Dangerous Incorporated
11-16-2007, 07:02 AM
- Below is a full transcript of the Chris Jericho interview from WWE Magazine's Holiday 2007 issue that officially comes out next Tuesday.
CHRIS JERICHO INTERVIEW FROM WWE MAGAZINE, HOLIDAY 2007 ISSUE
Q: "What was going through your mind when you stepped away from WWE in August 2005?"
A: "I was just mentally burned out after wrestling for 125 years straight. I felt I didn't have the extra spark or push. If you want to be in this business and continue to compete at a top level, you need 100-percent mental commitment. If you don't, you can get hurt, or worse, hurt somebody else. My contract was up and I was able to leave on good terms, which is rare. There were a lot of other projects I wanted to work on, so I thought it would be a good time to step back from wrestling. And I needed to spend a little more time at home with my family, because in July 2006 we had twin daughters.”
Q: “At what point did you start feeling that itch to return to the ring?”
A: “I really wasn’t feeling an itch. When I was done, I was done. I didn’t watch wrestling for a while. I was just really fried. I didn’t have any animosity. If you love pizza and you eat an entire pizza, then you don’t want to look at one for a while. I wrote a book, and without trying to be too sappy, it helped me find myself. I realized that as a kid I had this dream to become a wrestler and I was able to succeed in my dream at a very high level. How many people get to do that? I remembered how much I loved wrestling. I just needed time to reignite that passion.”
Q: “When did you start watching WWE again?”
A: “A year ago. I always followed it and read the reports on the ‘Net. But watching it? I just wasn’t interested. I had to take a step back and chill. I watched John Cena and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 23 and that was good. But what they did in the hour-long match on Raw [ April 23, 2007 ], that’s when I started thinking, “Holy smokes, I love wrestling!” I e-mailed Vince and J.R. to tell them that that was a match, and that was why I watch wrestling.”
Q: “Did you keep in touch with many former colleagues during the hiatus?”
A: “Wrestling is like going to war. You’re with these guys every day, you travel with them, you fight with them and against them, in the ring and out of the ring. But when you’re done and leave, you don’t keep in touch. It doesn’t mean that you feel any animosity toward them. Ten years can go by, and then you see these guys, and it’s like a day hasn’t passed.”
Q: “Did you have “first day of school” jitters regarding your return?”
A: “Two years away from wrestling is a lifetime, it’s like dog years. I don’t even know a lot of the guys in the locker room, even though I know of them. For better or worse, though, I have 15 years of world wide experience working with just about everybody. So I think I’m going to return the same way I left. I have confidence in my abilities. I want to help guys and I also want help from guys. I’m definitely not nervous, but some of those guys should be nervous to meet me for the first time... because the pleasure will definitely be theirs.”
Q: “Are there any Superstars on the roster you’re especially looking forward to taking on?”
A: “I love wrestling John Cena, and our last two matches were two of my best and two of his best. I’ve still got some unfinished business with Triple H and Shawn Michaels. I’ve yet to have a singles match with the Undertaker, which is a rare thing. I’d like to take him and teach him a few lessons. A lot of these new guys need to get experience, but they’re doing really well. I’ll still slap them down like schoolchildren. I think Mr. Kennedy deserves a little bit of a beating. He’s cocky, MVP, too.”
Q: “How did you work off all the ring rust?”
A: “I’ve been working out for the last six months with a personal trainer, which I’ve never done before. Physically, I’m fine, but ring rust is different. So I went to Calgary, to Lance Storm’s wrestling school. I started from scratch and did the drills that all the students perform. I thought that was a poetic thing, to go back to where I started with the guys I started with. But being in the ring after two years was killer. It gave me a headache. Time off makes you lose your calluses. But at the end of the week, I felt I could have a five-star match with anyone. It was a confidence-building thing. Like riding a bike, once I started doing it again, it all came back to me.”
Q: "Does this mean we'll see exactly the same Y2J in the ring?"
A: "I have a new finisher and a couple new moves and ideas. Wrestling is all mental for me. I wanted to come back fresh and better than ever. I'll us the Walls of Jericho. I'm like AC/DC putting on a new record. I'll play three new songs as well as all the old hits you know and love. Actually, I have pages and pages of stuff that I might use."
Q: "Once upon a time, you claimed to be the Man of 1,004 holds. And now?"
A: "It's gone down to about 67. I've forgotten more holds than most men remember."
Q: “What’s with the new sensible haircut?”
A: “I wouldn’t’ say it’s sensible. It’s as much of a rock ‘n’ roll haircut these days as anything. Look at James Hetfield. Or Bruce Dickinson, who had short hair, and is the greatest singer of all time. So if it’s good enough for him... I’ve always considered myself the Madonna of sports-entertainment. I may not walk around in corsets and coo and purr, but I’m constantly changing my look, my hair, my costume - whether it’s a new ponytail or beard or long beard or no beard or whiskers or whatever. If I see a picture of myself from two or three years ago and I look the same, then I know there’s something wrong. I learned a long time ago from Jimmy Hart, “This is the business baby, this is the business.” A friend of mine asked if I was going to get hair extensions when I got back. Hell no.”
