If you like Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, the WWE wrestler/lead singer of Fozzy/author promises you will like his latest venture with PodcastOne.
The Jericho Network debuts July 7, with the first new podcast called “Keeping It 100 with Konnan.” Konnan (real name: Charles Ashenoff) has worked for virtually every wrestling promotion and is currently with Lucha Underground.
Jericho said he intends to add shows monthly with no more than 10 to 12 on the network. The Jericho Network podcasts will be available at PodcastOne.com, the PodcastOne app and iTunes.
“It will be wrestling, pop culture, paranormal or anything else with people I think will be interesting hosts and will do an interesting show through the Jericho Network,” he said.
Jericho, who was in Hawaii in advance of a WWE show there and a weekend tour of Japan, talked to For The Win about his plans for the network, why his podcast works, the longevity of his WWE career, the upcoming WWE draft, Brock Lesnar at UFC 200 and Roman Reigns’ suspension.
How did the idea for The Jericho Network come about and what are your initial goals?
When I started working with PodcastOne in December 2013, it really excited me to be doing my own podcast and getting involved in the podcast medium. People say it’s the wave of the future. It’s really not; it’s the wave of today. It’s becoming a more and more viable entertainment option. It’s a place to go to have a good conversation.
When I started, I had a lot of ideas of great guests that I thought would be great with their own shows. It was something I wanted to do in following the lead of Adam Carolla — who is the gold standard of the podcast industry. There are a lot of people on the Adam Carolla Network who might not have had a chance to have their own podcast without Adam’s involvement. I talked to my boss at PodcastOne, Norm Pattiz, and brought what I wanted to do to his attention and we worked four or five months on it.
We’re starting with Konnan, one of the most popular, controversial stars in wrestling who has a great background with lucha libre. He’s brilliant and a great speaker. His show will be the flagship as we get ready to release the network, and on a monthly basis, I’ll introduce a new show.
(Jae S. Lee/The Dallas Morning News via AP)
How many shows do you foresee having on the Jericho Network?
Podcasting is such a fragmented market. There are only so many hours in the week. My goal is to have a half-dozen strong shows and give maybe a half-dozen more a chance to make it. Some won’t and we’ll have to pick and choose. There’s no shortage of entertaining people who could have their own shows. But we want those four to six tentpole shows that people are listening to and have a certain amount of downloads that put them at the level you need to make money and draw revenue from advertising. To have those four to six legit hits, that would be my goal. I never want to have more than 10 or a dozen shows. It’s just too many shows and there’s not enough hours in the week.
What impact – if any – do you see the network having on your show, Talk is Jericho?
It’s not going to affect my show because I’m not going to be doing any of the other shows. I look at it as being similar to a record label that would have an imprint. Take Team Tiger Awesome, which has been on my show. They’re a great group, they’re so funny and hilarious and they get their own show, but I won’t be on it. They’re ready to branch out with their own fan base. It’s like a TV spin-off with a great character. Frasier got his own show, but you still watch Cheers — same character, different show and different elements to it. Their show would be in the vein of Talk is Jericho, but the guys do their own thing.
One thing about Talk Is Jericho is when you download it, you never know who’s going to be the guest. It could be Seth Rollins from WWE, or someone from rock and roll, or a paranormal expert or your son, Ash the Fish Expert, or your friend SpeeWee from high school. How have you managed to find the balance or decide who to have on to satisfy different parts of your fan base?
Talk is Jericho is not a wrestling podcast. Wrestling is part of what I do, but far from the only thing. I never wanted to pigeonhole it as that type of show. I love music and have contacts through Fozzy. I love the paranormal. SpeeWee is completely nuts and hilarious. I wanted to build the show to where it’s very diverse.
All I ask is for people to trust me. I’m never going to have anyone I’m forced to have on, or I don’t think would be a good guest or don’t find very entertaining. With Talk is Jericho, my low-level shows are doing huge ratings. Sure, when I have Seth Rollins on, it will get a million downloads. But when I talked to Seth, we talked about Tesla cars and Lasix eye surgery. It’s not an interview. I never have questions and never know where the conversation is going to go. It naturally goes where it goes. People know when they do the show, they’re going to have a great time.
