Y2J on Character Change! [Archive] - Universe Of Wrestling Forums

John

08-28-2008, 03:09 PM

-- WWE will be returning to Madison Square Garden for a house show on Sunday, December 28. The pre-sale went on sale earlier today at TicketMaster.com and the code is UNFORGIVEN. It is currently ongoing and runs through Friday.

-- Chris Jericho discussed the overhaul of his character in an interview with the Between the Ropes radio show last night. "My mission was to completely reinvent who Chris Jericho was as a character and what Chris Jericho was as a performer and who Chris Jericho is as a performer," Jericho said. "I've really been concentrating on doing things I've never done before and doing things completely different from before. I think it's part of the heat. People really aren't happy with the fact that I'm serious about no more Y2J... It's getting to the point where when someone calls me that I'm almost insulted by it because I'm so into this whole character that I've created." Jericho also commented on a reality show he will be hosting on Fuse called Redemption Song. "We started last week and it's going great," Jericho said. He noted that the concept of the show involves female singers who screwed up their past chances in the music industry due to drinking and drugs getting a shot at redemption." Jericho comes on roughly an hour into the show. The 10-year anniversary special also features interviews with Jerry Lynn, Brother Devon, and Rob Van Dam. You can listen to the interview at www.BetweenTheRopes.com.
-----------------------------------------------
Source-Rajah.com

JohnCenaFan28

08-28-2008, 05:35 PM

*MORE ON Y2J ON BETWEEN THE ROPES*
On Tuesday night, August 26, Chris Jericho joined hosts Brian Fritz, Dickerman, and Vito DeNucci live on Between The Ropes on ESPN Florida AM 1080 and AM 1060 to discuss his feud with Shawn Michaels, the evolution of his character, his projects outside the ring, and much more.

The interview started out with Chris being asked about his feud with Shawn Michaels. "I remember when I was a kid watching wrestling I think Jake the Snake and Rick Rude had an angle for a whole year, it literally lasted a year. Nowadays, if you can go two months with somebody it's like 'oh my gosh, we got a lot out of that one.' This one has been six months and going with no signs of slowing down. It's hotter now than it ever has been…Definitely it's one of the best, if not this best, angle I've ever been involved with in my entire career." Chris also credited his reinvention of the Chris Jericho character as one of the reasons that the angle has yet to slow down.

On top of his work with WWE Chris discussed his projects outside the ring. Regarding his band Fozzy Chris said that he's working on lyrics for his next album, though neither he nor the rest of the band have time to actually produce it right now. Chris explained that he sees this as a positive since it gives him time to figure out the most effective way to release the album given the ever changing music business.

Chris was then asked whether he finds the politics to be worse in music or wrestling. He said the politics in music were worse for him because he doesn't always know who to talk to, whereas in wrestling he can just go straight to the boss and discuss his issues.

After some talk about the video game Guitar Hero the topic shifted back to his WWE work, specifically the recent evolution of his character. Chris said that he knew when he returned he wanted to do something different, but he wasn't exactly sure what at first. He then talked about the fans taking a little while to get used to the new Jericho, who both looked and acted a bit differently, likening it to the reaction that Metallica got from its fans after cutting their hair for the album Load. "It takes a while for people to get used to a new look, a new image, and a new mindset. When they were getting used to it I changed it up into something completely new and different and not playing the old Y2J character that was very sarcastic and over the top. I wanted to take it all the way down to where if I talk slow and whisper almost the fans are going to have to shut up and listen to what I have to say because I'm in control. I'm in control every night I go into that ring, every night I say something, do something, or wrestle. I'm the one that calls the shots not the fans."

Jericho also specifically discussed one of the most obvious visual evolutions of his character, his wearing of short tights. "It's the first time I've ever worn short tights in 18 years. It's great, I love it because everyone is like 'what are you doing? Why are you wearing short tights?" Chris said that the reason he always wore long tights was because two of his favorites, Shawn Michaels and Owen Hart, wore long tights, so he started doing it and never changed. Chris then recounted this backstage reaction to the new short tights "I think it was Bruce Pritchard, or it might have even been Vince, asked me 'why have you been covering those legs for so long?' It's a very homoerotic sport, two half naked guys greased up and touching each other."

Chris then explained how some of his acting studies have helped his character's recent evolution. "I studied acting while I was gone and its come in so handy and made me so much more relevant now as a performer because I'm playing a character more than I ever have. I'm definitely an actor playing the part of Chris Jericho when I'm out there. It adds so much to the layering and the depth of the mindsets that I have…I honestly feel that this is the best I've ever been on the mic and in the ring as well."

The interview concluded with Jericho hyping his next book which he is currently working on and will come out next October. He said that the subject matter will revolve around what it was like achieving his dream, whether it was worth it, and how he fought to continue living it out.

To listen to the entire Chris Jericho interview, including Christ talking about his new reality show and what he considers his favorite storylines in his career, as well as the entire August 26 edition of Between The Ropes in streaming audio, visit the show online at http://www.BetweenTheRopes.com.

Source: WNW