It was a pleasant surprise for the WWE Universe when Chris Jericho made his surprise return on WWE TV during the July 25th episode of SmackDown Live last month.
However, since then not only Jericho has not made any appearance on WWE programming but he also hasn’t been mentioned much which has left fans wondering if his return was a one-off deal.
During the latest edition of his Talk Is Jericho podcast which was apparently recorded the same day as his return, Jericho was interviewing Tyler Breeze and Fandango where he also opened up about his recent SmackDown appearance.
Chris revealed that he wasn’t actually scheduled to return on the show. According to him, he was in the area to film an episode of Southpaw Regional Wrestling and got ‘roped’ into having a match:
“That’s actually why I’m here today, to film that show Southpaw and talk to you guys, And now I got roped into having a match.”
While this doesn’t necessarily mean that Y2J will not show up at any upcoming WWE Events in near future, it does clear that The Company hadn’t planned his comeback in advance and so we shouldn’t expect him to get involved in a long term feud anytime soon.
As reported earlier, Chris Jericho was involved in a verbal altercation in New York City. Jericho was part of a tribute show on Friday night to honor David Z, bassist for Tran-Siberian Orchestra and Adrenaline Mob who tragically passed recently. David Z was in an RV with the rest of the members of Adrenaline Mob that got a flat tire and they pulled to the side of the road. While changing the flat tire, another car then veered off the road and struck the RV and the van attached to the RV that was carrying the band’s equipment.
The altercation happened after the event. Fans approached Jericho outside and asked him for autographs. Jericho originally obliged but grew frustrated when some fans became aggressive with their requests. Jericho issued the following apology to TMZ after they released video of the verbal altercation:
“David Z was a good friend of mine and I was mentally and emotionally shattered after paying tribute to him and essentially saying goodbye to him Friday night. I was not in a good state of mind at that time and instead of ignoring a pushy (aka rude) fan which is what I would usually do, I snapped. My apologies to all involved and God bless David Z.”
TMZ reported earlier today that WWE superstar Chris Jericho was involved in an altercation outside New York City’s Irving Plaza on Friday Night. Jericho was appearing at an event for recently passed musician David Z.
Jericho had allegedly been approached by several fans after the event asking for pictures and autographs, he obliged at first but became visibly frustrated and started to turn people down.
This lead to the altercation in question, a fan allegedly tried congratulating Jericho on a recent WWE match and Jericho’s response was….not so PG. Check it out below.
Tonight on SmackDown, Chris Jericho made his surprise return to WWE. He confronted Kevin Owens and stated that he was in line for a rematch for the United States Championship. AJ Styles came down to the ring and said that he was entitled to a shot at the title before Jericho because he just lost it two days ago at WWE Battleground. Owens denied both of them the opportunity and claimed that the United States Championship will not be defended in front of the people of Richmond, Virginia. SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon then came down to the entrance ramp and informed Kevin Owens that he will be defending his US Title tonight in a Triple Threat match against both AJ Styles and Chris Jericho.
During the SmackDown main-event, Kevin Owens hit Jericho with a Superkick and then planted him with a Pop-Up Powerbomb. Owens went for the cover but Jericho somehow was able to kick out at two. Owens then climbed up to the top rope and connected with a massive Frog Splash. Owens once again went for the cover but AJ Styles sprinted into the ring and threw Owens to the outside. Styles then quickly covered Jericho and stole the victory to become the new United States Champion.
After the match, Kevin Owens lost his mind and destroyed the announce table ringside. Owens then grabbed a microphone as Styles celebrated with the United States Championship on the entrance ramp. Owens told everyone in the crowd to shut up and ranted that it wasn’t fair that Shane McMahon made him defend the United States Championship tonight in a Triple Threat match. SmackDown went off the air with Owens demanding that he get his rematch for the US Title against AJ Styles next week on SmackDown.
United States Champion Kevin Owens kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown. Owens defeated AJ Styles at WWE Battleground via a roll-up. The crowd booed Owens as he stood in the ring. Owens was back to wearing a suit and tie to the ring. Owens held up the title and said that it just feels right. Owens referred to Styles as a “thief” and stated that he was happy to have his title back. The crowd started to chant “AJ Styles!” as Owens vowed to defend the title with the pride and the honor it deserves.
