Chris Jericho Press Release

[James Steele]

August 22, 2005
NP-Dream Theater-Octavarium
“It was 20 years ago today, Sgt Pepper taught the band to play…”-The Beatles-1967
A very timely, apropos lyric from my favorite band, that I’m gonna paraphrase for my own use.
“It was 15 years ago today that the Hart Brothers Taught Chris Jericho how to play…”
Of course they didn’t teach me how to play, they actually taught me how to wrestle and it wasn’t 15 years ago today, it was actually in the summer of 1990, but you get the idea.


eventually had my first match on Oct 2, 1990 in Ponoka, Alberta….and on August 22, 2005 in Hampton, Virginia, I had my last match.
For now.
Yes it’s true. After months of speculation and rumors and numerous decoys and red herrings being thrown about, the official news from the boss man (me) is that I am leaving the WWE.
For how long I do not know.
But I do know many things.
I know that after 15 years of full time wrestling, I need a break. I need to recuperate both physically and especially mentally. I’ve been very fortunate to never have missed an inordinate amount of time due to injury. I broke my arm in 1994 and missed 7 weeks as a result, but other than that, I’ve never missed a show. NEVER.
While that may be a testament to my durability, intelligence and/or stupidity, it’s actually worked against me over the past few years. While those who have suffered injuries have been able to spend the time to heal physically and more importantly have had the time to refresh mentally, I’ve never had that time to do so…and that’s a problem.
People ask me all the time how they can make it in the wrestling biz. Let the Dali Jericho enlighten you all…
The secret to making it in wrestling lies in your head, not your body.
You see, it doesn’t matter how big, how good looking, how ugly you are, or how many flips you can do. It’s all about having a strong personality and making people connect with your character. Making them care. Making them feel. Making them laugh. Making them cry. Making them believe.
In order to do that, you have to be 100% into what you are doing. You have to believe what you are selling to the people. You have to give 100% of your physical being and more importantly, %100 of your mental being to make it work.
Having said that, that’s why I need to take a break from this business to recharge the old batteries as I don’t have the same mindset for it that I once did.
There are 2 reasons for that.
1.After doing it for 15 years, I am mentally burned out.
2.I am a goal oriented person who thrives on a challenge and I’m not challenged by wrestling at this point in time.
A big reason for that is the fact that I’ve already accomplished everything I’ve ever wanted to accomplish in this business and so much more
You see, when I left Winnipeg (my hometown no matter what the WWE may say) at the age of 19 to move to Calgary to train, all I wanted to do was to someday be a wrestler on TV and maybe….just maybe, someday be the WWF Intercontinental champion. I used to have dreams of my name being up on my high school’s sign board (Westwood Collegiate represent yo!) saying…
CONGRATULATIONS TO CHRIS IRVINE-WWF IC CHAMP.
Fast forward 15 years and I’ve held the IC title a record number 7 times. Add in 2 World Championships, the first ever Undisputed Championship, as well as headlining Wrestlemania and stealing the show at Wrestlemania and holding every major title in the WWE (the only guy to have done that), and you’ve got quite a career….and I’ve still never been on the damn sign outside of Westwood Collegiate!
Now some may say that I have an over-inflated opinion of myself and they may be right. All I know is that I have confidence in my abilities and a great deal of appreciation for every single guy (or girl) that I’ve ever faced in the ring and to me, there’s a HUGE difference between the two…
I’m also very thankful for all that the Lord has blessed me with and for all of the great experiences I’ve had meeting so many great people, whilst traveling all around the world. I’ve never taken anything for granted. I’ve never had anything but the greatest respect for the wrestling business and everybody in it. That’s another reason why I need to get away for awhile. I don’t want to become one of those guys who bitch and moan and complain about every little thing. I was starting to feel that way until my angle for Summerslam started 3 months ago. Now, I want to leave wrestling while I still hold it in the highest regard.
So that’s what I’m gonna do.
But you may be asking what exactly ARE you going to do now Ayatollah?
Well, I may be stepping away from wrestling but I’ve stepped into so many other things over the past few years that I definitely have no shortage of projects and opportunities on my proverbial plate.
First off, there’s Fozzy of course. The band has really taken a huge step forward over the past year and I really want to devote the proper time and energy to insure that the success continues to grow. We already have a tour of Australia on the books for September as well as another tour of the UK (our fourth time in seven months), Ireland and Scotland in October. We’re also working on our first US and Canadian tours, so hopefully those will pan out as well. So I’ll still be coming to your town to kick ass, just not with the WWE, but with the Fozz. I hope you’ll come check us out…you’re all invited!
