In case you weren’t aware, Chris Jericho made his long awaited return to New Japan Pro Wrestling this afternoon and laid a brutal beatdown on his Wrestle Kingdom opponent Kenny Omega.
Following his appearance Jericho mentioned that the Bullet Club inspired ‘Alpha Club’ t-shirt that he was sporting will be available to purchase soon via Hot Topic.
Jericho also appears to be ingratiating himself with certain members of the CHAOS faction in New Japan…Will Ospreay posted the following to Twitter from a karaoke bar with his “new best mate.”
Chris Jericho made a surprise appearance at Monday’s NJPW Tag League Final event on Monday from Fukaoka, Japan. Jericho ambushed IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega, delivering two codebreakers ahead of their January 4th showdown at Wrestle Kingdom 12. (Video)
Omega’s fellow Bullet Club members the Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes reacted on Twitter:
Jericho posted the following video on Instagram following the attack. Jericho mocks Omega, telling him it was a thrill to leave him laying in a pool of his own blood.
On January 4th from the Tokyo Dome, it will be Alpha vs. Omega – Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega – and he plans to show everyone once again why he’s the Best in the World at what he does. And yes, that’s Omega’s blood on Jericho’s face.
Chris Jericho made a surprise appearance at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Tag League Final and delivered a brutal attack on IWGP US Champion Kenny Omega.
In 6-man tag team action, The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) defeated CHAOS (SHO, YOH & Rocky Romero) in 6-man tag team action. After the match, another Chris Jericho video was shown on the big screen while Omega was in the ring. The lights went out and Jericho appeared in the ring behind Omega. Jericho attacked Omega drawing blood and hitting two codebreakers. (Video)
Commentator Don Callis entered the ring to get Jericho to back off. He received a codebreaker of his own. The Young Bucks hit the ring to tend to Kenny Omega, with Callis being is carried out on a stretcher.
We have to admit, it’s pretty surreal to see Chris Jericho in a NJPW ring. Jericho and Omega will square off next month at Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4, 2018 from the Tokyo Dome.
You can watch NJPW’s Tag League Final now at NJPWWorld.com.
In case you weren’t aware, IMPACT recently revealed that Don Callis and Scott D’Amore would set to be positioned as the new Executive Vice Presidents of the company. IMPACT sent out the following press release on the hiring:
“TORONTO – Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions LLC, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp. and parent company of IMPACT Wrestling, announced today that Don Callis and Scott D’Amore have joined the company as Executive Vice Presidents. Reporting to Ed Nordholm, President of the Company, they will form a 3-member Executive Committee with overall responsibility for developing the creative direction for the Company and managing the execution of the Company’s business plan.
Don Callis has built a critically acclaimed 15-year career in the wrestling business as a performer, color commentator and writer for WWF, ECW and TNA. After retiring from wrestling in 2004, he obtained an MBA and established another successful career in international business. Callis recently returned to the world he loves and is now the color commentator for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (a role that he will retain) and co-hosts the hit podcast “Killing the Town” on The Jericho Network.
Scott D’Amore has held just about every position in the wrestling industry, including performer, trainer, promoter, writer and producer. D’Amore is an IMPACT Wrestling original, having been with the company from its early days in the Asylum until his departure in 2010. In his time away from the organization, D’Amore applied his entrepreneurial spirit to transform The D’Amore Group from a family-run construction company into a multi-faceted real estate development company. He has kept his hand in the industry, running Border City Wrestling in Windsor in collaboration with the Entertainment Technology program at St. Clair College. He also owns and operates Can-Am Wrestling, a successful professional wrestling training facility that has produced numerous top talents in the wrestling industry today.”
As you may of noted, Callis is part of Chris Jericho’s podcast network and good friends with the Winnipeg native. During a recent interview on ‘Talk is Jericho’ Callis revealed that it was in fact Jericho who reached out to Anthem Executive Len Asper and told him to hire Don Callis and Scott D’Amore to run Impact Wrestling. Whether this is an elaborate rib being played by both Callis and Jericho remains to be seen but if this is true then Jericho’s influence across the wrestling landscape seems to be broadening in recent months.
Getting your buddies a job? Jericho invented that.
Chris Jericho recently had an interview with Rolling Stone where he talked about his WWE Status and more. Below are some highlights from his interview:
Working with ROH for his cruise and if he plans to show up at any ROH event to promote it:
“No, that’s up to Ring of Honor. When I signed Ring of Honor, I let them decide who’s in the tournament and what to do. I get emails everyday from people saying, ‘Can I be in it?’ I don’t know, ask Ring of Honor. It’s their responsibility. I’m not going to be hanging around Ring of Honor. My association with them is that they’re putting on an amazing tournament on my cruise and that’s kind of the extent of it.”
