New Japan Pro Wrestling has released a new video via their YouTube channel. The video features the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon, Tetsuya Naito, addressing his Wrestle Kingdom 13 opponent, Chris Jericho.

The two will clash for Jericho’s IWGP Intercontinental Championship at NJPW’s January 4th super show.

Over the course of the video, Naito (who sports face paint similar to what Jericho has been wearing in recent months) mocks his opponent, jabbing at what he considers to be Jericho’s inflated sense of ego by condescendingly referring to him as an “international superstar.”

“He Wouldn’t Do Anything That Cheap, Would He?”

Naito proceeds to poke fun at Jericho’s recent use of make-up, stating, “An international superstar wouldn’t put this lame make-up on his face, would he? If he used make-up, he would do it cooler, wouldn’t he?”

The LIJ leader then suggests in an off-hand way that Jericho has purposely stolen t-shirt ideas in order to profit off a popular design.

“[…] he wouldn’t rip-off someone else’s t-shirt design to make a little cash,” Naito said. “He wouldn’t do anything that cheap, would he? After all, he’s an international superstar, right?”

While addressing how Jericho is looked on within the NJPW locker room, the former IWGP Heavyweight champion admitted that “[…] nobody really talks about you. Is it perhaps the nobody’s really that interested in you? The self-proclaimed international superstar, Mr. Chris Jericho.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2d5J5pjjtY

What did you think of this promo? Do you think Naito vs Jericho could steal the show at Wrestle Kingdom 13?

New Japan’s World Tag League tour is beginning to wind down and there are only 2 more events. 12/7 in Akita and 12/9 in Iwate.

One of the biggest matches taking place at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom will see IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho facing Tetsuya Naito. Jericho recently wrapped up a tour with his Metal band Fozzy, this finished on December 4th so would supposedly leave him free to appear for NJPW. Aside from the World Tag League events there will be 3 more shows on NJPW World before the big January 4th spectacular. The traditional 12/14 and 12/15 Korakuen Hall “Road to Tokyo Dome” shows will be part of the offering. It is also tradition that one of the shows features a tag team main event featuring the competitors in the Wrestle Kingdom main events. So whilst it is unlikely we could see a Kenny Omega/Chris Jericho vs Hiroshi Tanahashi/Tetsuya Naito match.

The storyline heading into the Intercontinental Title match is that Jericho is ‘refusing’ to face Naito. In a recent interview with NJPW1972 Jericho stated that “Why does Naito get a re-match? Why? What does he do? He beat Zack Sabre Jr. You know, ZSJ is a great technical wrestler, but I can break him in two like a branch. I beat Naito. I beat EVIL. To me, you don’t just get to have a re-match just because you say so. When I lost the WWE title to John Cena, I didn’t just come back the next day and say, “I want a re-match”, it doesn’t work that way.”

We noted before how Chris Jericho continued playing with the idea of his future by recently posting a picture of himself alongside some officials from Impact Wrestling.

During his recent interview with Drew Dalby, Y2J discussed the current wrestling demographic in detail and while doing so, he also briefly mentioned his meeting with Impact Employees.

Jericho was discussing his future in wrestling. He revealed that he has one more NJPW match left but apart from that and a couple of movie shoots; his schedule for the next 3-4 months is pretty open.

When Delby brought up all the options Chris has in front of him, the former World Champion claimed that nothing is set in stone. While talking about his recent picture, Chris Jericho admitted that he recently met with Impact Officials.

He claimed that he had a great conversation with them ‘the other day’ in Toronto and said that there are some great matches he could have in Impact Wrestling.

Though this is all the Fozzy Star revealed and he then went on to discuss the other options he has in front of him like the matches he wants to have in NJPW and maybe a WWE return as well.

Knowing Jericho he would never admit even if the meeting was about his Impact debut. Though with him being involved with the upcoming AEW promotion, it doesn’t look very likely that he is thinking of having a run with the company.

You can check out Chris’ full interview in the video below:

Chris Jericho is reported to have fended off an attacker on a Fozzy tour bus last night in Regina, Saskatchewan. From what has been reported, a fan wanted to get on the tour bus but was denied. The fan somehow ended up sneaking onto the bus and got into a fight with a member of the crew.

“A guy described as all messed up tried to get on the bus and was pounding on the door,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “He walked away and somehow got on. He assaulted a member of the crew, who ended up hospitalized with a broken collarbone.”

Jericho is believed to have speared the guy and gotten on top of him at one point. The guy ended up getting away from everyone, however, including police.