Owens announced that he was reinstating the Kevin Owens United States Championship Open Challenge and that it will begin next week. The crowd booed and Owens said that “there is no way I would ever defend my title in front of a bunch of hicks in Richmond, Virginia”.
AJ Styles interrupted and made his way to the ring to a great reaction from the crowd. Owens said that Styles better be out here to congratulate him and admit that Owens is the better man. Styles stated that he was in the ring to get his rematch for the United States Championship. Owens said that he literally just said that Owens would not defend his title tonight in Richmond, Virginia.
Chris Jericho then appeared and the crowd went nuts. Jericho had the List of Jericho in his hands and joined Owens and Styles in the ring. Owens started freaking out and Jericho told him to be quiet several times. Jericho said that after a few months of rehabbing from Kevin Owens’ attack, he is back. Jericho stated that he was back to get his rematch for the United States Championship tonight.
AJ Styles welcomed Jericho back but stated that he was next in line for a shot at Owens’ United States Championship. Jericho then added AJ Styles to the list for trying to cut in front of him for a shot at the US Title. Kevin Owens started walking away and Jericho called him a “stupid idiot” while he was on the entrance ramp.
SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon then joined Owens on the entrance ramp and Owens rolled his eyes. Shane said that both AJ Styles and Chris Jericho will get their opportunity tonight. Shane McMahon announced that the United States Championship will be defended in a Triple Threat match tonight. It will be Kevin Owens (c) vs AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho.
The Chris Benoit murder/suicide tragedy occurred over the weekend of June 22-25 2007. Chris Jericho decided to sit down with Dave Meltzer recently to discuss Benoit’s career.
The topic of the podcast, for the most part, had little do with the Benoit murder/suicide. Rather Jericho and Meltzer discussed Benoit’s career.
This week on #TIJ: Wed- The Childhood Of Jericho…Growing Up Maaan w @holowatuk! Fri- Benoit- 10 Years Later w @davemeltzerWON
Chris Jericho and Dave Meltzer on Chris Benoit Highlights
Chris Jericho On Not Being Able to Talk About Benoit
“I’ve been wanting to do something like this for awhile, and it was just the 10 year anniversary of Chris Benoit’s death. It’s interesting Dave, obviously because of the horrific circumstances at the end of his life, his career up to that weekend has basically been buried. No one really takes about it.”
“You don’t want to ever demean or diminish those events, but i want to talk about Chris’s career. The reason for that is a couple of years ago they did another Jericho DVD, it’s the 3rd one they’ve done, and once again you choose the matches. I can’t choose those Benoit matches, nor do I think I’d want to. That’s like half-a-dozen to a dozen of my favourite matches that I ever had. For a lot of people, for all of Chris’ work, it almost feels dirty to watch them if you even can watch them”
Meltzer on Not Being Able to Talk About Benoit:
“It’s so hard to talk about it. You would feel guilty if you really talked about… because he was an incredible wrestler obviously. You know that better than almost anyone. But you feel guilty about saying ‘well, he’s a great wrestler” then it’s almost like you’re praising a murderer type of a thing.”
Lana wants another shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship
WWE Superstar Lana wants another shot at Naomi’s SmackDown Women’s Championship. Lana is currently 0-2 against Naomi, as she lost her rematch in quick fashion on this past Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown. Lana took to Twitter and claimed that her shoulder was never on the mat when Naomi pinned her after connecting with a Moonsault. Lana provided photo evidence that her shoulder was off the mat and claimed that the referee and WWE was against her winning the title. Time will tell if Lana gets yet another opportunity at the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
I obviously did NOT get pined! I want a FAIR title match! Clearly the ref & all of @WWE are cheaters & favor @NaomiWWE over me! #SDLivepic.twitter.com/puUUrbWIap
Tye Dillinger takes shot at R&B singer Chris Brown
Chris Brown and his entourage were involved in a backstage altercation with rap group Migos at the BET Awards last weekend. SmackDown Superstar Tye Dillinger took to Twitter and referenced Brown being charged with felony assault in 2009 for beating his then-girlfriend Rihanna.
So, @chrisbrown gets in a fight at the #BETAwards …well, at least he's back to fighting guy's again.
WWE has uploaded the newest episode of Superstar Ink. Corey Graves and Jericho discuss the rock bands that inspired many of Jericho’s tattoos. You can check out the new episode in the video below.
