AEW superstar and former world champion Chris Jericho recently spoke with Inside The Ropes, where The Wizard discussed a number of pro-wrestling-related topics, including why he’s waiting until he returns to NJPW to have matches with the likes of Will Ospreay and Minoru Suzuki. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
Explains why he’s saving matches with Minoru Suzuki and Will Ospreay for his return to Japan:
“Well, I mean, the thing is, I headlined three Tokyo Domes in a row. With Kenny in 2018, Naito in 2019, and Tanahashi in 2020. So there was a lot of revenue and a lot of money and a lot of tickets sold with Chris Jericho in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and a lot of momentum,” Jericho said. “Of course, obviously, the pandemic happened which shut everything down. I think there’s still a lot more money to be made in Japan. I think Suzuki and Jericho in Japan means a lot more than Suzuki and Jericho does in the States because Minoru has worked with a lot of guys, you know, I think Minoru worked with like, I don’t know, Joey Janela or whatever the states, which is great. It’s not a Tokyo Dome level match. So there’s a couple of matches I want to keep for Japan will Ospreay is another one.”
Says he didn’t compete in a singles-bout at Forbidden Door because he had to keep up the momentum for Blood & Guts:
“So for me to be on Forbidden Door, the issue for me is not just the matches that I could do at the Tokyo Dome, but the fact that we have Blood & Guts three days later in Detroit. So anything that I do on the Forbidden Door has to relate to Blood & Guts, it has to be the next step in the story to the promotion of Blood & Guts, or it’s counterproductive. We’re going to have to promote both Forbidden Door and Blood & Guts, because it’s the go-home show for both. So for me on Forbidden Door, I have to do something that continues the momentum to Blood & Guts. If I just randomly faced Minoru Suzuki, will we tear the house down? Of course. But how does that connect to what we’re doing just three days later?”
(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)