Chris Jericho and Konosuke Takeshita will have another singles match together at some point in the future.
Speaking on Talk Is Jericho, Jericho discussed his match against Takeshita. He first highlighted his history with NJPW.
“We’ll start off with the Ultimate Party [match], which is the first time I’d ever wrestled for DDT Pro in Japan,” Chris Jericho said. “It was my first trip to Japan. I call them tours since January of 2020 when I went to the Tokyo Dome and co-headlined the Tokyo Dome with Tanahashi, and I hadn’t been back since.
“I had so much momentum with New Japan from 2018 with Kenny, co-headlined the Tokyo Dome. 2019, with Naito, co-headlined the Tokyo Dome. 2020 with Tanahashi, co-headlined the Tokyo Dome. Then the lockdown came, and everything was kind of shut down. There was plans for two or three other kind of main event Tokyo Dome matches at that time.
“There was talks about doing Ospreay, which we [did] at Wembley; there was talks with Kota Ibushi, who was our tag team partner for the street fight. And then, of course, Minoru Suzuki. Much like Suzuki, the Takeshita match, I didn’t want to just do it on Dynamite.”
Chris Jericho wanted his first match with Takeshita to be in Japan
Chris Jericho continued by describing how he wanted his first match with Takeshita to be in Japan. He then revealed that he was initially asked to come to DDT earlier in 2023, but he has a scheduling conflict.
“Not that Dynamite’s not huge and amazing, but I really felt like it was a match that was tailor-made and structured for Japan. Which is why I really wanted to have this match with Takeshita in Japan. And working with New Japan for as long as I did and then having the lockdown, it kind of killed all my momentum there, which was a drag because I had a lot of steam.
“It just really seemed right to go to DDT because at this point in time, wrestling matches or going to Japan just to go, I don’t have to do that. I want to go for a reason. And I just really liked the concept of working with Takeshita and doing it in Japan. [Then] I was asked if I wanted to work for DDT and Takeshita earlier in the year.
“I remember we were in San Francisco at the Cow Palace; that was probably February. I think they wanted me to come in July, but my family and I already had plans to go to Italy at that point in time, and I said, ‘How about the Ultimate Party for November 2?’ Now that it’s all said and done, I can say that I really enjoyed working for DDT.
Chris Jericho and Konsuke Takeshita aren’t done
Many fans were surprised to see Jericho defeat Takeshita in DDT, but Jericho said that there would be more matches between the two All Elite Wrestling stars in the future.
“I put him in the walls and tapped him out. Everybody was very surprised, which, you know, this is a story that we’re doing,” Chris Jericho said. “It was the best way to do it was for me to win right out of the gate. Is it the last match Takeshita and I are gonna have? Of course not.
“Was it a great way to kind of reestablish myself in Japan and establish myself in DDT? Absolutely, it was the right way to go. Once again, nobody loses when you have a match like that. I think it was a great contest all across the board.
“It just really was a fun, fun match, and I really enjoyed it. It was one of my favorite trips to Japan that I’ve ever had. One of my favorite matches of the year, and one of my favorite matches in Japan. It was just great to come back and be a part of that.”
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