Chris Jericho On Ending Kenny Omega's NJPW Career
Chris Jericho spoke with New Japan Pro Wrestling before his upcoming match against IWGP US Champion, Kenny Omega, at Wrestle Kingdom 12. You can see the full interview in the video above, here are some of the highlights:
The timing of his match with Kenny Omega:
"I've never wrestled Kenny Omega before, I understand how great Kenny is. Everybody's talking about Kenny Omega and that's one of the reasons why I wanted to have this match, because the timing for this match is perfect. It probably couldn't have happened last year – it couldn't have happened last year – it probably won't happen next year. This is the time for 'Alpha vs. Omega,' this is the time for Kenny versus Jericho. And he's from the same home city as I am, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and to me, there's a special connection there."
His experience against Omega's experience:
"Kenny Omega has a great style, he [has] a very good New Japan style, but I have New Japan style, I have WAR style, I have Mexico style, I have European style, I have ECW style, I have Smokey Mountain Wrestling style, I have WCW styles, and more importantly, I have WWE style. Six-time World Heavyweight Champion. Kenny's never been even close to that, it's a completely different world. Kenny Omega is a planet, Chris Jericho is the whole universe."
Ending Omega's NJPW career:
"You don't see blood on a New Japan ring, you don't see blood on a WWE ring, the business has changed. It's not about that anymore, which is what I think what made it so much more shocking, when I hit Kenny over the head with the United States Championship and cut him open, bleeding everywhere. I liked it. It made me happy. It gave me energy. Made me feel alive. And it also change the entire concept of what this match is gonna be for me. At first, I thought, 'Well, sure, if Kenny can have a seven star match, I can have an eight star match,' nine star match, the first-ever ten star match, 'Alpha vs. Omega.' Make Okada vs. Omega look like an opening match between a couple of Young Lions. But then, after Fukuoka and then after the press conference in Tokyo the next day, it's so violent, and intense, and vicious. This is gonna be a match like you're not gonna see in New Japan again. ... You're going to see the last match of Kenny Omega's New Japan career happen at Wrestle Kingdom 12, because of me. Can you imagine? All the New Japan Pro Wrestling fans? The women, crying. The little kids, crying. The longtime 20-year fans, crying when their hero, Kenny Omega's career is over. Can you imagine how that's going to make me feel? I'm gonna feel like the f—— king of the world."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit New Japan Pro Wrestling with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. We will have complete coverage of Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4, beginning at 2am ET!