Chris Jericho is set to defend his Ring of Honor World Championship Friday in NYC ... and the self-proclaimed "King of New York" tells TMZ Sports he is prepared to go all out in his main event match against Matt Cardona!!
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00:00I'm excited.
00:03It's been great to be in New York City for basically the better part of the week and
00:06actually feel the vibe here.
00:08I feel like Macaulay Culkin and Home Alone 2 kind of lost in New York, enjoying all the
00:15sights and services that are here in the city and it's going to be a great way to kick off
00:20three nights at Hammerstein with Final Battle tomorrow night.
00:24So it's a rock and roll party for sure.
00:28It's a fun time, obviously Christmas time in New York City is a great time to be in
00:32the city.
00:33You're obviously a guy, Chris, and maybe people don't know this, but you've got a million
00:37connections from living there as a kid to your dad with the Ranger.
00:42You have so many connections to New York City.
00:45I see Cardona saying that he's kind of the New York City guy here.
00:49What's it like fighting back home?
00:51Well, we have fun with this because the whole weekend is based in New York.
00:57So I started with the King of New York persona, which is a lot of fun because obviously I
01:03do have a lot of connections to New York, but I've never once really claimed to be from
01:08here because I'm not really, other than actually birthright wise.
01:12But you know, we're treating this as a very special weekend of shows.
01:15So there's a lot of local focus on it with the King of New York being one of those focuses
01:22and me going to buy as much New York merch as I could, you know, because I'm the King
01:27of New York wearing things and doing things that no actual New Yorker would ever do.
01:33But that's wrestling.
01:34And the idea is just to create the biggest buzz for the match that we can and create
01:38the most anticipation for the match that we can.
01:42And I think we've done a great job of that.
01:43I know that all three of the shows are fairly sold out, almost sold out, a few tickets available
01:49here and there, but that's what you want.
01:51And that's kind of what we're doing.
01:53So it's all about creating a fun environment and a fun match for people to look forward
01:57to this weekend.
01:58Chris, do you ever think about it?
02:01Do you feel like to me, like you're like, you know, like the Kansas City Chiefs or whoever
02:05the, you know, the Lakers with LeBron, that you're always going to get your opponent's
02:09best because you're a legend and people want to perform against you.
02:15How about that aspect of this, that this is probably Matt Cardona's biggest match of his
02:19career.
02:20It's important to him as it's important to you, of course, too, but, you know, you're
02:25the guy.
02:26How about that aspect?
02:27Well, I mean, there is a lot to that, but it works both ways.
02:31You know, when you've been doing this for a long time at the level that I have, there's
02:36pressure on both sides.
02:37Obviously Matt Cardona wants to do well against Chris Jericho, but Chris Jericho wants to
02:42do well against Matt Cardona also.
02:45So you know, I always put a lot of pressure on myself as well, because if you're going
02:49to continue to do this, uh, be in the wrestling business, you have to be at the highest of
02:54levels because there's so many other guys that are, that are waiting their opportunity.
02:58So to be the ring of honor champion, um, here for the second time and be the nine time world
03:04champion, there's still a lot of targets on my back too, and a lot of reputation that
03:09I want to withhold and hold up to.
03:11So I was really excited about this match when it first came to be, because I've never worked
03:16with Matt Cardona and, um, basically never worked in Hammerstein ballroom.
03:21I did 20 years ago, but I don't really remember it.
03:24So it's a first on both accounts for me.
03:27And um, you know, like I said, there's a lot of pressure, but in a good way and we want
03:32to make sure to deliver something special on a very special night here in New York city
03:36for final battle, a ring of honor.
03:38So, uh, all of the, the die has been cast and you know, this is your mission if you
03:44choose to accept it.
03:46And I think both of us are accepting it in a very big way.
03:49So, um, it's, it's going to be, you know, it's, it's going to be a really exciting night
03:54tomorrow with a lot at stake.
03:57You mentioned the nine championships, what, what is left to accomplish, Chris, what, what
04:03is the goal that you have for yourself here as you've accomplished everything in this
04:07sport?
04:08I mean, it's just to continue to do memorable things, you know, and, and to, to create new
04:16memories for people and continue to, to, to evolve in, in this business that I, that I've
04:24been in love with since I was a teenager.
04:25So if you're looking at facts and figures, there's really nothing left to accomplish
04:30for me.
