In an interview with Busted Open Radio, Chris Jericho discussed the possibility of a WWE return, the next person to become a star in WWE, The Big Show, Shawn Michaels and more.
Highlights of the interview are below:
On a possible Royal Rumble return: “I can post a picture of me and the Pope on Instagram or Twitter and the first three thousand comments will be: ‘When are you coming back to the WWE?’ People are so obsessed with that. My response is that I don’t know. I talked about this the last time I was on the show in New York for Fozzy. I don’t have any plans. Not to say that I won’t but as you can see there are a lot of really cool projects that are going on under the Chris Jericho brand umbrella and I think that just adds to me being an asset to the WWE and spreading my wings as much as I can and gaining the biggest fan base I can. I’m not retired from wrestling, I never said that. The time has to be right and soon eventually it will be right. I came back to the Royal Rumble last year and to come back at the Royal Rumble this year, it would be like: ‘We’ve been there and done that’. I have to see what’s going on and figure out another cool way to make it work when the time is right.
On the next star in WWE: “I think anybody can be the face of the company if the fans dictate it. I think sometimes the powers-that-be may have different opinions but the thing about Daniel Bryan is that his rise is very organic. It happened basically in spite of the way he was getting pushed. I think if I had to pin point a moment that it happened, it was during that eighteen second loss at WrestleMania last year where people were legitimately angry that the company could treat him that way and started to really get behind him as a character. I think when everybody is chanting his name and the guy goes out there as possibly the best wrestler in the world and a great character and a great performer, why not? You need something different to replace the one that’s on top as we saw when they were trying to replace Hulk Hogan for so many years until Bret Hart stepped up. I think he can be the face of the company if they so desired.”
On HBK possibly returning to the ring: “Honestly knowing Shawn (Michaels), I don’t think so. That’s my opinion. He could but you look at the way he went out, in one of the greatest matches of all time at WrestleMania in the main event with this huge reception. The performer of Shawn Michaels caliber and his ego, and I say that in a good way because we all have egos, he is not going to come back for anything for less than that. I don’t think you are going to get anything bigger than that. Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels, in my opinion, were the two greatest matches ever. What can compare to that? My gut feeling says no, of course I don’t know but if you ask me, I’d say no. The reason why Taker and Shawn worked is that you have two guys that are on the same exact level, iconic performers that no one can really touch. Maybe Shawn versus Triple H is something that maybe they would do but I don’t think that’s even big enough. I think that door is closed for Shawn and I think he is happy doing what he is doing and I think that’s the same for Steve Austin. I think he very satisfied with his career, I don’t think he feels the need to comeback. Sometimes it happens. As much as the wrestling fans demand it, sometimes if you feel that you did everything that you wanted to do and you’re happy, then why mess with it.”
On the current Big Show/Authority storyline: “I only know from what I read in the reports. I haven’t had the chance to watch a lot of the shows because I have been busy on the road and I find with the Big Show has been around for so long and has performed at the highest level in some many different angles, in so many different personas, I think he is one of the most taken for granted performers in the history of the WWE. He can do anything, he can have a great match every single night but when he is motivated, he goes to a totally different level. I think all you have to say to Show is that: ‘You are going to be involved in the main event storyline (Randy) Orton and Hunter and I think that’s all that Show needs to turn it up some more. I think that Show at eighty percent is better than eighty percent of the roster. But when he is motivated, there are not a lot of performers that can touch him. I think he is very underrated. I think he is taken for granted by the fans and by the company. If I was going to start my own wrestling company, Big Show would be in the top 5 easily, easily, and easily.”
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