IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho has had an unforgettable run thus far in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The former WWE champion’s career has been invigorated since showing up to the independent promotion and on Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard, Jericho discusses his time in New Japan and the differences between that promotion WWE.
Check out the highlights below:
On his character in WWE vs his character in Japan:
“The New Japan Jericho is not WWE’s Jericho,” said Y2J.
“This, once again, distances those two characters from each other, which is exactly the way I want it.
“I’m always about reinventing myself, evolving and changing. That helps you stay current, helps build your brand, and gives you longevity.”
On his return to Japan and NJPW:
“We did the original beatdown with Kenny and got some blood going, which you never see in the WWE nowadays, and we did the press conference where I was swearing and attacking reporters. You can’t do that in WWE, but you can in Japan. Just to have those shackles released, it just felt like all of these things led to more of a Bruiser Brody character than a Shawn Michaels-type vibe.”
Read the full interview on
Sports Ilustrated.