04:31Um, if you're looking for just continue to enjoy what I'm doing and, and, and create,
04:35like I said, cool moments for people to, to remember and cheer for, or boo for whatever
04:40it may be.
04:41Um, that's basically what I have left to accomplish.
04:43And that's on a, on a nightly basis, um, you know, cause I don't take anything lightly
04:48and I don't phone anything in or half ass anything.
04:51So anytime I accept, like I said earlier, if this is your mission, if you choose to
04:55accept it, well, you better give a thousand percent cause that's what people are paying
04:59their hard earned money for, especially before Christmas, you want to give them, you know,
05:03an early Christmas present and a show that they can remember knowing that just in a couple
05:08of days, they're going to have to spend more money for other gifts or whatever it may be.
05:12So there's so much to do in this day and age, and there's so many ways for people to get
05:17entertainment that when they choose us, we want to make sure that they leave very, very
05:22happy.
05:23And that's always been my goal.
05:24Yeah.
05:25What can a fan expect out of the show tomorrow and specifically out of your match with Matt
05:30Chris?
05:32Well, once again, I mean, ring of honor was always known for a certain high impact style
05:36of wrestling, but that's kind of the way wrestling is gone.
05:38I mean, AEW does it, uh, on a, on a finite basis as well.
05:42So once again, I think that what they can look forward to in our matches is a really
05:46well put together story, uh, that created a lot of anticipation and buzz for this.
05:53And um, you know, we, we know what's at stake.
05:55It's a title match going on, you know, in the main event in a very hot crowd, as we
06:02call it, it's going to be a very loud and energetic crowd.
06:05So all of the, all of the elements are there.
06:09It's just us to kind of go out there and deliver.
06:11So I'm looking forward to it.
06:12It's going to be, like I said, it's going to be a special night, uh, just from an atmospheric
06:16standpoint.
06:17I feel that people are just going to be going crazy and it's going to be very, very loud
06:21in there.
06:22So that's always something that drives you to, to, to, to do more and do better.
06:26We mentioned AEW a minute or two ago, Chris, uh, I know big news here with, uh, you know,
06:32starting first day of the new year, I believe it is, which is obviously now what, like 11,
06:3612 days away or so only, uh, the move to, to max and how, uh, how, how big that is you've
06:42been with AEW since the beginning, you've watched the promotion grow.
06:45How about, uh, how about max?
06:49I mean, it's very exciting.
06:50It's the first time ever that a streaming platform is simulcast with a wrestling company
06:55on a weekly basis, biweekly basis in our case with, with dynamite on TBS and a collision
07:00on TNT.
07:01So it's just the next huge step in the growth of, of AEW.
07:07And just to show, you know, how, how far we've come in a very short time.
07:10I mean, I can't think of another, you know, corporation that's worth, you know, $2 billion.
07:16I believe is what they said.
07:17It was worth, that was able to accomplish that in, in, in five years.
07:22And that I think is something that gets lost in the shuffle.
07:25Sometimes, um, imagine where we'll be in 10 years, imagine we'll be in 15 years, but for
07:29right now, this is kind of the next step.
07:31I feel this is kind of the end of era one here in, in AW and we're heading, you know,
07:37headlong with both feet into, into era two, which is this simulcast, which is going to,
07:44you know, double, triple our, our viewers who knows, I mean, there's once again, the
07:49more ways you can get people to see your product, the better it is.
07:52And I can't think of a better way than to be on max as of January 1st.
07:56It was a heck of a first era.
07:58Last thing.
07:59If Matt Cardona is watching this right now, what's the message to him?
08:03Listen, once again, much respect to Matt Cardona.
08:06He's done something that I've kind of perfected in, in reinventing himself and evolving.
08:12And listen, man, this is your biggest opportunity, uh, win, lose or draw.
08:16I think this is the biggest stage he's been on in a long time and I'm expecting a great
08:22match from him, but you know, he knows what to expect from me, which is one of the greatest
08:26of all time as the world champion in the main event.
08:30That's a motivated Chris Jericho.
08:31That's a dangerous Chris Jericho.
08:33And I think I'm a little bit crazier now than I've ever been.
08:36So all bets are off Matt.
08:38I think, uh, I think once this match is done, I know you're going to be feeling it and I
08:41expect the same from you.
08:42So bring it on, kid.
08:43Let's go.
08:44Let's do this.