There’s also my weekly XM Radio show, The Rock Of Jericho, on Da Boneyard every Sunday. The show is going to be expanded to 2 hours in the winter as the ratings and the response have been great, so thanks for tuning in!
I’ll also still be a regular on VH1’s The Best Week Ever, so you’ll continue to see me on your television screens on a weekly basis, just on a different channel.
I also always get asked when I’m going to get into acting. Truth is, I’ve been working on it for 2 years now. I’ve been studying with my acting coach for the past year and I’ve learned so much about the craft and I can’t wait to learn even more. I’ve been auditioning up the ying yang as well. I call this the Summer Of Movies That Chris Auditioned For But Didn’t Get. Dukes Of Hazzard, Devil’s Rejects, Into The Blue, Longest Yard, Kicking And Screaming….the list goes on and on. I didn’t get discouraged, although working with Jessica Simpson and those Daisy Dukes certainly wouldn’t have sucked!!
I did however just shoot my first lead role in the Sci Fi Channel original movie entitled 2Human, which should air in March. It was a huge triumph for me and it really gave me the bug to do more acting. Now I’ll be able to devote more time to making that happen.
Will I make it and be successful in any or all of these fields? I say why not? I learned a long time ago that the only people who say you can’t make it in something are the ones who have failed themselves. I know the drive and sacrifice that it takes to make to the top of a given field….I plan to use the same tenacity and drive to do it all over again.
I feel like I did when I graduated from high school…excited to be leaving but nervous about the future. After I went to college (Red River CC represent yo!) and I was preparing to leave Winnipeg for wrestling school, a lot of people thought I was crazy. They said I was too short, too small, too much of a dreamer…and they may have been right on all accounts. But I found a way to buck the trends and the rules, I never gave up and as a result, I became what I am in the wrestling business.
Care to bet I can do it again? I think I can.
Whether I do achieve success outside of wrestling or I don’t, I can say one thing for sure…I’m not retiring from the wrestling business. Too many people over too many years have said that and have constantly returned. I’m not leaving the WWE for good, I’m not leaving wrestling for good. When I’m ready to come back I will. It may be one month, it may be one year, but when the time is right, I’ll know and I will return and be better than ever...I wouldn’t think of returning any other way.
You won’t see me doing any conventions or indie shots in the meantime. If I’m going to be in the wrestling biz, it will be with the WWE. I’m a member of the WWE family for the rest of my life…just like the mafia…and I have absolutely nothing bad to say about my company. So you won’t see me doing any shoot interviews either. Why would I? Vince and I have accomplished a lot of awesome things together and I have nothing but respect for him. He’s the best guy I’ve ever worked for, along with Paco Alonso in Mexico and Genchiro Tenryu in Japan. I also enjoyed working with Paul Heyman, who gave me my first break and Eric Bischoff, who gave me my first big money contract. Thanks to them for the opportunities.
I’d also like to thank my family for always supporting me and continuing to support me. Without their love and guidance, I wouldn’t have gotten this far, nor would I have had the guts to make this decision.
I also want to thank all of the guys and girls that I’ve had the pleasure of working with. I respect and revere every one of you and I say thanks for all you’ve done for me!
I also want to thank all of you. If it wasn’t for you guys…The Jerichoholics...always giving me your support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I love you guys and I hope you’ll still stop me on the street to take a picture, get an autograph or buy me a beer! Hopefully, you’ll continue to support me in my other endeavors and if not, I hope you’ll still be around waiting for me when I return to wrestling some day. THANK YOU!!
In the meantime, stay tuned in to this website. It’s going to be receiving a huge facelift in order to include everything that I’ll be up to. Think of it as a Chris Jericho Superstore…one stop shopping daddio! And keep sending your emails…I really do read them all and I look forward to staying touch with everyone and hearing you’re thoughts.
So that’s it, that’s all, baby goes to sleep now. Keep in touch and I look forward to seeing you soon….one way or another! But remember, whether I end up getting the lead role in War Of The Worlds 2, or pumping gas at the local Conoco, I am and always will be the Ayatollah Of Rock N Rollah, The Highlight Of The Night, The King Of Bling Bling and the Sexy Beast that you all know that I am, junior!!! See you soon…