Chris Jericho On Tour With Fozzy

Jericho’s band Fozzy will open for Iron Maiden in 2019. Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickenson, has been on his podcast multiple times. Speaking on Iron Maiden’s tour, Dickenson had the following to say recently:

“We’ve got all kinds of crazy things going on, including a replica Spitfire plane dominating the stage during Aces High, tons of pyro, a giant Icarus, muskets, claymores and some truly marvelous flame-throwers which I have a hell of a lot of fun with, as you will see! And of course we have Eddie, as you’ve never seen him before, and absolutely loads of other surprises. I’ve had the time of my life playing with all these magnificent props on stage, it’s been fantastic, we can’t wait to bring this show to you!”

Chris Jericho was in Toronto last night for a Fozzy concert at the Rockpile. While in town he evidently met with the Impact Wrestling management team of Scott D’Amore, Don Callis, and Ed Nordholm.

Jericho posted a photo of the four of them along with Jericho’s father (and former New York Ranger), Ted Irvine.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq0GnsPlMV7/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1lg9vw9lennnt

Anthem Sports and Entertainment’s head office is located in Toronto.

Chris Jericho and Impact Wrestling

Jericho has been linked to Impact since his friend Don Callis was appointed co-Vice President. Callis takes credit for bringing Jericho into NJPW and setting up the WrestleKingdom match between Kenny Omega and Jericho last January. Jericho, Callis, and Omega are all from Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

Jericho and Impact Wrestling worked together in October as well for the Chris Jericho Rock N Rager at Sea. He had originally booked just Ring of Honor wrestlers to appear on the cruise but Impact’s involvement was confirmed earlier this year as well.

Earlier this month, the Wrestling Observer printed the following regarding a potential Impact and NJPW talent-sharing arrangement.

“(NJPW) didn’t use guys like Brian Cage and John Morrison because they were Impact guys,” Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer. “And stopped some of their own talent from working Impact.”

Many things in wrestling seem destined to change in 2019, however. Jericho, Callis, D’Amore, and Nordholm may have touched upon that subject last night. 

Chris Jericho recently sat down with NJPW1972.com for a special interview. Part 1 of the interview has now been released and the IWGP Intercontinental Champion made some interesting points relating to EVIL, WWE comparisons and the rematch with Tetsuya Naito.

Match With EVIL

When asked about the Power Struggle match with EVIL, Jericho stated “I’ve never been in a match with EVIL before. I think the fact that the match was so great; the quality, the fighting spirit, the intensity, the strong style. I think EVIL was very good. He’s got a great character, a great gimmick and I really enjoyed working with him.” We reported shortly after the Power Struggle match that Jericho claimed it was EVIL’s “first ever classic match.” Y2J again made this claim in this new interview, saying that “I think it’s the best match EVIL has ever had – a classic match, a must-see match. That makes it 1 for him and 557 for me, which is just a result of the experience that I have in comparison to EVIL. I really enjoyed it.”

Comparisons to WWE

The interviewer also asked Jericho if EVIL was comparable to any Superstars he has faced in WWE. Jericho replied “I don’t rate and think of performers that way, everyone is unique and different. If you say “Oh EVIL’s like this guy, or that guy” then it’s usually not a good thing. I think he’s got a great character. There was however one WWE legend that sprang to mind; “Obviously, it’s a little bit of an Undertaker theme, but it’s an original take on that. In the ring, I don’t know… it’s hard to compare…  He’s a very Strong-Style type of wrestler, but he’s fast.”

Rematch with Naito

The interview ended with Jericho’s comments on Tetsuya Naito and the planned rematch at Wrestle Kingdom. Jericho asked “Why does Naito get a re-match? Why? What does he do? He beat Zack Sabre Jr. You know, ZSJ is a great technical wrestler, but I can break him in two like a branch. I beat Naito. I beat EVIL. To me, you don’t just get to have a re-match just because you say so. When I lost the WWE title to John Cena, I didn’t just come back the next day and say, “I want a re-match”, it doesn’t work that way.”

You can read the full interview here

SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch has shown once again you don’t want to tangle with her on social media.

At Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view, Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair had a stellar match that solidified once again that women are more than capable of headlining WrestleMania. Former WWE Superstar Chris Jericho has taken notice of the Women’s Revolution. He congratulated the company for making women’s wrestling the hottest thing around, but Becky Lynch replied that she is the one that deserves that credit.

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1064529989440339969

Jericho gave Lynch credit for contributing to the success of WWE’s women’s divisions, but in a backhanded way. He mentioned that Nia Jax also deserves some credit for breaking Lynch’s face. The Irish Superstar did not take kindly to that remark and took a dig at Jericho’s metal band, Fozzy.

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1064570639342886912

As we noted last week, Jericho’s band Fozzy will be opening for Iron Maiden next summer in Los Angeles.

