Chris Jericho Responds To Neville's Rumored WWE Exit
Neville's status with the WWE is still up in the air, and many are wondering if he's truly done with the company. During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, Chris Jericho weighed in on the situation.
As reported last week, Neville no-showed from Monday Night RAW and forced the WWE to alter its plans for the cruiserweight division. Sources claimed that Neville asked for his release from the company with hopes of making a name for himself on the independent circuit. Jericho said he's not surprised that a superstar as talented as Neville would seek other opportunities, and he also compared Neville to one of his past rivals.
"It doesn't surprise me because I think a guy like Neville, whenever I worked with him we had great matches," Jericho said. "He reminds me a lot, actually, of working with Chris Benoit in that he's very hard-hitting, he's very solid, very graceful and not stiff in the least, just a really innovative, smart worker. I think he wasn't really getting his shot in the WWE, and the cruiserweight thing is fine but let's be honest, it is what it is. I think there's a lot higher potential for a guy like Neville in the ring and also the character."
Jericho said he believes Neville has the potential to be just as big as any independent wrestler. Wrestlers like Cody Rhodes have shown that it is possible to become a bigger superstar outside of the WWE.
"If he left you know that he's gonna be one of those guys like Cody Rhodes, guys like the Young Bucks and Will Ospreay and Marty Scurll that are making a choice not to be in WWE and proving that it's not the be-all, end-all if you're not there," Jericho said. "Look at Tommy (Dreamer) with House Of Hardcore, very successful outside of the reins of the WWE."
Leaving the WWE is not a decision anyone would make on the spur of the moment, so Jericho knows Neville put a lot of thought into his choice to seek greener pastures elsewhere. But Jericho believes that Neville has the potential to be very successful wherever he ends up.
"It's a big step, it's like walking off the side of a building and being told that there's a net at the bottom, but you can't see it," Jericho said. "So you don't know for sure if he's making the right decision as of right now. But talent-wise, character-wise and intelligence-wise, he's got all three of those things. So he's not making this decision lightly, and I think wherever he ends up he'll be probably a bigger star than he was before just by getting a bigger opportunity."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Busted Open with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. Busted Open with hosts Dave Lagreca, Bully Ray & Larry Dallas can be heard weekdays from 2p-4p Eastern Time only on SiriusXM Rush Channel 93 and is available any time on demand on the SiriusXM App.
Source: Busted Open Radio