IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho shocked the wrestling world when, despite being booked for a Fozzy show, the future hall of famer showed up at All In dressed as Pentagon to attack familiar NJPW foe Kenny Omega.
Jericho previously stated that he would never work an independent wrestling show on U.S. soil out of respect for Vince McMahon.
Jericho explains his change of heart on the latest edition of Talk is Jericho:
“Months ago when ALL IN was announced, Cody called me and said, ‘Do you want to be involved?’ And I said, ‘No, I’m not really wanting to work any shows in the states that aren’t WWE shows. For various reasons. I just didn’t feel it was where I was at career-wise. So I told him I appreciated the offer, but I’m not gonna do it. I also got asked to do Long Beach and those New Japan and all that other stuff as well, so that was kind of the thing.
But over the course of the last few months, my mindset’s kind of changed a bit to where I’m enjoying being a part of this kind-of new revolution of wrestling that’s going on… So I just thought, well, you know, I’ll consider it, but the idea has to be right. So Cody called me again and originally asked me if I wanted to be Burnard the Bear. I guess sometimes people will take off the bear mask and… so the idea was maybe do something in the main event where The Bucks come down with Burnard the Bear or something and then I attack Kota Ibushi, obviously Kenny’s partner in The Golden Lovers. I was like, ‘Why don’t I attack Kenny?’ It was like, well, it’s not really an angle match and whatever – we just couldn’t figure it out, it’s like, ‘Nah, I’m not really interested in it.’
And then Cody called me again and I was like, started thinking, ‘I wonder if I could make this work?’ And we started kicking around some ideas and the idea was, ‘Well what if I can come in earlier in the show and attack Kenny?’ Cause that’s the idea of kind of keeping this angle alive from the Tokyo Dome to the cruise and maybe elsewhere. And I just thought, ‘What a great way of kind-of last minute promotion for the cruise?’ “
(h/t to Cageside Seats for the transcription)
Readers interested in listening to Talk is Jericho in its entirety may do so HERE.
RELATED: Backstage Photos Of Chris Jericho Dressed As Pentagon At All In
Chris Jericho v Naito
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Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
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Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
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Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
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Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
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Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
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Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
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Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
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Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
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Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
-
Chris Jericho v Naito
Naito defends his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho at NJPW's Dominion 6.9 from Osaka Hall on June 9, 2018
Photo Credit: TV Asahi/NJPW/AXS TV