If he is focused on non WWE Projects in 2018:
“I haven’t been full-time with the WWE since 2010. That’s something a lot of people don’t realize, because when I come back there’s always a good angle. And 2016 was one of the best years of my career, so people are always asking when I’m going back but there were no plans to go back. There still isn’t. I knew that I was leaving in May 2017 because the new Fozzy record would be coming out around that time, the cruise was culminating, the new book came out in August; I’ve have another season of But I’m Chris Jericho! that [debuted] December 7th; I have the special on the Travel Channel that was possibly a series, so I have a lot of stuff going on.”
His upcoming match with Kenny Omega:
“I never expected the Kenny Omega-Jericho thing, that just kind of came up. It was something that I thought was really cool that fans never expected would happen and once it happens it just blows their minds. It’s definitely the most talked about match in the wrestling world today. I just saw a big sign for it on the marquee at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It’s a worldwide phenomenon match and one of the few true dream matches that exist in this day and age. Once again, it puts me right back in the thick of things headlining the Tokyo Dome. It’s kind of the way that I’ve built my life and professional career. It’s all a lot of fun to do, so the WWE takes a back burner. That’s the way it is and that’s the way it’s been for the last little while. Will I go back? I’m sure I will, but if I don’t it wouldn’t bother me either because I’ve had a lot of great times there, but I’ve got a lot of stuff on the horizon that’s building as well.”
If he has any part-time contract with WWE:
“Nope. My contract ended with them on April 30th, 2017.”
On a recent episode of former WWE Champion Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk is Jericho, “Y2J” hosted the stars of Netflix’s GLOW series, Kimmy Gatewood and Rebekka Johnson, as well as trainer, stunt coordinator, and former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero. The group talked about Jericho losing out on a role in the show to a former WWE star, The Miz auditioning for the role as well, and Clint Eastwood watching Jericho’s audition for a role on American Sniper. Here are the highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZqDO6cTYVY
Jericho on losing out on a role in GLOW to Alex Riley:
“I actually set up my little phone in the dressing room in Edmonton [Canada] after a show in a room by myself and I auditioned… Steel Horse, for Steel Horse, and I didn’t get it. And not only I didn’t get it, but Alex Riley got it. He’s about a one on the scale of [pro] wrestling notoriety!”
Chavo Guerrero on The Miz auditioning for the role as well:
“It’s kind of cool because when they were casting this role and a couple of other roles, I was in on it. I was there and it was cool to see because I do a little bit of acting here and there and it was cool to see what they look for.
“Chris did great. Chris did great. I mean, I’d put him over. They were looking at me like, ‘you know these guys, right?’ and I’m like, ‘yes.’ He did great. We had Miz, The Miz auditioned for it. Yeah, yeah, and then Alex and a couple of other people too. We had different people we were doing.
“They all were very good. Everyone did very good, but he took it to the next level. In fact, he came out in a bathrobe and kind of in character, in costume, and they were looking for that.”
Jericho on his audition for a spot in American Sniper in front of Clint Eastwood:
“So my [agent] calls me and he’s like, ‘it’s not Spielberg, but it’s Clint Eastwood. Yes! I went into… Clint [has] got this whole little village of studios and offices. It’s kind of like this, actually, like this record company or group of houses in Warner Bros. lot and I go over there, and I walk inside, and there [are] Clint Eastwood posters all over the wall, and I go in there, and I’m reading my little part, and sitting in the back of the room is Clint Eastwood because he wanted to see me and I don’t have any idea why Clint wants to see you. Maybe he is [a pro wrestling fan]. I didn’t get the part. Thank you, Mr. Eastwood. Like, holy s–t!”
You can listen to Talk Is Jericho by clicking this link here.
Chris Jericho’s metal band Fozzy released tour information for shows scheduled from February through April. The group is playing a show in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire on Sunday, April 8th (WrestleMania Sunday), an indication that Jericho will not be appearing at WWE’s biggest show of the year.
Fozzy also has a show scheduled for January 28th, so it’s safe to say he won’t be making a surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble either.
Jericho is currently on hiatus from WWE and is not expected back in a regular capacity any time soon. He’ll be wrestling against Kenny Omega at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event on on January 4th.
Later in the year (October 27-31), Jericho is presenting the first annual Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager cruise, which will feature talent and matches from Ring of Honor.
– As we’ve noted, former WWE Champion Chris Jericho will be taking on Kenny Omega for New Japan Pro Wrestling at Wrestle Kingdom 12. Omega is a member of the infamous Bullet Club; which has seen high-profile members such as Finn Balor, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, The Young Bucks, and many more.