Q: “By the way, we have to ask: what happened on Celebrity Duets? We thought you were the Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla.”
A: “Duets obviously didn’t work out the way I wanted it to. But sometimes you have to deal with the hand you’re given. I had to sing a Willie nelson country song, which is definitely out of my comfort zone. But it was an experience I would have regretted passing u. I had so much fun. I got to hang out with Little Richard. Anyone who knows me knows that The Beatles are my favorite band. Paul McCartney got into The Beatles because he could sing like Little Richard for hours on end and we jammed one time on a little blues thing. Yeah, I was the first kicked off, but I got to sing a song with Little Richard, and it rocked.”
Q: “What advice did some of the other celebs give you?”
A: “I saw Smokey Robinson backstage, and he was sucking on some lemons. I asked him, “Is that good for your voice?” He said, “No man, I just like lemons.” It sucked being the first kicked off, but the ratings went from about eight million to four million after I left.”
Q: “You also just released a new book, A lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex. How hard was it to sit down and put the last 15 years of your life on paper?”
A: “I have a journalism degree, and I always wanted to write a book. A week after I left WWE, I got an agent, and soon after that, a book deal. I wanted to write it myself, I just didn’t realize how hard the process would be. So I hared a collaborator, who was king of like a producer I could bounce ideas off of. But I wrote every word in that book. It took me 18 months. I’m a bit of a control freak, so I also picked all of the pictures, captions, the inner sleeve, outer sleeve, back cover quotes, I even swept up under the table and cleaned the toilets of the publishing office. Whatever was needed.”
Q: “Autobiographies can be long winded. How did you avoid putting readers to sleep?”
A: “I approached the book like a TV writer would approach an episode of Family Guy, adding in a lot of quick pop culture references. I think reading the book is a lot like watching This is Spinal Tap; after the second, third and fourth readings, you pick up on things you might have missed the first time. Subtle comedy is the best.”
Q: “Did you consult fellow author Mick Foley for a few editing tips?”
A: “I sent Mick an early draft, and he went over it with me line by line. Literally line by line. I had him on the phone for eight hours. Mick had a lot of insight - things I didn’t see. There were a couple times in the early drafts where I was coming across as egotistical, and Mick helped me with that, because that’s not me.”
Q: “Lastly , fans want to know.. how the hell do you plan on topping yourself this go-round?”
A: “That’s like asking Axl Rose to top Appetite for Destruction. He can’t. All he can do is get Chinese Democracy done and make it as good as he can. If you’re obsessed with topping your past work it ain’t going to happen.”
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CHRIS JERICHO INTERVIEW FROM WWE MAGAZINE, HOLIDAY 2007 ISSUE
Q: "What was going through your mind when you stepped away from WWE in August 2005?"
A: "I was just mentally burned out after wrestling for 125 years straight. I felt I didn't have the extra spark or push. If you want to be in this business and continue to compete at a top level, you need 100-percent mental commitment. If you don't, you can get hurt, or worse, hurt somebody else. My contract was up and I was able to leave on good terms, which is rare. There were a lot of other projects I wanted to work on, so I thought it would be a good time to step back from wrestling. And I needed to spend a little more time at home with my family, because in July 2006 we had twin daughters.”
Q: “At what point did you start feeling that itch to return to the ring?”
A: “I really wasn’t feeling an itch. When I was done, I was done. I didn’t watch wrestling for a while. I was just really fried. I didn’t have any animosity. If you love pizza and you eat an entire pizza, then you don’t want to look at one for a while. I wrote a book, and without trying to be too sappy, it helped me find myself. I realized that as a kid I had this dream to become a wrestler and I was able to succeed in my dream at a very high level. How many people get to do that? I remembered how much I loved wrestling. I just needed time to reignite that passion.”
Q: “When did you start watching WWE again?”
A: “A year ago. I always followed it and read the reports on the ‘Net. But watching it? I just wasn’t interested. I had to take a step back and chill. I watched John Cena and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 23 and that was good. But what they did in the hour-long match on Raw [ April 23, 2007 ], that’s when I started thinking, “Holy smokes, I love wrestling!” I e-mailed Vince and J.R. to tell them that that was a match, and that was why I watch wrestling.”
Q: “Did you keep in touch with many former colleagues during the hiatus?”
A: “Wrestling is like going to war. You’re with these guys every day, you travel with them, you fight with them and against them, in the ring and out of the ring. But when you’re done and leave, you don’t keep in touch. It doesn’t mean that you feel any animosity toward them. Ten years can go by, and then you see these guys, and it’s like a day hasn’t passed.”
Q: “Did you have “first day of school” jitters regarding your return?”
A: “Two years away from wrestling is a lifetime, it’s like dog years. I don’t even know a lot of the guys in the locker room, even though I know of them. For better or worse, though, I have 15 years of world wide experience working with just about everybody. So I think I’m going to return the same way I left. I have confidence in my abilities. I want to help guys and I also want help from guys. I’m definitely not nervous, but some of those guys should be nervous to meet me for the first time... because the pleasure will definitely be theirs.”
