Chris Jericho Reveals When WWE Run Was Going To End, Talks Working Relationship With Vince McMahon
Chris Jericho recently appeared on "The LAW: Live Audio Wrestling" to discuss a number of topics, including his current WWE run, The List, WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens and more. The full interview is above and below are highlights they sent to us:
Tom Phillips' role with Jericho and Owens:
"He did a great job with us, we kind of became like a trio. We haven't worked with him in a few weeks which is a drag because he was kind of part of the formula to get Owens and Jericho over and, once again, that was not something planned. I think somehow we had some kind of a tag team match in London, just randomly, in London, England. At the end of it, Kevin ran and jumped in my arms and he went you're the goat, I'm the donkey, something along those lines. Vince heard us going back and forth like I did it all by myself but Chris helped and just little things he was saying and Vince was just laughing. I remember saying to him there's something there between us, you know and he was like I agree so they started putting us together. We actually pitched a movie, a buddy cop movie to the head of WWE films Michael Luisi where Kevin and I would just sit there and improv for three minutes and we came up with this ridiculously awesome piece of video just completely improved. Of course, you know, it's not a cheap action movie so they're not going to do it but the chemistry is there to be able to do it. A lot of it that we do is improv, we have a really similar sense of humour, we have great timing with each other. We don't even have to talk, we say things at the same time. I remember before Money in the Bank, I was the captain or something and I'm yelling at Del Rio and Owens is just like you better watch it. Owens is like watch what and that's when I said it. That was all made up, it was just really funny stuff and then, after, I said I like that, I'm going to see if I can get the word it over and that's another thing that ended up working out.
"So, when you've been in the business as long as I have, you know at certain times when you have that chemistry with somebody, you know? Work wise, I knew instantly I had it with The Rock, promo wise. I had it with Edge, I had it with Rey Mysterio, I had it with Shawn Michaels and I have it with Kevin Owens. I had it with Big Show too, you put these two guys together and you don't know why it happens but it just works and that's a rare thing in wrestling. You think for me doing this for 26 years and working with thousands and thousands of guys, I can pick, like I just did, on one finger of my hand that I had this amazing chemistry with right off the bat where it made things so easy both in the ring and out."
Having a drop dead date for this WWE run to come to an end:
"... Like I said earlier, once again I have mentioned his name quite a bit but I have a very close working relationship with Vince McMahon and neither one of us expected this. Both of us would like to sit back and think we were the be all, end all wise oracles that predicted this. I will tell you this, my original plan when I came back last January was to stay until WrestleMania, four months. Then, it started going so good, I re-signed I think until July and then I re-signed until October and then I re-signed until November. Now it's basically a month by month thing. I've got a certain time frame in mind but I can't even say that because what was supposed to be four has already been ten because I am smart enough to know this. I've been doing this for a long time and to have – like you said, this could be my best run, I still think my 2008 Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Big Show might have been better but if it was, it's not by far. This could be the best run I've ever had and at 45 years old, ten years ago, you would think that was old. Now, the Stones are still killing it at 74 years old so as long as physically I can go and still basically look the part, I don't really put any limits on age or anything like that. I can still go out there and have the best match of the show on any given night and I'm working with guys that are 10-15 years younger that don't feel that.
"I love working with Owens and Rollins and Reigns and Sami Zayn and Dean Ambrose and AJ. Those guys are re-invigorating my love for the business because I have been through a lot of generations of the business. Also, keep this in mind, my generation of guys, as sad as it is to say this, my best friends have either passed away or retired so now I have this whole new group of guys who it starts with a little bit of hero worship, that's great but now let's get down to it, just start working and having some fun. These are like my best friends on the job right now, I love hanging out with the guys, they're all really great guys and there's no reason for me to stop because I'm doing something for the right reason because I love doing it and that's why I do anything at this point. Thankfully, I don't have to worry about any financial issues, I do something because I love it. It's the same reason why I go back on the road with Fozzy, it's because I love playing rock and roll and I love building my band and I love seeing how much the band has grown and the reactions we get, the tours we get with Kiss and Metallica and Avenged Sevenfold, Shinedown. So, whatever I'm doing – the podcast, I love doing it, I love talking to people. I just finished writing my 4th book so anything I do, I'm putting 1000% effort into it, I believe in it and I enjoy doing it. Right now, in the WWE, I'm enjoying this run as much as I had anything in my entire career and I'm going to enjoy it as long as I can and continue to build it and continue to entertain for as long as I can in the WWE, for sure."