On an episode of his “Grilling JR” podcast, WWE legend and Hall of Famer, Jim Ross, divulged details about Chris Jericho’s early challenges in the WWE. He also touched upon the backstage rivalry between Jericho and Triple H, in addition to other matters.
Parts of the podcast that stood out are shared below:
Regarding Chris Jericho’s initial struggles in WWE, Ross stated, “There was a sense of significant animosity toward Jericho. This was something he was battling ever since I first brought him on board. ‘He’s too short’ was a frequent complaint. The idea of rejecting one of the world’s best wrestlers simply because he’s perceived as being too short, I find preposterous. It’s downright absurd. Hence, this was fundamentally about fear – insiders who were close to Vince, including Triple H at the time and others, saw Jericho as a threat. It’s bewildering how one would want to alienate a potentially strong opponent owing to petty politics or envy.”
Speaking about the backstage power struggle between Jericho and Triple H, he commented, “I sensed they would become formidable rivals, and this didn’t bother me. When I land you a gig, I expect stellar performance. Most importantly, I expect you to deliver entertainment worth the fans’ money. If they didn’t get along, that was none of my concern. In the dramatic world of pro wrestling, off-camera narratives sometimes outweigh the ones we script for TV.”
You can view the “Grilling JR: Secret Locker Room Recording” episode below: [embedded content]