Featured Article Chris Jericho

Jericho’s going to WrestleMania
by Seth Mates

That’s easy – he’s going to the main event of WrestleMania, assuming he can hold on to the title until then.

“It’s a great opportunity for me,” Jericho told WWF.com just moments after his match at No Way Out. “Going in as the champion is the greatest honor. You don’t get any higher as a professional.”

Adding to the prestige of the main event spot is the fact that WrestleMania takes place in Jericho’s home country of Canada.

“It’s great, headlining WrestleMania in my home country,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to work in WrestleMania. I’ve been in two of them, and to be in Canada is even better.”

After No Way Out, Y2J’s scheduled ‘Mania opponent is Kurt Angle, who defeated Triple H to capture the No. 1 Contenders spot for the Pay-Per-View. The two battled at WrestleMania two years ago in a Triple Threat Match also involving Chris Benoit. But Jericho compares this year’s match to another past athletic event – Olympic hockey.

“Canada vs. America – it’s like the Olympic gold medal hockey game,” he laughs.

Jericho made it into the main event of WrestleMania thanks to yet another impressive win during his championship reign, this one coming over Stone Cold on Sunday night. Y2J says he was happy with the bout, although he was sore afterwards.

“I feel like I got run over by a truck,” Jericho said. “We worked hard and we beat the hell out of each other and I liked it.”

Y2J was also intrigued by the appearance of the nWo during his bout, and says he’s curious to see what impact they will have on the Federation in the near future.

“It will be interesting to see what they do and how they do it,” Jericho said. “We’ll see what happens. They look like they’re going to be a pack of rabid dogs, and that’s what you have to be to survive here. They’re going to have to put their working shoes on every night and work their asses off, and we’ll see what happens.”

Regardless of what the nWo does, one thing is clear – with his win over the Texas Rattlesnake on Sunday, Jericho is proving his critics wrong, embarking on one of the most impressive title reigns in recent memory.

“I am exactly what I said I am – a larger-than-life living legend,” he said. “Nobody believed in me when I first got this championship. Nobody thought I could do it, for one, and nobody thought I could hold onto it as long as I have. I’m going to have this championship for the rest of the year, until I decide to give it up, and that’s going to be never. I enjoy being the champion, and I’m a great champion.”

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