The following are highlights of a new Chris Jericho interview:
Getting fans to hate him: “It is a lost art, it’s a
lot easier to get people to hate you than to like you but it’s hard to get them
to stay hating you, that’s where the secret is. Look at some of the greatest
heels of all time in movies for example, Darth Vader, Freddie Kruger and
Hannibal Lecter, they all became the good guys in the later movies because
they’re too entertaining, so the secret to being a good heel is staying a heel.
It’s very easy to get drawn into putting out merchandise, saying a catchphrase
or doing an interview, I did none of those things when I turned heel in 2008 and
it was a conscious decision. When I started saying ‘hypocrite’, people started
bringing in signs then I would decide not to say that anymore, then people
thought ‘parasite’ was funny then again I stopped saying that.”
Vince McMahon supporting his extra effort to stay in character
outside of the ring: “I remember in Madison Square Garden there
was a dad with his son in the elevator who asked for an autograph and as much as
it pained me as I have a son, I just stared ahead, it’s all part of it and
nowadays no one wants to do it. Vince loves it because it’s old school, he gets
it, it’s heat, Vince had my back with anything I did, for example when I caused
the crowd to pelt me with glow sticks in London, DX were furious, Stephanie was
furious, they wanted me fined and suspended but Vince goes ‘no you’re a heel’. “
I learnt in WCW that that NWO were cool heels, just by being up there they were
so likable and cool, there was nothing I could do to get a reaction, and I might
as well have been a heel. That’s why they don’t turn John Cena heel, all the
people that booed him will end up loving him, it would be a waste of time.”
Guys like The Shield, The Wyatt Family and Cesaro getting
over: “I kind of am like the Nostradamus of WWE, I predicted that
all of those guys will get over, with Cesaro we had a tour of Japan last year
and I specifically asked to work with him and with Bray Wyatt when I went to
work with NXT I said to put me with that guy.”
Check out the complete interview at Independent.co.uk.