The tagline for Jericho and Omega’s match has bee deemed “Alpha vs. Omega,” and it seems Jericho has launched the “Alpha Club” in a slight jab towards Omega and The Bullet Club. “Y2J” posted the following picture of himself wearing an Alpha Club t-shirt which you can buy here. All proceeds go to The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcDil_SDcUm/
– Triple H and former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal will be going head-to-head in the main event of WWE’s live event in New Delhi, India on December 9th. WWE posted a video of Triple H cutting a promo on Mahal from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Check it out:
In case you weren’t aware…Chris Jericho will be making his return to New Japan Pro Wrestling when he faces IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4th.
This once in a lifetime match appears to be making a huge difference to the sale of WK tickets, reports indicate that sales are up a staggering 80% from this time last year, that equates to 20,000 from October 25th – November 25th in 2017 as opposed to around 11-12,000 in 2016.
NJPW announces that 20,000 tickets have been sold for Wrestle Kingdom 12 in the first month of sales (Oct. 25 – Nov. 25), an 80% increase from last year, which would be in the 11-12,000 range. https://t.co/Z2RrzJikZF
Whether this rise can be attributed solely to Jericho/Omega can of course be disputed, however stars within the company, including ROH Champion Cody Rhodes are certainly attributing a major portion of the sales to the massively hyped match:
Chris Jericho was recently interviewed by TVInsider while promoting his new show The Legend of…With Chris Jericho. Below are some of the highlights from his latest interview:
What classifies someone as a legend:
The word “legend” is used so easy nowadays, like “awesome” and “genius”—”Oh, he’s a genius”; “Oh, he’s awesome.” If you go to Australia, everyone calls you a legend. They go, “Can you get me a beer? Great, you’re a legend, mate.” You open the door for someone, you’re a legend. To me, a real legend is someone who has a story and a history that everybody knows about. Butch Cassidy is a legend because I think there are a lot of people who aren’t even sure he is real, but he is real. Someone who has a real history and story behind him that’s almost larger than life in many ways.
If he considers himself a legend:
I think I would be a pretty big a**hole to call myself a legend. Some people say that I have some sort of legendary status. And if someone says that, thank you very much. I’m more than happy to accept that. It’s hard for you to call yourself a legend. Although I did call myself the living legend in WWE. So, if you look back in 2004, my character definitely thought he was a legend.
The last time he was starstruck by a legend:
I’ve met Keith Richards a couple of years ago, and that was big one. You just got to be cool and talk to them like they’re normal dudes. I still have my heroes. I saw Wayne Gretzky a few months ago. He had a couple of cocktails. I was sort of starstruck, but he was going off on how much he loved me and my work. I was like, “Wow, Gretzky likes me. I don’t care if he has had a couple of cocktails. I am talking to Wayne Gretzky!”
In regards to the speculation that Chris Jericho could be making his WWE return at the 2018 Royal Rumble on January 28th, that’s not a possibility as of this writing as Jericho is scheduled to be on tour with his band, Fozzy, from January 28th to February 13th.
It is possible, however, that “Y2J’ returns for Monday Night RAW’s 25th Anniversary show on January 22nd from the Manhattan Center in New York City, which would be a one-off appearance.
Jericho’s next in-ring appearance will not be for WWE, as he will be working for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) at Wrestle Kingdom 12 to take on Kenny Omega. That will go down on January 4th from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.
– Ever since it was announced that Chris Jericho will be facing Kenny Omega at the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom 12 event, people have been speculating whether or not Vince McMahon knew about this beforehand.
During his recent appearance on The Ross Report Podcast, Jericho answered this question and claimed that he would never jeopardize his relationship with Mr. McMahon:
“You know how smart I am throughout my career, and you know the relationship I have with Vince, and I would never jeopardize that, or give him any nasty surprises. So, I’ll just leave it at that.”