[James Steele]

PS- I always get asked what my favorite matches are, so I thought about it and here are my top 20 in no particular order…

• July 16, 1993-w/Ultimo Dragon vs Negro Casas and El Dandy-Mexico City, MX
• July 7, 1995-Ultimo Dragon-Tokyo, Japan-IJ Championship
• June 22, 1996-Pitbull #2-Philadelphia, PA-ECW TV Title
• Feb 22, 1998-Juventud Guerrera-San Francisco, CA-Cruiserweight Title vs Mask
• April 17, 2000-HHH-State College, PA-WWF Championship
• July 23, 2000-HHH-Dallas, TX-Last Man Standing
• Jan 21, 2001-Chris Benoit-New Orleans, LA-Ladder Match For The IC Championship
• May 21, 2001-w/Chris Benoit vs HHH and Stone Cold Steve Austin-WWF Tag Team Championship
• May 22, 2001-w/Chris Benoit vs The Dudley Boys vs The Hardy Boys vs Edge and Christian-TLC Match
• Oct 21, 2001-The Rock-St Louis, MO-WCW Championship
• March 1, 2002-The Rock-Yokohama, Japan-WWE Championship
• June 15, 2002-The Rock-Honolulu, HI
• Oct 7, 2002-w/Christian vs Kane vs Bubba and Spike Dudley vs Jeff Hardy and RVD-Las Vegas, NV-TLC Match
• Mar 30, 2003-Shawn Michaels-Seattle, WA-Wrestlemania 19
• Feb 7. 2004-Chris Benoit-Tokyo, Japan
• Oct 19, 2004-Shelton Benjamin-Milwaukee, WI-IC Championship
• Jan 9, 2005-Edge vs Chris Benoit vs HHH vs Randy Orton vs Batista-San Juan, Puerto Rico-Elimination Chamber For The WWE Championship
• April 3, 2005-Edge vs Christian vs Chris Benoit vs Kane vs Shelton Benjamin-Money In The Bank Ladder Match At Wrestlemania 21
• July 2, 2005-Shawn Michaels-Tokyo, Japan
• Aug 21, 2005 John Cena Washington DC WWE Championship

For the record, my favorite opponents in no particular order are Ultimo Dragon, Chris Benoit, The Rock, Christian and Shawn Michaels

[McLegend]

yeah old news, but still pretty cool I guess.

[James Steele]

I just figuered people would be interested in Chris Jericho's own words regarding his "break".

[Shadow]

HE'S GONNA BE BACK BABY!

And why the hell is his fav match that Summerslam one? That shouldn't even be on there.

[Azriel]

I think he should have had a better exit then if he was truly leaving

[Azriel]

Originally Posted by Shadow HE'S GONNA BE BACK BABY! And why the hell is his fav match that Summerslam one? That shouldn't even be on there.

I think because he knew it was his last big match for a while

[Sadistic]

He shouldn't have had his last match with a talentless useless shit like Cena. He could have had a 30 minute epic with Michaels or Benoit or Angle or someone like that. Now THAT would have been a way to go out.

[Shadow]

Originally Posted by Azriel I think he should have had a better exit then if he was truly leaving

Well of course he'd have had a better exit if he was truely leaving. See his leaving of wCw for example.

[McLegend]

The way he left was fine. J

ericho as always acted like a little baby when he was heel.

[Gone Mad]

That was a great read, though I saw parts of it before but still very interesting. I'm just glad he's just taking this break, he needs it and as much as I'm gonna miss J on our TVs, once he returns... it should be worth it. For the meantime, I can't wait to see J on VH1 again and in the movies.

