at one of their shows.
“I am honestly not very familiar with AEW. But if I have the opportunity, I would really like to participate in one of their shows and end my rivalry with Jericho," he said.
On the other hand, a return to WWE could be on the table. In the aftermath of Vince McMahon's retirement, the company is under new leadership now, and some fans want to see Dragon wrestle for WWE now that Triple H is in charge of creative. When the possibility came up, Dragon stated that he's too old for the company.
“A lot of people always tell me [I should go back with Levesque in charge], but to me, it was an honor to work under McMahon,” Asai says. “Even though he did not give me many opportunities, I learned a lot backstage about the business. I am too old to work for the WWE now," Dragon said.
In a recent interview, Sonny Onoo, Dragon's former manager in WCW, described how Tony Khan contacted him about potentially managing him in AEW. More information is available here.
Chris Jericho recently signed a three-year contract extension with AEW. More information is available here.
