DDP recently spoke with Gary Cassidy of Inside The Ropes and discussed various topics, from Chris Jericho’s longevity to Jake Roberts’ success with All Elite Wrestling. He also reflected on his WWE run. Here are some highlights:
On Chris Jericho’s longevity:
DDP: “I put The Rock as the hardest working human being in the world because he’s working on so many things. Number two, I put Chris Jericho. Wrestler, rock star, podcast icon, you know, he’s in the top echelon of that, game show host, actor, I mean what the f— doesn’t he do? And he’s constantly recreating himself. It’s just like, what’s he gonna do next?”
“I’m sure he may change again, but I’m sure he’s got a really long run in what he’s doing right now. I think that this might be his last one, but you can’t say that because right when you get comfortable with who he’s being, he’s gonna change, mainly because he doesn’t want to get stale, ever.”
On Jake Roberts’ run with AEW:
DDP: “Well, Jake’s like a different cat now. You know, it’s really fascinating because you know, this Jake is super positive, this Jake wants to live, wants to be healthy, wants to feel amazing because he’s working nonstop, and he loves it. And he’s 65. Like, Jake and I have been really blessed, in a way, that we have a whole second act that you know, we never really saw coming.”
“It’s really interesting, you know, Cody treats the legends with a lot of respect, but a little bit of royalty, too. Like, he gets it. I don’t want to set out any individual, but it doesn’t always work like that. So I’m just happy for the guys who get the opportunity to still work, you know, [and] keep the respect that they deserve.”
On what he would change about his WWF run and the one rivalry he wished he had:
DDP: “The easiest one ever, People’s Champ, me vs. the People’s Champion. Let me tell you the positive side of that. The positive side was this, like Vince McMahon has been very good to me. You know, I have nothing but good things to say about WWE. Did I go in there and get what I wanted going in? No. But I didn’t realize that we really were the enemy coming in there, and they bought us, but they had no intention to do anything with us. But it was business. It was to show that the WWF, because it was still two companies at that time, that they won the war and we’re not gonna shine these guys now.”
“What that [run] did for me, because I did pitch Vince, People’s Champion vs. People’s Champion, but they were so set on me doing the stalker thing, but they didn’t put a gun to my head. You know, it’s like you want to do it or not? And I talked myself into it.”
“I walked away from $487,000, WCW owed me 1.27, which means one million, two hundred seventy thousand dollars. They wouldn’t give me it all if I left, and if I wasn’t 45 at the time, I probably would have just waited. But I was 45, and they did want me, and I didn’t realize what it was for at the time. But again, it taught me a lesson. And I’m so grateful to Vince for teaching me the lesson you can’t be afraid to walk away from the table.”
The full interview is available here:
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