[Loose Cannon]

He's not the only guy to hold every major title

[Volchok]

I think he's talking like every belt, he has held every belt in WWF/E and most in WCW.

[Loose Cannon]

that wouldn't be right eathier cause he never held the US Title and the WWE Lightheavyweight belt.

Angle has held the Euro, Tag, World, IC. and US Belts

[Loose Cannon]

Jericho is a liar

[McLegend]

yeah lightheavyweight was a major title

[Loose Cannon]

I know it's not, but Echo was saying how Jericho was probably saying he's held EVERY belt

[McLegend]

OK

[Volchok]

Meh i'm counting the cruiserweight as the WCW belt and I didn't really watch WCW alot back then so I didn't know he never won the US title...

[Hired Hitman]

WCWA Tag Team titles (2 times);
CRMW Tag Team titles w/Lance Storm 1992;
CRMW title defeating Bif Wellington 1993;
WWA Tag Team title (Mexico), w/ El Dandy 1993;
NWA Middleweight title (as Corazon de Leon) 1993-94;
WAR International Junior Heavyweight title (as Lion Do) 1995;
WAR International Junior Heavyeight Tag Team title (as Lion Do) w/ Gedo 1996;
ECW Television title 1996;
WCW Cruiserweight title 1997-98 (4);
WCW Television title, 1998;
WWF Intercontinental title 1999;
WWF European title, 2000;
WWF Tag Team titles, 2001 w/Benoit;
WWF Tag Team titles, 2001 w/The Rock;
WWF Hardcore title, 2001;
WCW Heavyweight title, 2001;
WWF Tag Team titles, 2002 w/Christian;
WWE Intercontinental title defeated Rob Van Dam (October 27, 2003 - RAW);

Credit-obsessedwithwrestling.com

[Kane Knight]

Jericho will be going to TNA? OMG YES!

[Savio]

I didn't read it all is he?

[Corkscrewed]

Good read. I wish him all the best with where he's going, and hopefully, he does come back to enthrall us some more. But if not, he's definitely put himself into the wrestling history books.

At the very least, he's aware that wrestlers shouldn't wait until they're old and stale and people are sick of them before they leave... if even that.

[Lara Emily]

Originally Posted by Loose Cannon that wouldn't be right eathier cause he never held the US Title and the WWE Lightheavyweight belt. Angle has held the Euro, Tag, World, IC. and US Belts

WWE Lightheavyweight combined with the WCW Crusierweight to become the WWE Cruiserweight, which Jericho held that (obviously) in WCW.

So neither man has held all the major titles per-say

So only thing Jericho lacks is the US Belt (which for some reason they've decided as the lineage of the WCW US Title, *shrugs*)


Angle lacks any Crusier title which obviously he could never win anyway.

[Jonster]

I’m a member of the WWE family for the rest of my life…just like the mafia…

The way that's worded it sounds like he's in the mafia as well.

[Kane Knight]

He is. That's why the song says "Don't you wish you were me...A respectable legitimate businessman with no criminal aimings on the side..."

[Pepsi Man]

Originally Posted by Lara Emily WWE Lightheavyweight combined with the WCW Crusierweight to become the WWE Cruiserweight, which Jericho held that (obviously) in WCW. So neither man has held all the major titles per-say So only thing Jericho lacks is the US Belt (which for some reason they've decided as the lineage of the WCW US Title, *shrugs*) Angle lacks any Crusier title which obviously he could never win anyway.

One could argue that for a time, the Intercontinental Title had been merged with the US Title, he held both of those by default, via his 2002 Intercontinental Title reign.

[Kane Knight]

We're getting off topic.

JERICHO IS GOING TO TNA!

[Pepsi Man]

Originally Posted by Kane Knight We're getting off topic. JERICHO IS GOING TO TNA!

Point taken. My apologies.

[Kane Knight]

[mrslackalack]

Add some WCW matches in there and his favorite matches would be a must-buy DVD.

[Kane Knight]

Originally Posted by Pepsi Man Point taken. My apologies.

And don't mind Lara. She's so anal she outfags an all-male orgy.