– James Ellsworth sent out the following tweet revealing that he will be able to take bookings from February 12th next year and can be booked via bookellsworth@gmail.com:
Thank you to the numerous people inquiring to book me, I can start taking bookings February 12th, email me at bookellsworth@gmail.com
Chris Jericho recently had an interview with Viktre.com during which he revealed the sad story behind his first WWE title win. According to Jericho, not only there was no celebration after his victory but he had to spend the night alone in his hotel room eating a cold and fuzzy pizza:
“I was told in the afternoon that I was going to win when Vince McMahon said to The Undertaker at the catering table: ‘Hey ‘Taker, how do you know the business is going down the toilet? Because we’re putting the belt on Jericho’ and that’s how I found out I was going to be the champion, I came back through the curtain, everyone was gone because when you’re on last everybody leaves to get out of the traffic quicker. Sat there by myself and then drove to a hotel where room service stopped at midnight, it was 11:58. They wouldn’t serve it, so I got pizza. They wouldn’t bring it to my room, so I had to go down to the lobby to get it. When I went back up, I was locked out. Went back down to the lobby, the guy wouldn’t let me in even though I just checked in a few minutes earlier. Dropped the pizza on the floor when he finally did let me in. So, I spent the night being the first undisputed champion eating cold, fuzzy pizza in a Ramada Inn somewhere in Anaheim, California. So, no hookers and blow there, kids.”
– WWE posted the following slow-motion video of the match between AJ Styles and Jinder Mahal from last week’s episode of SmackDown Live which saw Styles winning the WWE title for the second time in his career:
Chris Jericho recently had an interview with Killing The Town podcast where the former World Champion talked about his upcoming Cruise Of Jericho and more. Below are some of the highlights from his interview:
Getting the idea for his cruise from a Kiss Kruise
“The idea [for the ‘Jeri-cruise’] came from, so Fozzy was invited, and you’ll know, I mean, everybody knows, but you’ll understand just how big this is for me, Lance, when we got invited to play The KISS Kruise in 2015, “It was like, ‘oh my gosh, KISS is inviting us to be one of the bands on the cruise!’, which, of course, is based around KISS.I was thinking about it and as soon as the boat docked [after The KISS Kruise], I remember I called my manager and I was like, ‘I can do this – I can do a rock and wrestling cruise. It’s a combination of what I’m known for. Nobody else on the planet can do this because that’s kind of my reputation, being in a rock ‘n’ roll band and being in the [pro] wrestling business.'”
How much time it took him to put together the cruise:
“It took me two years to get it rolling because there [were] a lot of reasons why it can’t work and [the cruise company] not understanding what wrestling fans are, how big wrestling can be, And then, once I started thinking about that, ‘who do I bring onboard the ship?’ Do you know what I mean? ‘Do I try to book a card, Don versus Lance and Chris versus Rey Mysterio? I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do. Well, happens if you get hurt? What happens if you get signed by the WWE? What am I going to do?’ Well, then I thought, ‘maybe I’ll bring a company onboard. That way, no matter what happens, the company exists, so if this guy’s signed by the WWE or this guy gets hurt, I’ll still have the company name on the bill and that’s all I need.”
WWE declining his offer:
“Here’s the thing. I did my due diligence, Obviously, I was working for WWE at the time. I took it to Triple H. I wanted to see if NXT would do it and to see if they’d be interested in doing that. We had some conversations, and, basically, typically WWE, after three months of talking about it, I had a 35-minute conversation with three executives that I’ve never heard of before just to tell us that they’re passing. And I was like, ‘why didn’t you just tell me in, like, three minutes, ‘we’re passing?” I had to sit there for 35 minutes and hear all the reasons why: I mean, Vince doesn’t like doing cruises; he saw somebody got food poisoning on the cruise once and now he’s terrified that the whole crew ship was going to be poisoned. I was like, ‘is he scared that we’re going to hit an iceberg as well as we go to Mexico?’ and I knew that was going to happen because WWE doesn’t play well with others and I understood that, but I wanted to do my due diligence, like I said, at least present them the opportunity. And the day they said, ‘no,’ I told Triple H, ‘I’m still going to do this. This is happening either way.’ And he said, ‘yeah, sure. No problem.’ I made the call to Ring Of Honor and signed them on later on that week.”
His recent WWE run being the best:
“I don’t need [pro] wrestling. I still love it. I still enjoy it. I had the best year this year and in 2016. Those guys were such great guys. I made some lifelong friends with Gallows and Anderson, and Roman Reigns, and Samoa Joe, and I mean, just the best guys and we had so much fun.”
IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada recently spoke with Fox Sports Australia to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:
His run in TNA where he was given a stereotypical gimmick: “For me, [it was a] good experience. TNA doesn’t care about [having a] good match. But they taught me about character, for a TV show and for the cameras. So it was good for me to become ‘The Rainmaker.’ So, wrestling, being strong, having good matches? I learned that in New Japan. But as a TV character? TNA was good [for me].”
Chris Jericho coming to NJPW to face Kenny Omega and a potential match with Jericho: “[I found out at] Power Struggle in Osaka. I didn’t know that news. I was in the locker room watching the show same as the fans. I thought, ‘Woah! What the?’ I’m OK. I just want to enjoy, as a fan, Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho.”