The replies to Becky Lynch’s burn indicate Jericho should probably just move on and reconsider taking another dig at the Irish Superstar.

pic.twitter.com/cr9MPHZog7

— Bully Ray (@bullyray5150) November 19, 2018

https://twitter.com/Kenny_Is_DaMan/status/1064571085834936321

pic.twitter.com/HQzCBk2h8i

— Ellis Mbeh (@EllisMbeh) November 19, 2018

Daniel Bryan beat A.J. Styles for the WWE Championship this week. On Talk Is Jericho, Chris Jericho gave his insight on what he believes Vince McMahon’s thought process was like when making the decision to end Styles’ title reign of more than a year.

“I think that Vince wanted a buzz going into Survivor Series, because he lost his main event, which was Ronda vs. Becky,” Jericho said.

“He needed a buzz. ‘I need buzz-worthy. I will change the title.’ Because to him, A.J. and Bryan are the same. They’re both great workers. They’re both the same size.

Jericho’s explanation didn’t end there, as he also managed to work in a couple of thinly-veiled jabs at Brock Lesnar.

“They’re both going to get eaten alive by Brock depending on what kind of mood he’s in, if he even wants to have a match or whatever,” Jericho said.

“Because sometimes Brock will just show up and say ‘Yeah, we’ll just talk about it in the ring.’ That’s what happened with Ambrose at WrestleMania. They didn’t even go over anything.”

Jericho did not elaborate further. But from the context of the comments, and by invoking the Ambrose match, you can connect the dots on how Jericho feels about Lesnar’s professionalism.

Judge for yourself by listening to the full episode of Talk Is Jericho below.

On Friday’s Talk Is Jericho, Chris Jericho stated that the punch from Nia Jax that led to Becky Lynch’s broken face looked “legitimate [and], deliberate.”

To provide some context, Jericho was previewing Sunday’s Survivor Series card with co-hosts Jack Slade and John Howarth.

In discussing the switch from Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey to Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair, Jericho recounted the circumstances that forced the match to be changed.

“You know, stuff happens. If you see the punch that she took, oh my gosh, it didn’t look like a potato,” Jericho said. “It looked like a legitimate, deliberate punch to the face.”

“But, whatever, we’ll hold off judgment on that,” Jericho was quick to add.

Jericho also had some fun with the way that Lynch’s injury has been described.

“Becky got stiffed, st-izz-iffed, by Nia Jax, and they said she broke her face,” Jericho said. “Has anyone went to the doctor and been diagnosed with a broken face? Wouldn’t it be, like, a broken orbital bone?”

For the full context of Jericho’s comments, as well as the rest of his thoughts on Survivor Series, you can listen to the full episode of Talk Is Jericho below.

What do you think of Jericho’s statements?

Don Callis and Impact Wrestling would love to bring in some of the top-talent from NJPW to their promotion. While it’s likely some in-roads have been made with Callis serving as English color commentator, it appears NJPW still isn’t budging. NJPW has talent sharing agreements in place with ROH & CMLL and apparently, they aren’t adding more North American promotions to the fold.

“(NJPW) didn’t use guys like Brian Cage and John Morrison because they were Impact guys,” Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer. “And stopped some of their own talent from working Impact.”

There have been rumblings in the past that some members of the NJPW roster were upset they weren’t allowed to work for Impact but who those wrestlers are is unconfirmed. As for Brian Cage and Johnny Impact, they were both said to be interested in working for the promotion but NJPW decided against it due to their status with Impact.

Don Callis Wants Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho In Impact Wrestling

The new management regime for Impact has been working in 2018 to clear the bad name left by the previous one. This includes a botched excursion between NJPW and Impact which saw Kazuchika Okada largely wasted by the former TNA Wrestling.

At a Slammiversary press conference in Toronto earlier this year, Callis said to me he’d love to bring both Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho to his promotion.

“There’s a young Canadian kid I like, we’d love to sign him, his name is Kenny Omega,” Callis said. “Another is Chris Jericho.”

The reported payday that WWE gave Chris Jericho to work his latest event under their banner was for some big bucks, according to longtime pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

He last wrestled in a WWE ring at the Greatest Royal Rumble back in April. The report stated that WWE paid Jericho $100,000 to work the show. Jericho has made a few appearances for WWE this year including a backstage segment at the RAW 25th Anniversary special in January.

It was noted that although he worked the Greatest Royal Rumble match, at one point he was advertised to work a Casket Match with The Undertaker. He would’ve been paid the same if he worked against Taker. Instead, Rusev wrestled “The Deadman.”

Jericho has also made several appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling including a 5-star classic against Kenny Omega at the Wrestle Kingdom event from the Tokyo Dome. At Dominion, he captured the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Tetsuya Naito.

Jericho made a surprise appearance at ALL IN by attacking Omega after his match with Pentagon Jr. to promote the Chris Jericho’s cruise. He made his first IWGP Intercontinental Championship defense will be against EVIL at the NJPW Power Struggle event on November 3.

