Chris Jericho Almost Didn’t Appear At All In

Last weekend, IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho shocked the professional wrestling world.

After Kenny Omega’s victory against Pentagon Jr., the lights in the Sears Centre went out. When they came back on, Pentagon Jr. shot back to his feet and attacked Omega. Once Pentagon hit Omega with a Codebreaker, however, it was realized that the man attacking Omega wasn’t Pentagon.

When the mask was removed, it was revealed that Jericho was actually Omega’s assailant. He said he would see him on the Jericho cruise. The moment may have very well stolen the entire show – which is really saying something.

It turns out, that moment almost never happened. Jericho initially didn’t want to take part in All In. He has a self-rule about competing at wrestling events in the United States that aren’t WWE. Eventually, he decided to make the exception for All In.

Jericho detailed the decision-making process in the latest edition of his podcast, Talk Is Jericho:

“Months ago, when All In was announced, Cody called me and said, ‘Do you want to be involved?’ I said, ‘No, I’m not really one to work any shows in the States that aren’t WWE shows.’

“For various reasons, I just didn’t feel like it was where I was at career-wise. I told him that I appreciated the offer, but I’m not going to do it. I also got asked to do Long Beach and those New Japan shows as well.

“Over the course of the last few months, my mindset has changed a bit to where I’m enjoying being part of this new revolution of wrestling. I thought I would consider it, but the idea has to be right.

“Cody called me again and I started thinking, ‘I wonder if I could make this work.’ The idea was ‘what if I could come in earlier in the show and attack Kenny?’ The idea was to keep the angle alive from the Tokyo Dome to the Cruise.”