At 48 Years Old, Wrestling Superstar Chris Jericho Still Kicks Ass

Chris Jericho has been one of the most recognizable names in professional wrestling for more than 20 years. The six-time WWE World Champion is now part of All Elite Wrestling, and will be battling Adam “Hangman” Page on Aug. 31 in a bout to crown the inaugural AEW champion.

Muscle & Fitness caught up with Jericho to dicuss his legendary wrestling career, how he’s stayed in the game for so long, his music, AEW, and more.  

You are currently writing a new Fozzy album, how is it shaping up?

It’s going great. We have a lot to live up to after the Judas record was so successful, with 30 million views on YouTube. I think we’re going to continue to grow from here. It’s an exciting time for us.

You’re set to appear in the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, which releases Oct. 15. How did you land a role?

I have known Kevin Smith (who plays Bob, and will direct the movie) for a while. He asked me to do a movie for him about a year ago, which was a horror anthology, called KillRoy Was Here. Kevin was really impressed and said ‘Next time I do a movie, you’re definitely going to be in it’.

Low and behold, I got a call to be in the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, which is a dream. It’s a great part, with a whole segment of the movie that I have to carry.

Pro wrestling fans know you as a master of reinvention. How important is it to keep things fresh for audiences?

It’s everything. It’s the David Bowie concept where you’re always evolving and changing, but still staying true to yourself as an artist. I think fans live kind of vicariously through what I’m doing to the point where if they don’t know for sure what I’m going to be doing next, it just adds to the diversity of Chris Jericho as a performer.

That’s one of the reasons why after 30 years I’m still at the top of the game. If I was doing the same character that I played 15 years ago, I don’t think that’d be the case.

You made waves in the wrestling world once again by signing with new promotion, All Elite Wrestling. What does AEW bring to the table compared to the WWE?

For the last 18 years or whatever it has been (since they took over WCW), the WWE has had a monopoly on the business, which isn’t a good thing overall. I think it made a lot of fans tune out or accept a subpar product at times.

I also think it made WWE lazy. Are we looking to compete, or beat WWE? Not necessarily. Are we looking to give fans an alternative to what they’ve been watching over the last 18 years? Absolutely. 

You have been training in Dave Bautista’s boutique gym in Tampa recently?

I’ve known Dave for 10 or 15 years. He’s a great guy, and he has a gym with a whole mixed martial arts studio upstairs.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to join the UFC and choke somebody out, but it’s a whole mindset, and this type of training has me covered in sweat at the end of every session. 

What’s your diet like?

I like to barbecue and I have a fridge full of pre-prepared meals from Nutrition Solutions. For me, I know when its ok to have a treat, and when not to. I keep my carbs very low, keep my sugars low, and just enjoy the food that I have. 

Any last words of motivation from Mongoose McQueen?

In this day and age, you can be like Mick Jagger…so as long as you don’t give up, continue to try, stay in great shape, and stay committed to being the best person you can be.

If you do that, your life will be a lot better, I think you’ll live longer, and you will look a lot cooler as well!

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