AEW superstar and new ROH world champion Chris Jericho recently spoke with GQ about a wide range of topics, including his response to people saying that he is holding younger talent down, how he is the king of reinvention, and how at 51 years old he is still one of the best to ever do it. Highlights from the interview are below.
How he is the king of reinventing himself:
“It was never based around [feeling young again], but the point is it works. Tony Khan, my boss, was the most impressed of all. He even came up with the idea of me talking about the Fountain of Youth [on Dynamite recently]. Listen, I don’t have a problem being known as this king of reinvention, but I put my money where my mouth is. I did reinvent my whole body. Look at Tom Brady, for example, at 45, still being the best. At 51, am I the best? No, but some nights I am. And I’m one of the best every night.”
His response to fans criticizing him for holding young talent down:
“I always say that when I lose a match, [people think] it’s the best match. When I win a match, suddenly it’s 51-year-old Jericho holding down the young guys. And, you know, I don’t mind. I’m 51, I’m not ashamed of it. I’ve had 32 great years. But fuck, man, if I can reinvent myself and maybe have four or five more years wrestling at the highest of levels, why not do it? I don’t have a problem with age, but I do have a problem when you give up. I just saw the Stones in London in July, and Mick Jagger still looks like Mick Jagger. He’s almost 80, but he sings great, he looks great, he moves great. You can still go to a Stones show and feel like you saw the Stones. Obviously I won’t be wrestling when I’m 80, but I never thought I’d be wrestling when I was 51, either—especially at this level. So it’s a real reinvention, not just from a gimmick standpoint, but from a lifestyle standpoint.”