Sports
WRESTLE THIS!
BY ALEXANDRA CALAMARI
Champion pro wrestler Chris Jericho is ready to re-enter the ring.
For those wondering why you should watch pro wrestling when the results are fixed, the answer is Chris Jericho. He took the wrestling world by storm at 19 and has never released his choke hold. After becoming the first undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the WWE, and earning six different titles throughout his career, he took time off to promote his New York Times best-selling novel A Lions Tale: Around the World in Spandex. Now, he’s back and ready for some smack-talk just in time for WrestleMania 24, going down March 30 in Orlando.
Tell us the truth: Did you return to wrestling because you missed the spandex?
“Yes, I was wearing spandex around my house, and it was getting a little bit embarrassing, so I had to figure out a place where I could actually wear it and look cool and fit in. The only place I could do that was the WWE.”
Why do you think people are so drawn to wrestling?
“It’s playing a character, and… you have to have a certain arrogance and the ability to say things that other people might be too scared to say. I think people like to hear somebody [say] something that you wish you could say yourself, but just can’t bring yourself to do it.”
Who would you love to take down?
“I think I’ve wrestled everybody that exists except for the Undertaker, so that would be the one guy who would be an interesting combination to work with.”
What’s the most painful situation you’ve been in while wrestling?
“There’s a concoction called the ‘elimination chamber’ that looks cool, but [it’s] the worst possible thing a human being can go in. It’s made of this really hard abrasive grated steel, and when you fall on it, your back looks like a Burger King charbroiled hamburger with the grill marks on it!”
Is it easier being a villain or a hero?
“It’s always easier to make people hate you than it is to make them like you. Having said that, to get them to really like you, you have to make them hate you first. It’s the old Darth Vader, Hannibal Lecter, Terminator type of thing; you start as this evil villain that everyone hates, and after a while, you get so flamboyant you start to become more interesting than the other characters, and people start liking you.”
What’s your reply when someone says wrestling isn’t a real sport?
“News flash: it’s not a real sport, it’s entertainment, but it’s as much of a sport as figure skating, in that you have two people doing an athletic display. It’s just that figure skating has a judge.”
Why check out WrestleMania 24?
“WrestleMania is the Super Bowl of wrestling. It’s a great form of entertainment because it’s got something for everybody involved; there’s drama, there’s comedy, there are lasers, there are bombs, there are good-looking girls, good-looking guys, athleticism, characters. It’s show business taken to the next level.”
SPORTING EVENT CALENDAR
MARCH 8-APRIL 7
MARCH MADNESS Nationwide
It’s time for everyone’s favorite office pool! College basketball is taking the nation by storm. Catch the playoff action as University of Florida tries to win its third straight national championship.
MARCH 9
KOBALT TOOLS 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway Atlanta
The Atlanta Motor Speedway sets itself apart with excellent tailgating and 124,000 seats that offer a great view of Jimmie Johnson defending his Nextel Cup Series title.
MARCH 26-APRIL 6
SONY ERICSSON OPEN The Tennis Center at Crandon Park Miami
Offering $7.54 million in prize money, this title event will feature a Who’s Who of tennis superstars, including defending champs Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic.