Chris Jericho Responds To Criticism Over Continuing A WWE Angle With Mike Tyson In AEW
On this past Wednesday's AEW Dynamite, Chris Jericho and Mike Tyson closed out the show with a locker room clearing brawl that could lead to more appearances from Tyson.
Jericho spoke with ESPN about his past experiences with the boxing legend.
"As far as I'm concerned, I've been working with Mike for ten years," Jericho said. "Probably seen each other half a dozen times and appeared on camera four or five of those. I know Mike. I think when the idea came for him to be involved with us at AEW, the natural pairing was with Chris Jericho.
"I know what to expect. A guy like him, he's a firecracker, man. He's a loose cannon as an entertainer, as a performer. You don't give Mike Tyson a script. You don't rehearse something with Mike Tyson. You just go out there. He's gonna do whatever the f— he wants to do no matter what. And that's cool. I have 30 years of being in the ring and I can guide that."
It's likely we could see Jericho and Tyson in the ring down the road in some kind of competition, but Jericho himself isn't limiting it to a singles wrestling match.
"Obviously, the idea is to do something more," Jericho stated "That's the thought process, I think between both parties. What that is at this moment, we're thinking and discussing. Look, Chris Jericho versus Mike Tyson in a wrestling match, in a street fight, in a boxing match, would be big. I'm not Mike Tyson. I'm not 1/1,000th of Mike Tyson, but I've been boxing for six years. I know how to box. I could win fights on my own against people of my skill level. So if that's what he wants to do, that works too. Whatever he feels comfortable with, I can make it good. That's what I do for a living. That's what I've been doing for 30 years.
"But to me it's the buildup and the angle and all the things we can do. That's what wrestling is all about ? the storyline. The match is the cherry on top. But it's the build that's really the most entertaining part, and the part that gets people really involved. So whatever it is that we decide to do as we move forward, it'll be great. You have one of the most iconic boxers — and most iconic personalities ? of all time against one of the greatest pro wrestlers and personalities of all time. It writes itself."
On Dynamite, Jericho called out Tyson, still not over getting punched in the face ten years ago on WWE TV. Jericho had teamed up with Tyson to face Shawn Michaels and Triple H, but his tag partner eventually revealed his DX shirt and dropped Jericho to the mat. Jericho was asked about his thoughts on AEW doing a continuation of something that happened in WWE.
"It's a WWE angle?" Jericho questioned. "It's a Chris Jericho angle. I was there. I don't just wash away my entire 19-year history with the WWE. That's ludicrous. Anybody criticizing that this was a WWE angle and we brought it over here ? this is my life. It's my story. Tyson knocked out Chris Jericho. He didn't knock out Chris Jericho and The Rock and Hulk Hogan and Triple H and Kurt Angle. He knocked me out. That's my story. It's like if I write a song and it's a huge hit and I released it on Sony records and then I signed with Warner Bros. and rerecorded the song. It's my song."