Former WWE Tag Team Champion partners The Big Show and Chris Jericho reunited on an episode of Jericho’d podcast, Talk Is Jericho, to talk about Show’s run through the professional wrestling industry. During their conversation, Show as asked what the worst thing he ever did in his WWE career was, to which he responded that it was the Baby New Year segment:
“There [has] been a lot of stuff I’ve done has been absolutely horrendous. But I think for me personally, the worst thing I’ve done was when Vince [McMahon] made me do the ‘Baby New Year’ thing because it was so freakin’ awkward. He had me in a freakin’ diaper with a New Year hat and he wanted me dancing and all I could think of, it was like some billionaire masturbating video where he [has] got some fat guy. You can imagine Vince in some dark room looking at it on a big screen, like, ‘yeah, now s–t in the diaper, you fat bastard! s–t in the diaper! That’s it!’ It was just so uncomfortable.”
Show believes that Vince McMahon made him to the embarrassing segment to motivate him to lose weight:
“I got fat, so he goes, ‘so you’re a fat New Year Baby. Maybe you should lose some weight.’ But that’s the kind of relationship I’ve had with him, ‘he’s getting fat – I need to motivate him. Let me embarrass him.’ Do you know what I mean? The diaper worked.” The Big Show added, “that insane, crazy Vincent Kennedy McMahon actually does know more than I do. He’s actually a smart guy. Believe it or not, he’s a brilliant individual. That’s funny. That literally was the most awkward thing I’ve done.”
Last night in Vancouver, WWE held a live event in which WWE Champion Jinder Mahal was supposed to face Shinsuke Nakamura. Seth Rollins wound up replacing Nakamura in the match. Rollins won the match via DQ after the Singh Brothers attacked him from behind. Rollins wound up getting the last laugh and Powerbombed Mahal through a table. You can check that out in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT5u3KBF4i8
Chris Jericho comments on facing Hideo Itami
Chris Jericho will be joining RAW brand tours on 6/30 and 7/1 in Tokyo, Japan. His opponent on the first live event is Hideo Itami. Jericho posted the following photo on Instagram and said that he was excited for the match. Itami also responded on Twitter.
WWE Superstar Chris Jericho joined Rock 100.5 ATL’s Bailey And Southside to talk about his recent run with WWE, as well as share some great stories from his time with the company. You can check out what the former WWE Champ had to say here below:
WWE fans always knowing when he’s traveling:
“It always freaks me out whenever you fly to a town, right, specifically with [pro] wrestling, you’ll fly somewhere and you’ll get to, like, Peoria, Illinois, you get off the plane and there’s like a gaggle of fans there waiting for you. They want an autograph, ‘sign my picture,’ ‘sign my action figure,’ whatever. And I’m always like, ‘how do you guys know what flight I’m on?’ This is not a group flight. Like, I missed my flight and I had to get another one and I had to go through whatever and there [are] still the same people there.” Jericho added, “somewhere out there, there’s some kind of a stooge that’s giving out what flight number I’m on.”
Mark Henry sneaking into his hotel room and scaring him:
“When the guy came and got me, it was Jeff Jarrett that came to knock on my door, like, ‘come on, we’ve got to watch this,’ I left the little thing in the door, so the door was open. The little key lock. Yeah, so when I go back in my room, the lights are all off and I’m like, ‘what the hell happened? Like, I didn’t leave the lights off.’ So I’m walking in there and as I’m walking towards the light switch, I get attacked by this giant bear!
“And this guy takes me down and I’m like, screaming so scared, ‘ahh, ahh, ahh’ and all I see are these big, white eyes. And then, I hear the laughter and it’s Mark Henry, who’s super African-American, dark. He’s super dark, super big. So in the dark, he was even darker and he went and hid in there and then attacked me as I went in the room and started laughing. We still laugh to this day.”
Trashing a hotel catering area with the metal band Anthrax:
“We were in Nuremberg, Germany a couple of months ago and we just happened to be in the same hotel as Anthrax. They had the day off, so they came to our show. And then, afterwards, you have catering after a wrestling show. When we’re done, we go back to the hotel and have catering. So I started having some cocktails with Frankie [Bello] and Jon [Donais] from Anthrax, which led to a complete trashing of the catering room at about 6 in the morning to where nobody could eat breakfast there.
