Chris Jericho Talks About Ryback, Reigns, Past vs. Present Stars

WWE Superstar Chris Jericho recently spoke with DigitalSpy.com.

One man that definitely will be at The Royal Rumble and WrestleMania is Roman Reigns. The smart money is on him winning the elimination match and going on to main event WrestleMania, but lots of fans are questioning if he's ready for that push - what do you think?

"I think Roman's doing great, I think there's a lot of guys doing great, but it all depends on the reaction of the fans and I think right now the next two or three weeks are crucial to see what kind of reaction these guys get and that will decide where they are going to be slotted in WrestleMania. They're listening to what the crowd is reacting to, and then deciding from there.

"If Roman Reigns is getting a great crowd reaction, then there's a great chance he's going to get more and more of a push - that's how things go. I think they probably have a tentative plan already for the top three or four matches at WrestleMania, now they just have to see if the pieces continue to fall into place."

Ryback's recent promo on Raw was a condensed version of his interview on your podcast Talk Is Jericho. How did you feel about your interview becoming part of an angle on the show?

"Loved it! That's why I wanted to have Ryback on, I wanted people to see his personality, to hear his passion. He was unfairly accused [by CM Punk], in my opinion, of certain things, but I worked with Ryback for months and loved it. I know he's not dumb and I know he's not an idiot, and I just wanted to give him a chance to tell his side of the story and show his personality and let people know what he's all about.

"The fact that he took that to Vince McMahon, and he listened to it and decided to do a whole 5 to 10 minute promo based around that, I take great pride in that fact. I had a mission to let people see Ryback in a different light - they did, they enjoyed him as a person, they enjoyed his real attitude and his real personality. That's good for me, that's good for my business.

"It's going to make people want to do my show even more now, knowing that I was able to help Ryback, and that's what Talk Is Jericho is - it's not a show to scandalise or to cause issues or to make people look stupid. The type of show I run is for people to have fun, enjoy themselves and let the fans see a different side of them."

You made your WWE debut 15 years ago during a golden era of talent. How does today's show compare to back then?

"I don't look at it that way because if you sit there and go 'back in my day', you become a dinosaur. Things change, things move, things evolve. How does the business compare now to 2000? I don't know - look at the ratings, look at the attendances, but also look at what kind of money is being brought in, what kind of sponsorship is there?

"I think in a lot of ways WWE is bigger than it's ever been. You say 'the talent isn't as good', well I'm not looking at that. I look at it as a business, 'cos that's all that matters. I'll bet you they're making more money now than they did in 2000, even if some people think that roster was better. So in that respect, WWE is probably better than ever.

"Talent wise it's changed. It's not the same as it used to be because there's nowhere for guys to really grow up and learn until they get into the WWE. If you look back in previous years, the WWE was the pinnacle. You'd work around the territories, work around the world, and end up in the WWE at the top of your game.

"Now you start in the WWE, you work within the WWE, you learn within the WWE and that's how you either make it or break it in that system. So in a lot of ways it's harder for the guys because they don't get a chance to go around the world and learn how to get over. They're basically starting within the WWE system, so there's a lot more pressure on them now."