Chris Jericho recently appeared on Busted Open Radio to discuss the news of him competing against Kenny Omega at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom event on January 4th from Tokyo.
Jericho shed some light on how his relationship with WWE played into him taking this high profile booking. Jericho says WWE is still his home, but he’s not “handcuffed” to them and is free to work in Japan, with Ring of Honor and whoever he wants. At the end of the day, it will make him an even bigger star when he returns to WWE.
“I like doing stuff that’s never really been done. I think I’m in a very unique position in the WWE where I have a great relationship with the company, one guy [specifically], where normal rules might not apply. But I also do it with respect and with relevance to what they’re doing and realize that WWE is still my company, it’s still my home, but I’m not handcuffed to WWE.
If I want to go to New Japan to work a main event at the Tokyo Dome or put on my own cruise and work in tandem with Ring Of Honor, that’s OK, because guess what? At the end of the day, when I go back to the WWE it makes me that much bigger of a star.”
Chris Jericho enjoys a great deal of flexility with his schedule, which has drawn comparisons to Brock Lesnar. Jericho said he’s a mercenary and is making the most of his freedom.
“It’s an old-school, something that you would see (Hulk) Hogan or (Ric) Flair or (Nick) Bockwinkel or somebody do back in the 80’s when they would do a big shot in Japan just because it meant something… I’m not a world champion, but it’s a big deal for Jericho to go there and I love that sort of intrigue and I think certain guys in the WWE appreciate that as well in the office because it makes for a better business.”
Even though he’s a WWE guy, Jericho sees a lot of value in promotions like Ring of Honor and New Japan giving the wrestlers and the fans an alternative. He feels competition and options are good for everybody.
“The good thing about New Japan and even Ring Of Honor to an extent is showing that WWE is not the only place in town, and I think the first people that would be happy about that are the guys that are running the WWE because it just makes for a better business, for a healthier business. And not just for the boys but for the fans. It pushes everybody to think more and to be more clever and creative and to work harder.”
You can listen to the full audio from the show below:
.@IAmJericho tells @bullyray5150 & @LarryDallasSXM that his match w/ Kenny Omega is a throwback to the 80s when superstars would go overseas for matches & that this match pushes promotions to think more & be more creative which ultimately is good for the pro-wrestling business. pic.twitter.com/M4whWT8MHc
A recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has detailed the timeline of events leading up to Chris Jericho vs Kenny Omega being signed for WrestleKingdom.
According to the report, Jericho was influenced by the build-up to Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather and wanted to do something similar. A match with Omega, he felt, would feel similar in that it is something fans thought they’d never see.
Jericho ended up pitching the idea to NJPW commentator, Don Callis, who then pitched the idea to Omega. All 3 men involved are from Winnipeg and Callis’ podcast with Lance Storm is on Jericho’s podcast network.
Omega then pitched the idea to Gedo. In August, Jericho and NJPW officials arranged a secret meeting in New York. The deal wasn’t finalized until October, however, with Jericho’s videotaped challenge to Omega being filmed shortly after.
Chris Jericho is set to wrestle for another professional wrestling company other than WWE for the first time since 1999, as he is scheduled to take on IWGP U.S. Champion Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). With this announcement, many fans have been wondering the status of Jericho’s relationship with WWE and whether or not he’s still under contract with them.
Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Jericho is currently not under contract with WWE and has been a free agent since May when his deal expired. Jericho and Omega had been going at it on Twitter for the past several weeks with many believing the pair had legitimate heat with each other. When news broke that they would be facing off at Wrestle Kingdom 12, however, fans immediately knew it was a work.
Meltzer noted that Jericho’s last WWE deal expired at WrestleMania 33 in April, but he signed a one month extension that went through May in order for him to drop the United States Title to Kevin Owens on SmackDown Live. He then worked various house shows in Japan over the summer in addition to a surprise SmackDown Live appearance in July. Jericho was asked to step in for Bray Wyatt during the TLC incident that occurred in order to face Finn Balor, but he was unable to do so due to previous commitments.
People close to the situation expect Jericho to return to WWE in early 2018, most likely for RAW’s 25th Anniversary show in January. Meltzer noted that Jericho returning off a high-profile match in NJPW would be a big deal, similar to the reaction AJ Styles received after debuting in WWE from Japan. WWE reportedly has no issue with Jericho working with Omega in Japan.