Q: “Are there any Superstars on the roster you’re especially looking forward to taking on?”
A: “I love wrestling John Cena, and our last two matches were two of my best and two of his best. I’ve still got some unfinished business with Triple H and Shawn Michaels. I’ve yet to have a singles match with the Undertaker, which is a rare thing. I’d like to take him and teach him a few lessons. A lot of these new guys need to get experience, but they’re doing really well. I’ll still slap them down like schoolchildren. I think Mr. Kennedy deserves a little bit of a beating. He’s cocky, MVP, too.”
Q: “How did you work off all the ring rust?”
A: “I’ve been working out for the last six months with a personal trainer, which I’ve never done before. Physically, I’m fine, but ring rust is different. So I went to Calgary, to Lance Storm’s wrestling school. I started from scratch and did the drills that all the students perform. I thought that was a poetic thing, to go back to where I started with the guys I started with. But being in the ring after two years was killer. It gave me a headache. Time off makes you lose your calluses. But at the end of the week, I felt I could have a five-star match with anyone. It was a confidence-building thing. Like riding a bike, once I started doing it again, it all came back to me.”
Q: "Does this mean we'll see exactly the same Y2J in the ring?"
A: "I have a new finisher and a couple new moves and ideas. Wrestling is all mental for me. I wanted to come back fresh and better than ever. I'll us the Walls of Jericho. I'm like AC/DC putting on a new record. I'll play three new songs as well as all the old hits you know and love. Actually, I have pages and pages of stuff that I might use."
Q: "Once upon a time, you claimed to be the Man of 1,004 holds. And now?"
A: "It's gone down to about 67. I've forgotten more holds than most men remember."
Q: “What’s with the new sensible haircut?”
A: “I wouldn’t’ say it’s sensible. It’s as much of a rock ‘n’ roll haircut these days as anything. Look at James Hetfield. Or Bruce Dickinson, who had short hair, and is the greatest singer of all time. So if it’s good enough for him... I’ve always considered myself the Madonna of sports-entertainment. I may not walk around in corsets and coo and purr, but I’m constantly changing my look, my hair, my costume - whether it’s a new ponytail or beard or long beard or no beard or whiskers or whatever. If I see a picture of myself from two or three years ago and I look the same, then I know there’s something wrong. I learned a long time ago from Jimmy Hart, “This is the business baby, this is the business.” A friend of mine asked if I was going to get hair extensions when I got back. Hell no.”
Q: “By the way, we have to ask: what happened on Celebrity Duets? We thought you were the Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla.”
A: “Duets obviously didn’t work out the way I wanted it to. But sometimes you have to deal with the hand you’re given. I had to sing a Willie nelson country song, which is definitely out of my comfort zone. But it was an experience I would have regretted passing u. I had so much fun. I got to hang out with Little Richard. Anyone who knows me knows that The Beatles are my favorite band. Paul McCartney got into The Beatles because he could sing like Little Richard for hours on end and we jammed one time on a little blues thing. Yeah, I was the first kicked off, but I got to sing a song with Little Richard, and it rocked.”
Q: “What advice did some of the other celebs give you?”
A: “I saw Smokey Robinson backstage, and he was sucking on some lemons. I asked him, “Is that good for your voice?” He said, “No man, I just like lemons.” It sucked being the first kicked off, but the ratings went from about eight million to four million after I left.”
Q: “You also just released a new book, A lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex. How hard was it to sit down and put the last 15 years of your life on paper?”
A: “I have a journalism degree, and I always wanted to write a book. A week after I left WWE, I got an agent, and soon after that, a book deal. I wanted to write it myself, I just didn’t realize how hard the process would be. So I hared a collaborator, who was king of like a producer I could bounce ideas off of. But I wrote every word in that book. It took me 18 months. I’m a bit of a control freak, so I also picked all of the pictures, captions, the inner sleeve, outer sleeve, back cover quotes, I even swept up under the table and cleaned the toilets of the publishing office. Whatever was needed.”
Q: “Autobiographies can be long winded. How did you avoid putting readers to sleep?”
A: “I approached the book like a TV writer would approach an episode of Family Guy, adding in a lot of quick pop culture references. I think reading the book is a lot like watching This is Spinal Tap; after the second, third and fourth readings, you pick up on things you might have missed the first time. Subtle comedy is the best.”
Q: “Did you consult fellow author Mick Foley for a few editing tips?”
A: “I sent Mick an early draft, and he went over it with me line by line. Literally line by line. I had him on the phone for eight hours. Mick had a lot of insight - things I didn’t see. There were a couple times in the early drafts where I was coming across as egotistical, and Mick helped me with that, because that’s not me.”
Q: “Lastly , fans want to know.. how the hell do you plan on topping yourself this go-round?”
A: “That’s like asking Axl Rose to top Appetite for Destruction. He can’t. All he can do is get Chinese Democracy done and make it as good as he can. If you’re obsessed with topping your past work it ain’t going to happen.”
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