Of steel chairs and heavy mettle
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Friday, November 16, 2007

As a regular feature, StarPhoenix sports reporter Cory Wolfe gets personal with a sports figure. Today, WWE wrestler Chris Jericho gets cornered. His debut book, A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex, reached the New York Times bestseller list.

The SP: You write about ticking off NHL enforcer Dave Semenko when you shared a flight with the Oilers in the early 1990s. You called him "Cementhead" in your book, but would you call him that to his face?

Jericho: Now I probably would if I was surrounded by other people. If it was just me and him, I'd call him Mr. Semenko.

The SP: Complete this statement. "If I could occupy the body of any wrestler for one match, I would choose _________."

Jericho: Stacy Keibler, just to see what it's like to have an ass like that.

The SP: (Laughs) OK. Name a wrestler you wish you could have worked with.

Jericho: Owen Hart. For me, he was the link between a kid who wanted to be a wrestler and a guy who thought he could actually do it. He was in Calgary and he was kind of my size. That was the first time I really realized I could actually do this. It wasn't just something I saw on TV from a faraway land like Los Angeles or New York -- places that I didn't really know how to get to. I could go to Calgary on a bus and Owen was a guy who was my size and not 6-foot-8.

The SP: What was the most thrilling moment of your debut at Madison Square Garden, where your father, Ted Irvine, played with the New York Rangers?

Jericho: It was actually a less-than-auspicious debut because my debut there was to do an interview on one of the live events, non-televised. As I was talking into the mic, the mic kept cutting out. Literally, it was like, "Hello, everybody! . . . depp . . . baa . . . sha . . . jip . . . baa . . ." It was the worst debut ever.

The SP: Other than a wrestling belt, which sports championship do you covet?

Jericho: The Stanley Cup. I got a chance to hold it one time at the NHL awards in a closet by myself. I held it above my head like I was (Mark) Messier skating down the ice in '94 with the Rangers. It was really heavy. I was really surprised.

The SP: You held it over your head without winning it? Isn't that sacrilege?

Jericho: I'm not a hockey player, so it's OK. My dad, for example, will never touch the Cup because he never won it; he didn't earn it. I'm not a hockey player, so I'll do what I want with it.

The SP: Name a wrestler you admired when you were a child, but disliked when you became an adult.

Jericho: I like everybody, man. I know that's not the answer you want to hear, but I can't really answer that question. There wasn't anybody I respected as a kid that I didn't end up respecting as an adult.

The SP: If you were in charge of casting for Star Wars and could use only wrestlers, who plays the key roles?

Jericho: Kane plays Darth Vader. The Great Khali plays Chewbacca. Brian Kendrick would be Luke Skywalker. I would be Han Solo, of course.

The SP: Of course.

Jericho: Yes, of course. Big Viscera would be Jabba the Hutt. Candice Michelle would be Princess Leia.

The SP: That's pretty solid. You've covered the basics. Which movie role would you like to live?

Jericho: I know who I'd like to play me in a movie -- the fat kid from Superbad. I think that would rule.

The SP: For a guy who refers to himself as "a sexy beast," that's an interesting choice.

Jericho: Totally, but that guy IS a sexy beast.

The SP: (Laughs) Name three things, other than a wrestler, that you wanted to be when you grew up.

Jericho: Rock star.

The SP: You are a rock star (with the band Fozzy), so put a check beside that one.

Jericho: I also wanted to be a hockey player and a master spelunker.

The SP: Yes, many children in Canada aspire to be spelunkers.

Jericho: (Laughs) Yes, many do. Stalactites and stalagmites . . . ah, what a rush.

The SP: Suppose you were working for Tourism Winnipeg. Give three reasons why a person should move to your hometown.

Jericho: D-Jay's Pizza is the best pizza place in the world. It's in St. James. And no matter how many years it's been, Winnipeg will always be the home of the Jets. And No. 3, good muffins.

The SP: You're talking just in general? City-wide?

Jericho: Yup, city-wide. Grandmas making them . . . kids . . . shops. Muffins are very good in Winnipeg.

The SP: For the layman, describe how it feels to take a chair to the back of the head.

Jericho: My favourite question is when someone asks, "So what are those steel chairs made out of?" Uh, they're made out of steel, you idiot. That's why they're called steel chairs. That pretty much answers your question. It's the one thing in wrestling that is 100 per cent legitimate. That is a steel chair and it hurts when you get hit with it.

The SP: No doubt. What's the dumbest money you've ever spent?

Jericho: I spent $5,000 on a Paul McCartney 1967 Hoffner bass. It was an original. But since I bought it, I think I've played it twice. It looks cool, though.

The SP: You return to Raw on Monday?

Jericho: That's the rumour. If you follow the clues, that seems to be what people are thinking. Expect many surprises and nuggets of joy.

cwolfe@sp.canwest.com


Thanks to: Saskatoon StarPhoenix.