“They had to move catering. Like Rusev is down there, like Cesaro is down there, ‘we want breakfast. The catering was trashed. We have to go upstairs. Who did that?’ ‘Anthrax. Freaking Anthrax, man. It’s Anthrax’s fault.’ It was more my fault than anything, but I just blamed them, ‘you know those Anthrax guys are crazy!'”
Former WWE United States Champion Chris Jericho recently joined Rock 100.5 ATL’s Bailey and Southside to talk about his recent run with the WWE, the rise of “The List” and the “Stupid Idiot” catchphrase, and much more. Here are the highlights:
Who came up with “The List”:
“Working with this guys who’s a writer in the WWE named Jimmy Jacobs. He used to be a [pro] wrestler. He came up to me one day and said, ‘what if we do something where you put somebody on this list?’ I’m like, ‘I knew this guy once who had a list of people he didn’t like.’ I’m like, ‘oh, that sounds funny.’ So I said it and it kind of got a reaction.” Jericho said, “the whole concept of The List went through the roof. The List is more popular than 85% of the guys on the show. The List is more popular than I am! And you just never know what’s going to make an impression with fans.”
Vince McMahon’s reaction to the “Stupid Idiot” catchphrase:
“They’re chanting it now, ‘stupid idiot’ and I remember when I started saying that, Vince was like, ‘nobody could say this, nobody can get away with this, but you can. You’re the only guy in the world who could do this’ because when I started using ‘stupid idiot,’ it got heat. I would call the fans, ‘you’re a stupid idiots’ and they’d be like, ‘boo!’ and then, like everything else, suddenly people loved it.”
Chris Jericho recently spoke with Brandon Stroud of Uproxxabout a variety of topics, including his most recent WWE run, taking time off to tour with his metal band Fozzy, part-time wrestlers who show up only for WrestleMania paydays and his future with WWE.
Although some might classify Jericho as a part-time WWE Superstar since he does take extended breaks to focus on outside projects, he sees a stark difference between his schedule and legends who show up once or twice a year to collect a WrestleMania payday and leapfrog Superstars who have been on the road with WWE all year. This group would include the likes of The Undertaker, Triple H, The Rock and even RAW Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.
When asked if we’ll see him doing the part-time WrestleMania thing as he winds down his career, Jericho said, “No, I won’t do it because that’s not the way it should be. When you’re there, you should go on the road. That’s how you help guys to learn. That’s how I got better.”
Jericho is known for constantly reinventing himself and his most recent run produced some of the best work of his career. His bromance with Kevin Owens, the scarves, The List, Stupid Idiot and “Drink it in, man” have kept his character on the cutting edge of WWE nearly 18 years after his debut with the company.
“This whole year I got way better because of working with the younger guys, who then were learning from me as well,” Jericho said. “They need that. It was a great year with just an awesome locker room, great people, lots of fun. I had as much fun out of the ring as I did in the ring.”
As for his future with WWE, he does plan to wrestle again, but he’d entertain the idea of only working live events.
“And in 2015, all I did was live events. I didn’t do TV at all. It’s like the anti-type Brock Lesnar. I wouldn’t have a problem doing that either. Maybe I’ll never go back on TV again. Maybe I’ll just do live events”
Head over to Uproxx to check out the full interview.
Chris Jericho just wrapped up his most recent run with the WWE, and it was a great one. The former United States Champion had great rivalries with the likes of AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, and Kevin Owens, in addition to a pair of United States Title runs. Now following his United States Title loss to Kevin Owens on SmackDown Live, Jericho is ready to shift his focus on his band, Fozzy.
Although he is being advertised for WWE live events in Singapore on June 28th, and in Tokyo, Japan on June 30th and July 1st, Jericho had this to say to AP Story about a WWE return:
“WWE, it’s the brand name. I’m just a cog,” he said. “An important part of it, people like it. But this is our band. People are here to see us. That to me is a little more of a rush. It’s not under the auspices of another name. It’ll be a long time before I go back,” he said. “If I ever do go back, if I never go back, it’s fine. If I never wrestle another match, it wouldn’t bother me.”
