Chris Jericho Recalls Working With Ryback at WrestleMania 29, Says He Suggested Ryback as the Guy to Break the Streak

On the latest edition of Chris Jericho’s Saturday Night Special, Jericho talked about Ryback and recalled nearly feuding with him at Wrestlemania 29. Jericho recalled that when he feuded with Fandango through and after that WrestleMania in 2013, he was was originally supposed to be working with Ryback before Vince McMahon changed his mind.

Jericho had nothing but praise for Ryback, saying that at one point he felt Ryback was so over that he suggested that Ryback be the guy who breaks the Undertaker’s Streak. Obviously that didn’t happen; Ryback and Taker never worked a WrestleMania program, though Jericho himself would eventually feud on screen with Ryback for a month in June and July of that year. Highlights and the full video are below:

On almost working a feud with Ryback: “I think Ryback is great. I think he was a huge star that was kind of buried by politics for whatever reason. And there was — actually, when I came back to WWE, the year I worked with Fandango, I was originally supposed to work with Ryback. That’s what we had kind of worked out at the time. And for whatever reason, Ryback didn’t happen. Vince changed his mind as he is wont to do, like I said. And they changed it to Fandango.”

On pitching Ryback to beat Undertaker at WrestleMania: “There was a time when Ryback was so popular, that I suggested he should be the guy that beats the Undertaker. He’s the won. And it didn’t go that way, and sometimes there’s complaints about his work. I loved working with Ryback. I did a bunch of house shows with him in Calgary, and we had great matches. So really, really a big fan of Ryback. Especially at the time, probably 2014, ’15 when he was kind of at his peak.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Chris Jericho’s Saturday Night Special with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.