It should be noted that Jericho is partnering up with Ring Of Honor for his cruise next year in October, as Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks have been confirmed to wrestle on the cruise. Jericho had originally approached WWE to be a part of the cruise with its NXT stars, however, the idea was shot down.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross has released another blog on his JR’s BBQ website. “Good Ole’ JR” discussed the booking for IMPACT Wrestling’s Bound For Glory, the retirement of Gail Kim, and Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12. You can check out the highlights below:
Bound For Glory’s booking:
“Respected the work ethic of the talents, but at times too many ‘gimmicks and gimmick matches’ became overkill, in my opinion. Overuse of gimmick matches, and gimmicks in general, dilutes the process and desensitizes the audience which was seemingly the case in Ottawa. Bound for Glorywas a solid show that had its share of booking issues, but the look of the show and the looks of the small arena was good.
“However, like many fans often proclaim, I would have made some tweaks to the card. The goals of any rasslin’ creative entity should always be to attempt to put the talents in a position that they can best excel based on their skill sets and the overall makeup of the card. The overuse of duplicate or like spots with extensive gimmick use does no one any favors on anyone’s card.”
Gail Kim retirement:
“Loved the Gail Kim presentation. She’s a timeless treasure for the biz and one of the best performers of any gender that I can recall seeing in my 40+ year career. If she had not won, I was prepared to do some thing really stupid, but I’m grateful that the right call was made without overthinking it and making it ‘unpredictable’ because that’s the primary thing that most fans want. To that I say, B.S. Most fans want great execution and logical booking and some things are much better being ‘predictable’ than not. That’s simply my two cents.”
Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12:
“Just my take, but how any of us can complain about Jericho vs. Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in January of 2018 is a head scratcher. It was excellent booking, creative, and the two Winnipeg natives will rock the Tokyo Dome and sell tickets. This is the best way for them to monetize this window of opportunity, without question. It’s been a long time since the Dome went clean on January 4 and this match should certainly help regarding that matter. I read where the NJPW goals was to sell 30,000 for Wrestle Kingdom 12, which is a tremendous number, but the Dome’s capacity for baseball is 55,000 and obviously a bit more for wrestling.”
You can read Ross’ full blog on JR’s BBQ by clicking this link here.
New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 show on January 4th 2018 just got launched into the stratosphere. As well as announcing some high profile title bouts we now have the unbelievable treat of seeing Chris Jericho perform outside of a WWE ring for the first time in decades.
When Jericho appeared in a pre-taped promo video during Sunday’s Power Struggle it ignited the world of pro wrestling, and many fans were left wondering how this will play out. Here are the three questions that we have following the blockbuster announcement:
Is Chris Jericho Done with WWE?
As mentioned previously, Y2J has not performed outside of the WWE umbrella for an extremely long period of time, he has himself mentioned that he didn’t ever intend to wrestle for anyone other than Vince McMahon before he retired. The announcement of the ‘Alpha’ vs Omega has blown this right out of the water…
There have been multiple reports over the past few months of unrest within the WWE locker room, now while much can be attributed to hyperbole it cannot be understated how there’s no smoke without fire. There is a very good chance that we will see Jericho inside a WWE ring once again, remember that it isn’t unprecedented to see someone perform at a Wrestle Kingdom and then appear in WWE as early as the Royal Rumble, AJ Styles performed this feat last year.
This could easily be Jericho just wanting to test himself against one of the best in the world, but there could be deeper issues at play here.
Will This Be The First and Only Match Between These Two?
You may or may not be aware of the upcoming ‘Jericruise.’ Chris Jericho sent out the following Survey Monkey gauging interest for a Rock n’ Wrestling themed cruise and he recently announced that The Young Bucks would be part of the festivities.
The Bucks are very good friends with their fellow ‘Elite’ stablemate…Kenny Omega. There’s a very good chance that after the January 4th bout Jericho and Omega will face off once again in 2018 as part of this off shore event.
Did Jericho want Kenny as part of the cruise and New Japan would only agree if he took part at Wrestle Kingdom? There’s a very good chance of it.
How Will This Impact NJPW’s Global Expansion?
Whether you’re already a fan of New Japan or not, you have to admit that this is the most high profile bout in recent company history. Yes, Omega had one of the most incredible trilogies in wrestling against Kazuchika Okada, but this is a multiple time WWE champion making the jump back to one of his former stomping grounds.
If promoted correctly, the NJPWWorld site could see a huge influx of fans across the United States, Europe and beyond subscribing to see some of the most dynamic in ring work on the planet, even beyond this dream bout.