WWE Superstar Chris Jericho recently did an interview with Busted Open Radio to discuss his recent run with the company. Jericho talked about the current issues with the WWE’s Cruiserweight division, presented a solution to the problem, and also talked about all the talent he put over this year. Check out the highlights here:
Fixing the Cruiserweight Division’s current problems:
“There’s a lot of that but also, how much more can you do? Also, you say Cruiserweights – you remember things differently than what there were. People say ‘Attitude era was great we want the Attitude Era.’ I’m like, really? Did you forget when Mae Young gave birth to a hand? Did you forget about the Katy Vick necrophilia angle? Really think about what you’re saying. So the Cruiserweight division in WCW, while the style was innovative, a lot of people really didn’t give a damn. I remember vividly, vividly working in a Clash Of Champions, Jericho vs. Eddie Guerrero. And you think ‘Oh my gosh, what a dream match.’ It was for the Cruiserweight championship, and nobody gave a sh*t.
“They sat on their hands the whole show and I remember just – I think it was in Nashville or something, but nobody cared. Not one person making noise. Which you might think is crazy, but that’s the way it was. So when you see 205 Live and people are making noise, we went through it too. And it’s like you said, the style isn’t that different from a Seth Rollins, a Jericho, I think I see every single person does an a-tope from Samoa Joe to Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn – so what is the difference? I don’t really know. If you’re going for the characters and personality then that’s “the heavyweight guys.” So what do the Cruiserweights do to try and break through? I don’t know. Neville is a great character but he needs a great babyface to work with.
“And here’s what I think could work, I think if you put Enzo Amore as a Cruiserweight, and put Enzo vs. Neville for the title, have Enzo win it, watch people get interested in the Cruiserweight division. And people at home are going ‘Ah Enzo can’t work!’ It’s not about that. It’s about getting people to care about the title. Get Enzo in there, have him win it, and watch people start to get involved in the 205 Live. Then Neville has someone to work with. He doesn’t have a baby face to work with. He really doesn’t, that’s super genuinely over with the crowd. That will help.”
All the young talent he put over this year:
“Yeah I am, and it’s funny too because even the Dean Ambrose feud, I know a lot of people didn’t like the Asylum match but that whole feud was based around Dean Ambrose being called the Lunatic Fringe, but never doing anything loony. You can’t just call yourself that. So that’s when I came up with the potted plant, smash it over his head. Then he comes back and destroys my light-up jacket because I don’t want that anymore, cause that’s a babyface thing – which I have now brought back into the Fozzy show cause that gets a great reaction as it should. But he destroys the jacket, then I put him in a stray jacket, then I beat the sh*t out of him and we have this big match that culminated into the thumbtack bump. All that stuff was designated to get more of a spotlight onto him and his character.
“Same what I did with AJ, same what I did with Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, the matches we had always tore the house down. Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, it was a great year to work with all those guys because work wise I can still teach them and keep up with them if that’s the word you want to use. Eclipse them if that’s the word you want to use. But they all have the same attitude I have in my “generation.” They just want to have a great match. They don’t really care about this, that, or the other thing, we just want to have as good a match as possible. And I can help with the character of that.
“I remember where I used to have this thing where I wear the scarf and I refuse to take it off. I won’t take it off. Then finally the babyface takes it off and holds it, and what’s he gonna do with it? I would have Seth Rollins blow his nose it in, or have Roman Reigns put it on and prance around – people would love it. Finn Balor did that too. It gives these people who haven’t really had a chance to show what a character is, the character of being jus this guy who is going to screw with Chris Jericho. And of course I said accordingly you have your match right there, you’re off to the races. it was fun doing that and helping the guys. And also it was good for me, it helped me hone my style and evolve my way of doing things. It was definitely one of my favorite years ever.”
After losing the United States Championship to Kevin Owens on Tuesday’s SmackDown Live, Jericho was brutally attacked by his former best friend. The attack is WWE’s storyline explanation for Jericho’s latest hiatus, as the Jericho will be going on tour with his metal band Fozzy starting this Friday.
Jericho posted on Facebook that he will be back in WWE soon and revealed a new shirt as a thank you to his fans. Proceeds from the shirt will go towards the support of Juvenile Diabetes Research. The t-shirt is $24.99 and you can purchase one by clicking here.
“I’ll see you all again soon, but in honor of the amazing run I had over the past 16 months in WWE, I’ve designed this official #GOAT shirt as a thanks to you, the Friends Of Jericho! As always, proceeds will go towards the support of Juvenile Diabetes Research, JDRF! Available for two weeks only! So, get yours NOW at represent.com/goat!”
