WWE legend Chris Jericho reveals WrestleMania ‘insult’ that forced him to quit WWE
CHRIS JERICHO revealed the ultimate WrestleMania “insult” from Vince McMahon that led to his departure from WWE.
The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla arrived at WWE in the late 1990s and became one of the biggest stars of the Attitude Era.
He was crowned the first-ever undisputed world champion when he beat The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin on the same night.
Jericho stayed with the company for over 15 years before heading off last year to appear on New Japan Pro Wrestling before signing with Tony Khan-backed All Elite Wrestling at the turn of 2019.
Despite being 51, the wrestling legend continues to be one of sport entertainment’s biggest stars, and he became AEW’s first World Champion to add another honour to his hall of fame career.
Jericho’s last run with WWE involved him being in a brilliant storyline with Kevin Owens, who he helped to retain the Universal Title on numerous occasions before KO famously turned on him at the “Festival of Friendship”.
Jericho said: “Probably the best story [at WrestleMania] was Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens.
“We were best friends, and all the dastardly stuff we were doing until he turned on me at ‘The Festival of Friendship.’
"Then, we had this big WrestleMania match - the confrontation.
“Originally, that was going to be the main event for the world title. Kevin Owens was the champion and I was going to beat him in the main event of WrestleMania as a babyface.
“Bill Goldberg and Brock Lesnar had a match, Brock really liked it and wanted to have a rematch.
"He put Goldberg over and they had a rematch, but only if he won the title from Bill Goldberg. That was Brock’s idea so they changed it.
“Vince said that it’s going to be me versus Kevin Owens for the world title at WrestleMania and you are going to win the title, f*** yeah!
"Next week, he doesn’t tell me, but I hear that it’s changed to Brock Lesnar versus Bill Goldberg for the title.
“And not only did they take us out of the main event - and, once again, just because I was told I have no right to it and things change all the time, I’m a big boy, I can handle it.
"But to take us from the main event slot and then move us to the second match on the card on a card that has 12 matches on it? I was like, that’s a f***ing insult.”
Jericho continued: “And I didn’t realise it at the time, but afterward, I guess about three or four weeks later, I was like, wait a second, we were second on the card? It wasn’t even first.
“The first match on the show at a WrestleMania is a very important match, maybe event second only to the main event.
"But to put us on second is an insult and it doesn’t even matter now what I did.
“We had the best storyline of the year but it doesn’t matter, it’s still not going to get me higher on the card to be second on the card at WrestleMania.
“I need to leave; that is how you know. When the time comes when you are put in that spot as an insularity guy?
"Then I went through this whole thing when I went on tour with Fozzy and had the Tokyo Dome match against Kenny Omega.
"This whole new world of creativity opened up and this whole new star power for Chris Jericho, and we drew a lot of money for New Japan at that Dome show.
"And that was how the road to AEW started.”