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One of the major perks of wrestling for AEW is the ability to work outside the company. While some have taken advantage of this to pursue opportunities like Twitch streaming, acting, and touring the independent circuit, WWE legend and former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho is working on expanding his wrestling portfolio in Japan.
Jericho has worked a few times for New Japan Pro Wrestling over the past few years, competing against top stars like Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tetsuya Naito. His most recent venture to The Land of the Rising Sun was for a match against fellow AEW star Konosuke Takeshita in DDT Pro Wrestling.
The wily veteran seemed to be having fun as he went on a rampage during the pre-show press conference ahead of the DDT Ultimate Party event last night. The Ocho then made Takeshita tap out to the Walls of Jericho in their match at Ryōgoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo.
Chris Jericho was much calmer in the post-show press conference and gave props to his opponent. He also reeled off a list of names he would love to face in Japan, including the legendary Minoru Suzuki, AEW's Kota Ibushi, and the man who impressed him the most at DDT's latest event, Tetsuya Endo:
"If you're talking about other wrestlers in DDT, Endo, I thought he was very good tonight. I was very impressed with him," Jericho said. "I still think there's a Jericho-Ibushi match that we could have in Japan. I think the biggest Japanese wrestler never faced is Suzuki. I know he wants to do it and I want to do it. Once again, he's a lot like my thoughts on Takeshita. I don't want to have a match just on a random Dynamite. I want to have a big main event match in Ryogoku, in the Tokyo Dome, somewhere big, and I want to do it in Japan." [h/t Fightful]
AEW star Chris Jericho was at a loss for words at DDT Ultimate Party
Last night's DDT Ultimate Party event featured several hard-hitting matches showcasing the best of Japanese strong style. But perhaps the biggest conversation piece of the night was a wild bout between Kazuki Hirata and NJPW livewire Hiromu Takahashi for the DDT Iron Man Heavy Metal title.
The match could only be described as a ludicrous fever dream involving dancing and a life-sized doll. In the end, Takahashi's own IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship belt pinned him to win the Heavy Metal title. Yes, you read that correctly – an inanimate NJPW title belt won the match and became the champion.
Fans unfamiliar with DDT's shenanigans might have been confused, but that's nothing compared to how Chris Jericho himself felt after seeing the match. In response to a fan on X, the AEW star said that he was at a loss for words:
It's unclear when Jericho will next compete in Japan, but AEW's partnerships with NJPW and DDT are strong, so the veteran should have no trouble securing his dream matches in the near future.
What did you think of DDT's Ultimate Party event? Do you have any dream opponents for Chris Jericho? Let us know in the comments section below!