Are you looking forward to this mega matchup? Let us know in the comments.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has posted a new blog entry over at his official website where he gives his thoughts on various topics. Here are the highlights:
Ric Flair’s ESPN 30 for 30 documentary:
“Big week for wrestling themed documentaries as Tuesday Nov 7 the Ted DiBiase film, The Price of Fame, will debut nationwide in theaters for one day only at 7 pm in all time zones. Plus the Ric Flair 30 for 30 from the brilliant Rory Karpf premiers at 10 pm ET on ESPN. I’ve seen the Flair docudrama three times and it is a gripping, raw, honest story from the man himself on his professional life that damn near destroyed his personal life. Rory did an amazing job over two years to get this body of work to our TV’s. I can’t encourage you enough to watch both these amazing bodies of work that will likely stay with you for a long, long time and I say that in the truest sense of the word.”
Sunday’s Bound for Glory PPV:
“Most fans want great execution and logical booking and some things are much better being ‘predictable’ than not. That’s simply my two cents. BFG was a solid show that had its share of booking issues but the look of the show and the looks of the small arena was good. However, like many fans often proclaim, I would have made some tweaks to the card. The goals of any rasslin creative entity should always be to attempt to put the talents in a position that they can best excel based on their skill sets and the overall makeup of the card. The overuse of duplicate or like spots with extensive gimmick use does no one any favors on anyone’s card.”
Chris Jericho facing Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12:
“Just my take but how any of us can complain about Jericho vs Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in January of 2018 is a head scratcher. It was excellent booking and creative and the two Winnipeg natives will rock the Tokyo Dome and sell tickets. This is the best way for them to monetize this window of opportunity without question. It’s been a long time since the Dome went clean on January 4 and this match should certainly help regarding that matter. I read where the NJPW goals was to sell 30,000 for WK12 which is a tremendous number but the Dome’s capacity for baseball is 55,000 and obviously a bit more for wrestling. I’m looking forward to calling this match on AXSTV a few days after it originally airs.”
Chris Jericho is certainly keeping busy during his time away from WWE.
In addition to touring with Fozzy, planning his Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager cruise and gearing up for a match against Kenny Omega at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event, Jericho also recently filmed a TV special for the Travel Channel which premieres later this month.
Jericho announced on Instagram that ‘The Legend Of With Chris Jericho’ will air on the Travel Channel on November 17th at 11pm (Eastern).
The 30-minute special will feature Jericho traveling to the deserts of Utah to find the hidden treasure of Butch Cassidy, the notorious bank and train robber.
Jericho teases, “You won’t believe what I found” and said he got to dress up like a cowboy and blow up explosives.
Chris Jericho will be returning to Japan when he faces Kenny Omega at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event on January 4, 2018 from the Tokyo Dome.
After weeks of back and forth trash talking on Twitter, this weekend’s NJPW Power Struggle show featured a video of package of Jericho challenging Omega (Video). Jericho said, “Let’s see who’s really the best, b*tch”
Since Jericho wrapped up his most recent run with WWE, Jericho has been touring with his metal band Fozzy and announced his Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager cruise, which will feature appearances by The Young Bucks, Marty Scurll, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Diamond Dallas Page, Mick Foley, Rey Mysterio and matches featuring talent from Ring of Honor.
At this time it appears that Jericho is working as a free agent and it’s unclear what (if any) involvement WWE had with this appearance for the number two wrestling promotion in the world.
Jericho wrestled in Japan early in his career and competed in New Japan Pro Wrestling back in 1997-1998 when WCW had a working relationship with the promotion.
Chris Jericho posted the following on Instagram hyping the dream match:
WWE will add an AJ Styles collection to the network on Monday, and have revealed the matches and feuds that appear. Looking over the challenges and performances that The Phenomenal One has put on, it is hard to argue with the idea that he is the top superstar in the company at the moment; especially when you consider the fact that AJ Styles has been with WWE for less than 2 years.
Here is the introduction and list revealed by WWE, along with some clips:
Beyond Phenomenal Intro
‘Considered one of the greatest sports entertainers alive, the quest to be the best led AJ Styles straight to the bright lights of WWE. Relive the meteoric rise of The Phenomenal One with this WWE Network Collection and see why he’s been dubbed ‘The Face That Runs the Place’. From his rivalry with Chris Jericho to his first WWE Championship victory and action-packed encounters with the likes of Kevin Owens and John Cena! Join the club and be a part of the action with this “too sweet” Collection!’
11/6/17
A Phenomenal Debut
Royal Rumble 2016 – The WWE Universe is left in awe when AJ Styles makes his surprising debut in the 2016 Royal Rumble Match.
1/24/16
Instant Chemistry
RAW 1183 – Just a day after his surprising debut, AJ Styles finds himself going one-on-one with a new rival in Chris Jericho.
1/25/16
In the Fastlane
Fastlane 2016 – The rivalry between AJ Styles and Chris Jericho accelerates when they meet each other in singles competition.