Last night Kevin Owens gave Chris Jericho a DDT on the floor that seemed to be the catalyst for Jericho’s injury angle. Jericho will be touring with his band soon, and an angle was needed to write him off television.
Normally when Kevin Owens injures someone he gives them the powerbomb on the ring apron outside. This begs the question, why change things up here and use a DDT on the floor to explain Jericho’s impending absence?
31 Years Ago Today: Jake Roberts DDTs Ricky Steamboat
It was 31 years ago today that a famous angle played out between Ricky Steamboat and Jake “the Snake” Roberts. Jake gave Ricky the DDT on the floor, resulting in a long stay on the injured list for Steamboat.
Jericho has been known to throw out homages to his favourite wrestlers and moments in wrestling before, and it is possible that’s what he has done here.
** The match was taped on May 3rd 1986, but wouldn’t air until later in June that year.
Kevin Owens was a guest on Talking Smack last night with Renee Young and Shane McMahon. SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon was clearly bothered by Kevin Owens’ attack on Chris Jericho at the end of SmackDown, but understood that Owens was trying to make a statement. Renee Young also thought Owens went too far. Owens claimed that he had to put an end to Jericho and if Jericho was smart, he wouldn’t come back to SmackDown.
WWE has released a new promo for the New Day’s upcoming SmackDown debut. New Day will make their return to WWE TV once Kofi Kingston has fully recovered from his ankle injury.
Century Media Records has released the official music video for “Judas” by Chris Jericho’s band FOZZY. Judas is available everywhere for download and streaming on May 5th.
Chris Jericho and Fozzy are about to embark on the Judas Uprising Tour, which kicks off this Friday from Virginia Beach, VA. For ticket information, visit Chris-Jericho.com.
Chris Jericho is scheduled to defend the United States Championship against Kevin Owens tonight on SmackDown. Jericho will be taking another hiatus from WWE for the Fozzy tour, so don’t be shocked if Kevin Owens regains the title he lost to Jericho this past weekend at Payback.
Here’s the complete schedule for the Judas Uprising tour:
May 5 – Lunatic Luau – Virginia Beach, VA
May 6 – The Revival – Canton, GA – Tickets
May 7 – Carolina Rebellion – Charlotte, NC
May 9 – The Concourse at The International – Knoxville, TN
May 10 – Trixie’s Entertainment Complex – Louisville, KY
At the Festival of Friendship, Jericho presented Owens with a painting. It was a replica of the “Creation of Man” painting, only with Jericho and Owens playing the roles of God and man. In the painting Owens and Jericho are reaching out their index fingers towards one another.
At WrestleMania, Owens used his index finger to reach the bottom rope while trapped in the Walls of Jericho. Owens then went on to win the match. At Payback, Owens again just used his index finger to grab the bottom rope to get out of a submission. Jericho then smashed Owens’ finger in the steps and locked Owens back in a submission. This time with his index finger injured, Owens had to tap as he could not reach out and grab the rope.
Owens’ index finger is an analogy for their “friendship”. He had used the finger/Jericho’s friendship to win matches. So if Jericho wanted to win he had to break the finger/friendship, which is what he did. Pretty creative storytelling.
Sheamus & Cesaro Claim They Are The Future On RAW Talk
Sheamus and Cesaro attacked The Hardy Boyz last night after the RAW Tag Team Championship match at Payback. The Hardys won the match and Sheamus and Cesaro had finally had enough. After WWE Payback went off the air, Sheamus and Cesaro joined Renee Young and Jerry Lawler on RAW Talk. Sheamus claimed that the honeymoon is now over for The Hardys and claimed that they were a part of the past.
Seth Rollins was interviewed after his victory over Samoa Joe at WWE Payback. Rollins stated that his banged up knee will not hold him back going forward. Samoa Joe targeted Rollins’ injured knee the entire match but Rollins was still able to get the victory.
– NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced last week that he plans to retire at the end of the 2017 Monster Energy Cup season. What’s the connection to pro wrestling? In his first exclusive interview since announcing his forthcoming retirement, Earnhardt spoke with Paul Heyman about his decision.