Metal band Iron Maiden has announced their 2019 Legacy of the Beast North American tour dates. When Maiden rolls into Los Angeles on September 14th, 2019, their special guests (opening for them) will be none other than Fozzy.

As a longtime Maiden fan, opening for the band will surely be a treat for frontman Chris Jericho. Fozzy covered Iron Maiden’s “Sun & Steel” on “Maiden Heaven Vol. 2”. In 2010, Jericho was proud enough of Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickenson’s review of Fozzy’s album that he posted the following to Twitter:

Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden says Fozzy's CTG is an "excellent album of traditional metal" and something to "really line your guts with!"

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) March 20, 2010

Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickenson has appeared on Talk is Jericho multiple times, most recently in January. Jericho is such a big fan of the group that he has a tattoo of Iron Maiden mascot Eddie on his forearm.

Iron Maiden Legacy Of The Beast Tour

Lead-singer Bruce Dickenson had the following to say regarding the tour.

“We’re immensely proud of this show and we’ve had great reactions from the many fans who came to see us in Europe earlier this year,” a band press release reads. “The production is based on our mobile game THE LEGACY OF THE BEAST which basically takes various incarnations of Eddie into many different Maiden Worlds. This inspired us to put together a stage show to take our fans through different Worlds and experiences set to appropriate songs.”

The epic stage-show features pyro (unlike WWE), flame-throwers, muskets, and loads of surprises.

“We’ve got all kinds of crazy things going on, including a replica Spitfire plane dominating the stage during Aces High, tons of pyro, a giant Icarus, muskets, claymores and some truly marvelous flame-throwers which I have a hell of a lot of fun with, as you will see! And of course we have Eddie, as you’ve never seen him before, and absolutely loads of other surprises. I’ve had the time of my life playing with all these magnificent props on stage, it’s been fantastic, we can’t wait to bring this show to you!”

Iron Maiden 2019 North American Tour Dates

7/18 — Sunrise, FL @ BB&T Center
7/20 — Atlanta @ Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
7/22 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
7/24 — Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
7/26 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center +
7/30 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
8/1 — Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center
8/3 — Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theatre
8/5 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
8/7 — Quebec City, QC @ Videotron Centre
8/9 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
8/10 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
8/13 — Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
8/15 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
8/17 — Pittsburgh PA @ PPG Paints Arena
8/19 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
8/22 — Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
8/24 — Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
8/26 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center *
8/28 — Winnipeg, MB @ Bell MTS Place
8/30 — Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
8/31 — Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
9/3 — Vancouver, BC @ Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
9/5 — Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
9/6 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
9/9 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
9/10 — Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
9/13 — Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
9/14 — Los Angeles, CA @ Banc of California Stadium – Fozzy Opens
9/17 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Arena *
9/19 — Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
9/21 — Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
9/22 — Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
9/25 — San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center”

New Japan has released the official poster for their biggest card of the year. Wrestle Kingdom 13 will be taking place on January 4th from the world famous Tokyo Dome.

The poster features Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Kazuchika Okada, KUSHIDA, Jay White and Tetsuya Naito. One of the biggest omissions from the poster is the IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho.

Chris Jericho recently returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling at the Power Struggle event in Osaka, Japan. The IWGP Intercontinental Champion defended successfully against EVIL after locking him in a Walls of Jericho that transitioned into a Liontamer.

When Jericho would not release the submission Tetsuya Naito appeared and forced Jericho to retreat to the back. Naito then issued a direct challenge to Y2J for the Intercontinental Championship. It is not yet known whether this bout will be taking place at Wrestle Kingdom or Madison Square Garden in April.

Jericho appeared in a backstage interview following the win and declared that he would not face Tetsuya Naito. Chris Jericho stated that as he already beat Naito at Dominion earlier this year that there would be no rematch. Jericho even went as far to say that it definitely wouldn’t happen at “Wrestle Kingdom, Madison Square Garden or anywhere.”

There’s a good chance that NJPW consciously left Jericho off of the poster. Whilst Y2J is a big international star the emphasis appears to be on ‘homegrown’ talents. Kenny Omega and Jay White certainly found their feet in the company and the surrounding talents are native Japanese stars.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 official poster is out! #NWK13 pic.twitter.com/b7VL4go5bU

— Evan (@EvanDeadlySinsW) November 6, 2018

Chris Jericho returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling at the Power Struggle event in Osaka, Japan. The IWGP Intercontinental Champion defended successfully against EVIL after locking him in a Walls of Jericho that transitioned into a Liontamer.

When Jericho would not release the submission Tetsuya Naito appeared and forced Jericho to retreat to the back. Naito then issued a direct challenge to Y2J for the Intercontinental Championship.