2/21/16
A New Day for Y2AJ
RAW 1189 – The alliance between Chris Jericho and AJ Styles loses momentum when Y2AJ challenges The New Day for the WWE Tag Team Titles.
3/7/16
Welcome to the Grand Stage
WrestleMania – In his first appearance on The Grandest Stage of Them All, AJ Styles faces off against Chris Jericho.
4/3/16
Four Men, One Opportunity
RAW 1193 – AJ Styles battles Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho and Cesaro in a Fatal 4-Way Match for a shot at the Universal Championship.
4/4/16
Challenging the Roman Empire
RAW 1195 – With a shot to challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship coming up, AJ Styles confronts the Roman Empire.
4/18/16
THE Guy and The Phenomenal One
Payback 2016 – AJ Styles looks to ascend to the top of WWE by challenging Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
5/1/16
Join The Club
RAW 1197 – AJ Styles forms a new Club by partnering with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to take on Roman Reigns and The Usos.
5/2/16
Going to Extremes
Extreme Rules 2016 – AJ Styles takes things to a new level by challenging Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Title in an Extreme Rules Match.
5/22/16
Your Time is Up!
Money in the Bank 2016 – Worlds collide when AJ Styles takes to the ring to go one-on-one with ‘The Face that Runs the Place,’ John Cena.
6/19/16
The Chosen Battleground
Battleground 2016 – AJ Styles and his Club face off against John Cena, Enzo Amore and Big Cass in a Six-Man Tag Team Match.
7/24/16
A Clash of Styles
SummerSlam 2016 – The heated rivalry between John Cena and AJ Styles rages on in this incredible confrontation.
8/21/16
AJ Talks Smack
Talking Smack 889 – AJ Styles shows how he measures up verbally when The Phenomenal One addresses his upcoming battle with WWE Champion Dean Ambrose.
8/30/16
On the Fringe of Success
Backlash 2016 – AJ Styles sets out to make history by challenging Dean Ambrose for the WWE Championship.
9/11/16
Getting Crazy
SmackDown 893 – Dean Ambrose looks to reclaim the WWE Championship by challenging AJ Styles for the title.
9/27/16
Less Than Worthy
SmackDown 895 – Dean Ambrose serves as the Special Guest Referee when AJ Styles goes one-on-one with James Ellsworth.
10/11/16
A Dangerous Environment
TLC 2016 – AJ Styles puts the WWE Championship on the line against Dean Ambrose in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match.
12/4/16
Second Chances
SmackDown 905 – AJ Styles gives James Ellsworth the opportunity of a lifetime by defending the WWE Championship against him.
12/20/16
Overcoming the Odds
SmackDown 906 – As 2016 comes to a close, AJ Styles defends the WWE Title against Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler in a Triple Threat Match.
12/27/16
A Matter of Respect
SmackDown 910 – With John Cena set to challenge him for the WWE Championship, AJ Styles takes to the ring to demand the respect he deserves.
1/24/17
The Champ Who Runs the Camp
Royal Rumble 2017 – AJ Styles looks to cement his place in WWE history by defending the WWE Championship against John Cena.
1/29/17
Ego and Vengeance
WrestleMania – AJ Styles returns to The Grandest Stage of Them All to settle a score with SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon.
4/2/17
The House that AJ Styles Built
SmackDown 920 – With the landscape of WWE set to change in the Superstar Shakeup, AJ Styles lets the world know what his intentions are.
4/4/17
A New Opportunity
SmackDown 921 – AJ Styles faces Sami Zayn and Baron Corbin in a bout to name the Number One Contender for the United States Championship.
4/11/17
The Howl of a Lone Wolf
SmackDown 923 – While Kevin Owens watches from ringside, AJ Styles faces off against Baron Corbin in singles action.
4/25/17
An American Prize
Backlash 2017 – AJ Styles takes to the ring to challenge Kevin Owens for the coveted United States Championship.
5/21/17
Trying to Break the Bank
Money in the Bank 2017 – AJ Styles looks to seize the ultimate opportunity by competing in his first-ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
6/18/17
Phenomenally Patriotic
SmackDown 933 – AJ Styles sets out to reclaim gold by facing Chad Gable to qualify for a special Independence Day Battle Royal.
7/4/17
Gold and Old Friends
SmackDown 936 – Things get very familiar when AJ Styles faces Kevin Owens and a returning Chris Jericho for the United States Championship.
7/25/17
The Face of America
SummerSlam 2017 – With Shane McMahon officiating, AJ Styles defends the United States Championship against Kevin Owens.
8/20/17
“Stone Cold” Podcast
WWE Hall of Famer and Icon “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has a no-holds-barred live interview with “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles.