Exclusive: A TNAwrestling.com Interview With Chris Jericho The Spirit Of Wrestling
February 6th, 2007 13:43
A TNA EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS JERICHO
SPIRIT OF WRESTLING: THE LION'S TALES
By David Sahadi
Chris Jericho will always remain one of my most favorite people on the planet. In a world often ruled by ego and governed by greed, he remains a sincere, genuine, humble person. On every film and promotional shoot we have collaborated on, he has always accommodating and giving, the consummate professional.
More importantly, he was a joy to work with. All-night shoots weren't all that bad. In fact, when Jericho was involved, they were downright fun! The hard-working production crews always were entertained by his candor and antics. He tore down the walls of pretense and superficiality in an effort to connect with everyone on the sets. Breaking down walls seems to be something Chris Jericho does well, whether as a wrestler, an entertainer, a musician or just a benevolent being.
This Monday night at 9 pm on Spike TV, TNA will air a two-hour prime time special, “This Is TNA”. During the broadcast, TNA is privileged to have another Fozzy song, “The Test”, stamp the show in a special closing music video that encompasses the unforgettable highlights of the past year in TNA. Yes, we in post-production have indeed become Fozzyholics!
Recently, I asked Jericho what life highlights he has experienced in the past year away from the ring. It seems the lion has many tales to tell…
Q. What has Chris Jericho been doing during his self-imposed year-and-a-half sabbatical?
A. I've been doing a smorgasbord of stuff actually. In the fall of '05 and the winter of '06 I did a massively successful world tour with Fozzy that took us to Australia, Germany, The US, Canada, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and five tours of England. That's right daddy, five tours of England in 13 months. We built a great fan base in the UK and we can't wait to return. Then I did a pilot for the USA Network in April called Ebaum's World that everyone at the network loved except for the boss Bonnie Hammer. Then I did a play in Toronto called “Opening Night” that sold out every show in July, Celebrity Duets in Sept which didn't go the way I planned but was still a blast! I've also been working on my memoir “A Lion's Tale” for the past 16 months and it will be completed over the next 3 weeks. I also did my XM radio show until the end of last year, as well as a dozen shows for VH-1 and Android Apocalypse for the Sci-Fi Channel which comes out on DVD next Tuesday. Most importantly, I've been spending some tremendous quality time with my family so things are good.
Q. What is the book about?
A. It's a coming of age, stranger in a strange land story of a kid who follows and finally achieves his dream of making it big as a pro wrestler. It follows me throughout my journeys across the US, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, ECW, SMW, WCW and finally ends with me signing with the WWE.
Q. Tell us one of your favorite coming of age memories in the book?
A. There's so many and it was a total blast to go through the time machine process of remembering all of these experiences and putting them on the page. I'm very proud of the book and I also never realized how much work it was going to be.
Q. Why did you pull a Mick Foley and decide to pen the autobiography
yourself?
A. Nobody can remember these stories, explain them, feel them and put them on the page like I can because I lived them. I'm also way to much of a detail and a control freak to let someone else be in charge of the writing. Having said that, I worked with a great collaborator who really helped me to organize and edit things. But 99% of what's in the book was written by me.
Q. Why did you pull a Rock and leave the business of professional wrestling while you were still an athlete in his prime?
A. I never said I was leaving, but after almost 1900 matches and 15 years of legit full-time wrestling with no major long-term injuries, I needed a break. I was so mentally fried that I didn't even realize how bad until I stepped back. I've only now healed enough to even be able to entertain the thought of coming back. Plus I needed to make some room to give other guys a chance to step up to the plate. Nobody can compete with Y2J, I don't care who you are.
Q. Was there one particular moment in the early years that stands as a true validation for your decision to become a professional wrestler?
A. Each step of my career validated my decision. All I ever wanted to do was to wrestle one match for Stampede Wrestling. When that goal was fulfilled another popped up and another and another and 15 years later I had accomplished all of them.
Q. How about one of the most outrageous/funniest moments in your career?
A. In the original stages of the book, I thought of almost 1,000 stories I wanted to talk about so there are way too many to mention. But you can read them all in “A Lion's Tale” available in fine bookstores near you in the fall of 07!
Q. What do you value most in life right now?
A. My family. My collection of rare, dried fruit.
Q. What's next for Jericho?
A. Onward and upward junior. Same as always.
Q. OK, I have to ask this question again: if you ever did decide to return
to the ring, would it be one with four sides...or six?
A. I've actually been working on a five-sided design for the Rhomboid Wrestling Federation that I think is going to take off like gangbusters. Besides that, there ain't never been a four-sided ring that could contain Jericho…
Damn.....what is he implying? 
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