Backstage Footage

NJPW recently released the backstage footage of Jericho after the bout. Y2J made some interesting comments regarding his opponent EVIL. Jericho said to the NJPW reporters “you see that? That’s what is called a ‘classic match.’ The first classic match that EVIL has ever had, and that’s just number 257 for me. Classic, after classic, after classic. They don’t call me the GOAT for nothing. If you don’t understand that because you’re Japanese it’s Greatest of All Time. It’s not a tag line, it’s not a catchphrase, it’s the truth. Find me somebody ANYWHERE in the world, in the history of the business that’s had more Intercontinental Championships than I have. Tell me one, can you do it? No. I know you all speak perfect English, but you can’t speak English now, you “can’t remember.”

Never Lost in New Japan to The Japanese

Jericho also made some interesting points about his record in New Japan, stating “The Gaijin won. It’s just gonna continue. I’ve NEVER lost a match in New Japan against the Japanese, ever. And I never will. Like I said, EVIL you’re a great performer. What a great match that was, one of the best that I’ve had in a long time. But I won, just like I said I would. I made you famous like I said I would. Naito, I made you famous in June. I made you famous in Korakuen Hall in January. You wanna be famous again? Find somebody else. NO REMATCH for Naito, EVER.”

Chris Jericho returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling at the Power Struggle event in Osaka, Japan. The IWGP Intercontinental Champion defended successfully against EVIL after locking him in a Walls of Jericho that transitioned into a Liontamer.

When Jericho would not release the submission Tetsuya Naito appeared and forced Jericho to retreat to the back. Naito then issued a direct challenge to Y2J for the Intercontinental Championship.

Jericho appeared in a backstage interview following the win and declared that he would not face Tetsuya Naito. Chris Jericho stated that as he already beat Naito at Dominion earlier this year that there would be no rematch. Jericho even went as far to say that it definitely wouldn’t happen at “Wrestle Kingdom, Madison Square Garden or anywhere.”

Chris Jericho’s next appearance for New Japan could be some way off. With the Tag League usually dominating the December scheduling we could be waiting for January and the Wrestle Kingdom show. Whilst it is very likely that the bout will happen at Wrestle Kingdom an opportunity to bring the match to Madison Square Garden might be too good to miss. There is some uncertainty as to the star-power that ROH and New Japan will have come April 2019. There have been several rumors and reports that WWE will be looking to ‘poach’ the likes of the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega before the huge event in MSG. Having a marquee match with Y2J against Tetsuya Naito for one of NJPW’s top titles could be a big draw if the company decide to opt for an iPPV offering.

Chris Jericho returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling at the Power Struggle event in Osaka, Japan. The IWGP Intercontinental Champion defended successfully against EVIL after locking him in a Walls of Jericho that transitioned into a Liontamer.

After the match concluded, Jericho continued to attack EVIL, putting him back into the submission hold until Naito ran in to save his LIJ teammate. Jericho escaped and began to leave, but not before he teased a match between the two, indicating to an inevitable confrontation between himself and Naito for the belt.

It is likely that Jericho will now go on to face Tetsuya Naito for the IC Title at Wrestle Kingdom. There is also a strong possibility that Jericho appears at the Madison Square Garden event for New Japan over WrestleMania weekend next year so the bout could happen there. Either way this is a huge bout for Naito in terms of mainstream appeal. This could help propel the Los Ingobernable leader to greater heights in New Japan.

Check out some of the highlights from the bout below. These include a hellacious table spot, a vicious chair-brace into the corner post and an sharp snap Codebreaker from Y2J.

Did you watch the match? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below

https://twitter.com/njpwworld/status/1058683196638810114

11.3????????????IWGP???????????????? @IAmJericho VS @151012EVIL ?
??? EVIL???????? ?????????????????????????????????
??????https://t.co/NxJKtVK94f #njpwworld #njpst #njpw pic.twitter.com/31b2TU6cXi

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) November 3, 2018

.@IAmJericho 'Codebreaker'#NJPWWorld Watch now??https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP
Nov 3rd #njpst #njpw pic.twitter.com/XpKYrjE0lc

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) November 3, 2018

.@IAmJericho vs @151012EVIL #NJPWWorld Watch now??https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP
Nov 3rd #njpst #njpw pic.twitter.com/wdMqJT4my6

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) November 3, 2018

.@IAmJericho 'Walls Of Jericho'#NJPWWorld Watch now??https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP
Nov 3rd #njpst #njpw pic.twitter.com/L5OZ4QQk6m

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) November 3, 2018

.@151012EVIL 'Chair attack'#NJPWWorld Watch now??https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP
Nov 3rd #njpst #njpw pic.twitter.com/G6itgCQ91K

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) November 3, 2018

.@IAmJericho vs @151012EVIL
Oh my God!!!!!#NJPWWorld Watch now??https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP
Nov 3rd #njpst #njpw pic.twitter.com/6GHs0j0iQW

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) November 3, 2018

#njpst ????(11/3)???????????IWGP???????????????? ???????? VS EVIL ?EVIL???????????"EVIL"???????????????????????
???????????????????
??????https://t.co/BaADdgwBdC#NJPWWorld pic.twitter.com/P2nRui1hOy

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) November 3, 2018

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s October scheduling is usually dominated by the POWER STRUGGLE shows – and 2018 is no different. This year’s lineup of shows will of course feature the ‘Road To’ and Main shows themselves, some of which will be available on NJPWWorld.