Even if you haven’t heard of someone, you know you’re going to like it. Trust my track record. And if I give somebody their own show, the audience knows it’s not because we’re good friends, it’s because I think it’s a good, entertaining, intelligent show. The Jericho Network is an extension of the Talk is Jericho podcast. It’s got the same vibe and same diverse subjects.
One of the things that you said on a recent podcast was that the average career in WWE for a performer is four years. You’re at 17 years with the company. Has the fact that you have diversified and done other things away from being in the ring helped your longevity?
Absolutely. You look at my WWE activities since 2010 — and when I come back I’m not a part-time performer – but if you look at the overall schedule over the last six years, it’s part time. I’ll never be a full-time performer again and who knows how much longer I’ll do it for.
Ten years ago, I foresaw my own future and didn’t want to be at the mercy of the wrestling business. I wanted to come and go as I pleased and so I found ways to do that. Fozzy is bigger than it’s ever been before. I think the Jericho Network has the potential to be huge.
I’m 45 years old and pretty soon, I’m not going to want to take any more bumps. But if you look at the arc of entertainment, you can go until you’re 75 years old or beyond. There’s no limit to what you can accomplish in the world of entertainment. It’s all I’ve ever known since I was 19. I’m writing my fourth book, I’m doing more acting. I’m keeping all those balls in the air. It was a smart move on my part and I’m not going to stop. If I stopped wrestling tomorrow, I’d still be out there providing things for you guys to do to enjoy your lives.
Podcasting came about at the exact right time for me. It’s been a huge game changer as far as media is perceived and getting stuff out there. With the long form on-demand conversational format, there’s nowhere else you can do it. You go on The Tonight Show and you’re on for eight minutes. Mine are 45 minutes or longer if they’re going well. The podcasting forum isn’t yet what it can be over the next three, four, five years.
A few WWE questions to close the conversation out. The brand split and WWE Draft is coming up in mid-July. You were part of it in the previous draft. What do you expect this time?
It’s a big opportunity and it involves taking a chance. It so cliché to say some guys and girls need to step up, but there can be bigger stars and bigger names when people get their chance. It’s also a little bit scary. There are three hours of Raw and you are going down to about 25 people, if they split it evenly, from 50 and have to fill that time.
The wrestling business — and the media business like podcasting — thrives on change. I’m really excited for everyone involved. I’ve never been the type of person to stick with the same thing or be complacent or rest on my laurels. People ask me what my favorite WWE era is. It’s now, because I’m living it.
I think this presents a big shakeup. Smackdown is going live to compete with Raw, which has always been the mothership. Now Smackdown can change that. This will not be a lame-duck draft. There will be big changes and this will be taken seriously.
Brock Lesnar is going to fight at UFC 200 and then is scheduled to be part of SummerSlam. What are your thoughts on him juggling the two at this point?
I think it’s great. It’s awesome anytime you can get someone the mainstream spotlight. Brock is Brock. He could lose in 20 seconds and the next night he could beat the entire roster and he’d still be the most over guy in the company. … (Working with UFC) strengthens his position. There’s nothing to lose. It makes Brock a bigger star, and it makes WWE bigger. I know I’ll be watching.
I also don’t think Vince (McMahon) allowed him to do out of the goodness of his heart, either. I’m sure he’s going to get something back whether that’s Ronda Rousey or Conor McGregor or something.
(Jae S. Lee/The Dallas Morning News via AP)
WWE is dealing with the wellness policy violation and 30-day suspension of Roman Reigns. He is still scheduled to be in the main event at the WWE Battleground event days after the suspension ends. What do you think of how that’s being handled?
Reigns is a great guy and a great worker. That he was suspended shows there is no BS or (messing) around when it comes to the policy. There are things on (the banned list) that are not anywhere but on the WWE list. You see the things that happened 10, 15 years in the past that don’t happen anymore. You don’t see guys dying young.
Reigns is a cool cat. He’ll own it, come back and be a bigger star in the future. I’m a huge Reigns fan and continue to be.
