It's official: Jericho returns as Saviour

Winnipeg native heads back to WWE in a big way

Sat Nov 17 2007

By Mike McIntyre

CHRIS JERICHO is coming back to save pro wrestling. The Winnipeg native -- who gained international fame as one of the top superstars in the squared circle -- is about to make his much-anticipated return to World Wrestling Entertainment.

But he was a man with a plan, which included focusing on his rock band Fozzy, showing his acting chops on film and on stage and even penning an autobiography that recently hit the New York Times bestseller list.

Now Jericho is going back to his true love, backed by a slick WWE ad campaign that has been dropping hints for several weeks about the return of a Saviour during their highly rated Monday Night Raw program.

"It's been the worst-kept secret in pro wrestling," Jericho says with a chuckle about his long-rumoured return, which has become the source of intense discussion on wrestling websites and message boards.

Jericho said he always planned to return to wrestling but wanted it to be on his terms. He said writing his book -- A Lion's Tale: Around The World In Spandex -- made him realize what he was missing.

"After 15 years in the business I was burned out. I felt like I was spinning my wheels. (Writing) really helped me remember the past, remember how much fun I had doing it," said Jericho.

"So about six months ago I had an idea come to me about coming back."

It's no coincidence Jericho began thinking about returning around the time wrestling was experiencing its darkest hour. WWE star -- and Alberta native -- Chris Benoit murdered his wife and young son before killing himself this past summer, triggering a tabloid media feeding frenzy and investigation by the U.S. Congress.

Jericho considered Benoit to be one of his closest friends -- both in and out of the ring -- and was as stunned as anyone by what happened.

He still can't explain what drove Benoit to kill but believes a combination of steroid abuse and brain damage caused by excessive head trauma in the ring were factors.

Jericho welcomes some changes Vince McMahon has introduced to WWE, including a more stringent drug-testing policy that includes suspending and publicly identifying offenders. More than a dozen wrestlers have already been caught in recent months.

Jericho's career could have taken a different path -- he's a graduate of the Creative Communications program at Red River College and briefly interned as a reporter at both the Free Press and Winnipeg Sun in the early 1990s.

"A friend of mine told me about CreCom and I got in. But it wasn't long until I realized I didn't want to be the guy writing -- I wanted to be the guy being written about."

Jericho, 36, isn't sure how long his return will last but won't overstay his welcome, saying he wants to ensure both his body and mind remain healthy. He calls wrestling "show business boot camp" and hopes to continue with acting, singing and writing down the road.

"I'll never be a 9-to-5 guy," he said. "But I've learned never to take anything for granted."