Saturday will see the first of the main POWER STRUGGLE shows take place. The main headline grabber for more casual fans is of course the IWGP Intercontinental Championship match between Chris Jericho and EVIL. This will be Jericho’s first NJPW bout in a few months and the build up has been going since Jericho’s bout against Naito for the Championship.

Here’s the full card for the event in Osaka’s Prefectural Gym:

• Soberano Jr, Volador Jr, Tiger Mask and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger vs Toa Henare, ACH, Chris Sabin and Ryusuke Taguchi
• KUSHIDA, Tomoaki Honma and Togi Makabe vs Robbie Eagles, Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga
• Beretta and Kazuchika Okada vs Bad Luck Fale and ‘Switchblade’ Jay White
• Hiroshi Tanahashi and David Finlay vs Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi
• SUPER Jr. TAG LEAGUE 2018 Triple Threat Final – SHO & YOH vs Shingo Takagi and BUSHI vs El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
• NEVER Openweight Championship Match – Taichi (c) vs Hirooki Goto
• Revolution Pro British Championship Match – Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs Minoru Suzuki
• Tetsuya Naito vs Zack Sabre Jr
• IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match – Chris Jericho (c) vs “King of Darkness” EVIL

WWE is said to have attempted to stop Rey Mysterio from appearing on the Chris Jericho Rock N Rager at Sea. The ongoing cruise docks back into Miami tomorrow. Mysterio has been a guest on the cruise but has not competed or performed. After the cruise, Mysterio will head to Saudi Arabia to perform at Crown Jewel with WWE.

“Chris is here bringing brands together, that stuff that’s going on is embarrassing…somebody along the way is going to create another company and they won’t have to worry about that bullsh**,” Ross said on the cruise.

The following video from a Q&A session on the cruise features Jim Ross calling WWE’s attempt to stop Mysterio from going on the cruise as “embarrassing.”

Jim Ross on WWE Trying To Prevent Rey Mysterio From Appearing On Chris Jericho’s Rock N Rager At Sea

Jim Ross days after WWE tried to stop Rey Mysterio from getting on @jericho_cruise “Chris is here bringing brands together,that stuff that’s going on is embarrassing…somebody along the way is going to create another company and they won’t have to worry about that bullshit” pic.twitter.com/BL5717Dn1j

— BroBible (@BroBible) October 29, 2018

Jim Ross is no stranger to mistreatment from the WWE. He’s been fired from the company 3x already after all. Ross has made no secret of the fact that he believes members of the Elite will not be at the Madison Square Garden show in April and that things in 2019 could get interesting.

“As I said early on, the card for the Ring of Honor Madison Square Garden Show, with New Japan, will probably look entirely different then, compared to what one would assume it look like if it was booked today,” Ross said on his podcast two weeks ago. “I think there’s gonna be a lot of movement with some of the biggest stars in the game.”

Evil isn’t too intimidated about taking on Chris Jericho on Saturday. The LIJ member will be looking to win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship for the second time when he takes on Jericho at Power Struggle in Osaka.

NJPW1972.com sat down with Evil for an interview recently.

“Jericho’s undeniably a big name,” Evil said. “But he’s a big name. As a wrestler he’s done. A faded superstar is still a ‘superstar’ I guess.”

EVIL on Chris Jericho

Jericho has said that by facing him, Evil will become a star. Evil disputes this, however.

“Jericho’s going round saying ‘by facing me you’ll become famous’ ‘you’ll be a star’ ‘your career will skyrocket just by sharing a ring with me’,” Evil continued. “Ok fine. Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll take everything you’ve done, all you’ve achieved, everybody you’ve beaten and use that to make you the biggest stepping stone you can imagine. And, as I step on you, I’ll plunge you into darkness!”

Evil called out Jericho not long after Jericho took the title from Tetsuya Naito at Dominion in Osaka back in June. Jericho then jumped Evil before he was able to take on Zack Sabre Jr at King of Pro Wrestling. Saturday will be Jericho’s first attempted title defense of the belt.

The full interview can be read here.

Chris Jericho recently spoke with Sportskeeda about various topics including not appearing on SmackDown 1000 last week or at the upcoming Crown Jewel event.