Heyman’s Looking 4 Larry creative agency recently teamed up with the Richmond International Speedway, which hosts the final regular-season race of the NASCAR season.
– Chris Jericho is the new WWE United States Champion after defeating former best friend Kevin Owens last night at Payback. As a result, Jericho joins the SmackDown brand. Backstage after Payback, RAW General Manager Kurt Angle bid farewell to Jericho, but is interrupted by two stupid idiots who ultimately make .. The List.
– Jeff Hardy had his tooth knocked out at Payback during the Hardy Boys RAW tag title defense against Sheamus and Cesaro. WWE posted this video of Jeff receiving medical attention backstage:
– SmackDown Live commissioner Shane McMahon has announced that Baron Corbin has been ‘fined and suspended’ for putting his hands on a WWE official. Corbin viciously attacked Sami Zayn on Talking Smack and shoved a referee who attempted to break things up. Shane tweeted on Wednesday morning:
It is never acceptable for an athlete in any sport to put their hands on an official, @WWE is no exception. @BaronCorbinWWE actions…
– The music video for “Judas” by Fozzy premieres next Tuesday, May 2nd. Chris Jericho released a preview clip for the video, which you can check out below.
Fozzy has been working on the follow-up album to 2014’s Do You Want To Start A War. No release date has been announced for their next project. Fozzy’s Judas Rising Tour kicks off next week in Virginia Beach, VA. For details on the Judas Rising Tour, visit FozzyRock.com.
Chris Jericho was interviewed by Chris Smith of Forbes recently. During the interview, Jericho commented on how much longer his current WWE run will last:
“We’re getting ready to put out a new Fozzy record, and I can’t do wrestling and music at the same time. So I think this [wrestling] run is pretty much winding down at this point.” That shouldn’t be too much of a surprise – Jericho announced Fozzy’s May tour dates three weeks ago – but Jericho makes it sound like this next break could be a long one: “It’s time to take a break from wrestling and work on some of these other things that have been on the back burner and are starting to come to fruition.”
Jericho also added that he is willing to come back to the WWE in the future:
“If there’s a tour of Japan or a tour of Australia, I’ll go if I’m free. If there’s a weekend I’m free, I’ll do it in Peoria or Lakeland, Florida. It doesn’t matter to me how big or small the shows are, because they all count. I still enjoy it, and when it’s time for me to come back, if that time comes and when that time comes, then I’ll come back the same way I always do.”
Jericho is also working on his fourth autobiography and still hosts his podcast Talk Is Jericho. Jericho has made a bunch of returns to the WWE and some of them have only been for house shows. While always excellent, Jericho’s current WWE runs has included some of his best work. Time will tell when Jericho’s current run comes to an end, but hopefully we get to see another one of his triumphant returns to the WWE in the near future.
Better later than never. The bromance between Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho is deader than dead, but WWE is offering a chance to commemorate one of the best storylines of the past year. WWEShop has released a poster of the “Creation of Kevin” painting Jericho unveiled at the Festival of Friendship.
As we head into WrestleMania, there are still many unanswered questions surrounding the Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho match. Some of the reasons Owens has given for why he turned on Jericho still don’t add up completely.
Owens said he turned on Jericho because of Jericho accepting the match with Goldberg on Kevin’s behalf. That ignores the secret conversation Owens had with Triple H earlier on the night he turned on Jericho. What did Triple H tell Owens? It’ll be interesting to see if Triple H’s involvement in this storyline is ever mentioned again, or if we are just expected to forget about that part.
Two weeks ago on Raw Chris Jericho put Tom Phillips on “the List” for, amongst other reasons, not knowing his own name. Jericho was confusing backstage interviewer Mike Rome for host/commentator Tom Phillips, and didn’t believe Rome when he tried to tell him so.
Recently Chris Jericho took to Instagram to illustrate his point about the two looking similar.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR4jl2KFyXz/
In the picture Tom Phillips is the smaller one who has his phone in his hand.
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens at WrestleMania
In 12 days at WrestleMania, Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens will bring an epic storyline to its conclusion. The two Canadian wrestlers started an alliance this spring which grew to be one of the most popular storylines in recent memory. Jericho has called this last year in WWE one of the most fun times he’s had in wrestling. He has also said he ranks this last year only behind his memorable rivalry with Shawn Michaels as his favourite program of his career.