Jericho’s first IWGP Intercontinental Championship defense will be against EVIL at the NJPW Power Struggle event on November 3. Jericho has made a few appearances for WWE this year including a backstage segment at the RAW 25th Anniversary special in January. He last wrestled in a WWE ring at the Greatest Royal Rumble back in April.

“When I said they didn’t ask me I wasn’t saying it like, you know, a sad thing. That’s what happened. They didn’t ask me to go, and to be honest with you, I didn’t really want to do Raw 25 either. I don’t like wasting a surprise appearance, I don’t like wasting those appearances on one-offs.”

He continued by stating, “I know how those shows go, there are so many guys on the show, I don’t want to do it. So, nobody asked me, but if that had I probably wouldn’t have done it anyway. That’s why when you saw me at Raw 25 it was just a backstage bit and that’s the way that Vince and I discussed it to be.”

Jericho stated that he doesn’t want to just go out in front of a crowd because you’re wasting one of those cash-in chips of a Jericho appearance. Regarding Crown Jewel, he stated that he was asked by WWE to work the show but couldn’t make the date because of his match against EVIL. He doesn’t want to put that pressure on himself about worrying about trying to travel to both shows.

Throughout the year, there have been rumors of him potentially working with Impact Wrestling due to his friendship with Don Callis. Jericho stated that he has no restrictions on anything that he’s doing right now and even if he did do something it, he wouldn’t talk about it as he wants people to wait and see.

“I just kind of do things as they come which is why this year has been … and I’m sure next year will be more of the same so let’s see what happens.”

The groundwork is being laid for a new wrestling promotion. It involves some of the top players in the industry and financial backing from a billionaire family already involved in professional sports.

Jim Ross and Chris Jericho have been working with renowned agent Barry Bloom in putting the pieces together. JR’s contract with WWE expires shortly and he has declined an offer to renew. He has been sending out feelers to select WWE performers, while Jericho has been handling the New Japan side. Bloom was recently in Japan taking meetings related to this deal.

The project is being financed by the Khan family. Shahid Khan, the patriarch, is one of the wealthiest men on the world (and a colorful personality). He owns the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham F.C. of the English Premier League. Shahid’s son, Tony, is a big wrestling fan and has been hands-on with getting this off the ground. He follows a few wrestlers on Twitter, including Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and Marty Scurll.

Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks are on board, as are Hangman Page and a few others. Kenny Omega’s status is unclear. For what it’s worth, Bill Goldberg is a client of Barry Bloom, along with JR and Jericho. When The Elite has talked about sticking together next year, this is what they’ve been alluding to. Jim Ross has been coy about this on his podcast, vaguely teasing something big on the horizon without showing his cards.

With the A-level talent they are getting commitments from, the group will burn through a ton of cash quickly. They are moving forward with the understanding that significant losses are expected for the first couple years.

Talks are underway with AXS to secure a TV deal. AXS TV executive Adam Swift is fast-tracking this. (Update: A rep from AXS TV has denied this report.) AXS currently airs New Japan Pro Wrestling and recently announced Jeanie Buss’ Women of Wrestling premieres in January. Sinclair Broadcasting, which provided logistical support for All In and has been acting in good faith, has been in the dark about this story.

The timeline for this going live is 12-16 months from now (late 2019 / early 2020).

We’ve reached out to the involved parties for comment and will update this article if necessary.

It doesn’t sound like Chris Jericho had the best time in Saudi Arabia. Before all the current controversy surrounding the country, WWE actually held a very successful Greatest Royal Rumble event there this past April. The company brought in several current and former stars for the show. One of those talents was Chris Jericho.

Jericho was briefly set to face The Undertaker in a Casket match. After some scrambling, however, that spot went to Rusev, and Jericho participated in the Greatest Royal Rumble match. Speaking to “Inside The Ropes,” Jericho detailed a rather unfavorable experience in the middle east:

“Saudi Arabia is a very strange place,” said Jericho. “It was me Finlay, (Billy) Kidman, Jamie Noble, and Adam Pearce. Combined 200 years of experience. We just get dropped off at the terminal and we walk off like morons. We don’t have a handler or security.

“People there are very touchy-feely. ‘Selfie, selfie, selfie, selfie.’ I’m not kidding. Everybody wants a selfie. Times that by 100 and you start to get angry. And we’re surrounding by people. I start yelling, ‘get the f*ck out of my face.’

“And they’re all coming for me because the agents are all legends, but I’m the only guy they know. It’s like a zombie movie. I’m pushing through these people.”

Jericho finished off by saying, if WWE wants him to return for any future shows in Saudi Arabia, they’re going to have to triple his pay:

“That was Saudi Arabia for ya. Now that I know how much money they made, they’re gonna have to pay me triple to come back.”

What do you think about Jericho’s experience in Saudi Arabia?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3E2GKW5gek&feature=youtu.be

H/T Fightful for the transcriptions

Chris Jericho On Reason He Didn’t Appear On SmackDown 1000

IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho was asked on Twitter by a fan about why he wasn’t at SmackDown 1000 on Tuesday night in Washington, DC at the Capital One Arena on the USA Network. Jericho wrote, “Nobody asked me.”

Nobody asked me… https://t.co/77Hvr90TYr

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) October 17, 2018

It should be noted that Jericho’s first IWGP Intercontinental Championship defense will be against EVIL at the NJPW Power Struggle event on November 3. Jericho has made a few appearances for WWE this year, including a backstage segment at the RAW 25th Anniversary special in January. He last wrestled in a WWE ring at the Greatest Royal Rumble back in April. At Dominion, he captured the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Tetsuya Naito.

Vince McMahon Thanks Fans

Speaking of SmackDown 1000, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon took to his official Twitter account after the milestone episode to thank the fans with the following comments:

“Getting to 1,000 episodes is only possible if you have an entire universe behind you. Thank you, #WWE Universe, for celebrating #SD1000 with us. Here’s to 1,000 more.”

Getting to 1,000 episodes is only possible if you have an entire universe behind you. Thank you, #WWE Universe, for celebrating #SD1000 with us. Here’s to 1,000 more. pic.twitter.com/fVI5B0jTWn

— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) October 17, 2018

In case you missed it, Vince, Stephanie, and Shane McMahon all made an appearance on this show in the opening segment to do a dance segment with R-Truth and Carmella.

The Road to Power Struggle has only just begun, but NJPW isn’t pumping the brakes on one of pro wrestling’s hottest commodities as Chris Jericho returns to defend his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against EVIL on November 3rd in Osaka at NJPW’s Power Struggle event.

In a new video uploaded to the NJPW YouTube channel, Chris Jericho shared his thoughts on his opponent for the championship clash.

“Why EVIL?” Jericho asked. “Sometimes things present themselves to you. After I beat Naito in Osaka in June, EVIL came to the ring to get inside my business. To try and make a name for himself. To try and be on the same level as Chris Jericho. EVIL, that’s not possible.”

Jericho actually spoke highly of the King Of Darkness, who he assaulted in a surprise attack at New Japan’s recent King Of Pro Wrestling event, saying “[…] I like the fact that you put yourself out on the line. I like the fact that you came down and showed some balls.

So EVIL, for you to come down to the ring and attack me in June in Osaka, I was very impressed. And I didn’t forget. And I was waiting for the right time to make my move. To surprise you, to embarrass you, and to teach you a lesson.”

“You Get To Join The List, Man”

“It’s the biggest match of your career, EVIL,” Jericho claimed. “And it’s just another match for me. It’s fine. You’re just another guy on the list of people that I’ve beaten over and over again, from The Undertaker to Naito, to Shawn Michaels to Eddie Guerrero. Now, EVIL. You get to join the list, man.

“You get to be on that prestigious list of people who got beaten by the greatest of all time. That’s good for you, and that’s always bad for you. Because I’m going to kick the shit out of you, EVIL,” he promised. “I’m going to teach you a lesson. […] you’ll walk out of there a bigger star, I’m going to make you famous, I promise that – but I’m also going to beat you. November 3rd in Osaka, I will fear no evil.”

What do you think of this feud so far? Are you looking forward to this match, come November 3rd?

Chris Jericho was added and then removed from the Casket match against the Undertaker at the Greatest Royal Rumble event that took place earlier this year.

The known reason for this change was that the Saudi Prince asked for Rusev to be in the bout and so he was re-added, however, Jericho himself thinks differently.

Inside the Ropes recently released footage from a Chris Jericho interview in which he talks about the show and says that Vince McMahon probably removed him from the bout because of his NJPW appearance:

“I would think that possibly knowing Vince, from once again New Japan is an enemy. if it’s gonna make any difference? No, but to him like I said if it takes one buy from Network that goes to New Japan World, it’s the enemy.

I think that he probably thought ‘i’m not gonna put Jericho in this highlight match where he has the chance to steal the show, I know him and Undertaker will kill it. I don’t wanna do that’

I was going to show up in New Japan TV a week later and that makes sense to me [because] it’s a f*cking war. and I think that’s probably what happened and I think it was the right call in his mind” (transcription credit: SEScoops.com)

What do you think about this and could this have been the real reason why WWE removed Y2J from the casket match at their previous Saudi Arabia show? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

You can check out the released footage which also features Jericho talking about his Saudi Arabia trip and revealing some interesting stories from it below:

https://youtu.be/h3E2GKW5gek