Cited by many as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Chris Jericho joins the latest episode of "AC/DC Beyond The Thunder" to salute his favorite band and put the beatdown on such topics as Angus Young and Brian Johnson recently guesting on his "Talk Is Jericho" podcast, adding AC/DC songs to the setlist in his own band FOZZY, sporting a massive "For Those About To Rock" cannon tattoo, sprinkling a little Axl Rose love, and explaining just how rock and wrestling makes for the perfect tag team. Jericho discusses his two childhood dreams while growing up in Winnipeg — becoming a professional wrestler and playing music. By the year 2000, he would achieve both, fronting FOZZY, churning out a half dozen albums while touring the world, and now celebrating his 30th year as a pro wrester with an undisputed 35 championships under his belt. Currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Jericho describes how the sport that made him famous has become so synonymous with AC/DC's music. "The reason why you hear so much AC/DC is because that's Vince McMahon's favorite band of all-time," talking about the chairman and CEO of WWE, who's used everything from "Highway To Hell" to "War Machine" and "Are You Ready" as theme songs. "There's a real synchronicity between what AC/DC does and wrestling. It's very hard-hitting. Electric. It's a very aggressive feeling that you get." As the frontman of FOZZY, Jericho recalls opening for IRON MAIDEN in 2019 and deciding to close the set with AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" to ensure the crowd was truly warmed up. "It was a 'cheap pop,' as they say in wrestling," he laughs. And when asked if he could have pulled off replacing Brian Johnson during the singer's unexpected departure from the "Rock Or Bust" tour, Jericho confidently responds, "I could do it. That's kind of my wheelhouse," all the while reminding listeners just how difficult it is to hit those incredibly high notes. The Canadian-American wrestler also gives props to Axl Rose, comparing the notorious singer joining AC/DC to THE ROLLING STONES enlisting Paul McCartney for a special tour. "I think that if you ask the other guys in GUNS N' ROSES, I think Axl really got a sense of, like, 'Holy smokes, this is how it can be. You can be in a great rock 'n' roll band and [I don't have to] worry about the egos or the bullshit that surrounds it.' I think he really came alive as the singer of AC/DC." From their latest release, "Power Up", to his unsung favorites like "Fly On The Wall", Jericho sums up just how AC/DC's music has inspired him throughout his entrepreneurial career: "When you find something that you're good at, and you do it better than anybody else, don't mess with it." "AC/DC Beyond The Thunder" features well known actors, authors, athletes, comedians, musicians, media hosts, and even members of the band, all paying homage to one of the greatest bands of all time. Guests have included Slash, Hall Of Fame MLB pitcher Trevor Hoffman, "SNL" comedian Jim Breuer, U.S. military war hero Mike Durant from the film "Black Hawk Down", classically trained Croatian duo 2CELLOS, Dweezil Zappa and AC/DC drummer Chris Slade. Created by duo Gregg Ferguson and Kurt Squiers, "AC/DC Beyond The Thunder" originally set out to be a feature-length documentary film. After shooting on the Highway To Hell for years, Ferguson and Squiers approached AC/DC's management to seek partnership with the band for a worldwide commercial release. After countless attempts for a face-to-face, the duo sent a proof of concept edit for review, and while the band said they, "weren't quite ready to make a historic film while still making history," AC/DC liked what they saw. But with no partnership, and no music rights from the band, "AC/DC Beyond The Thunder" was, for all intents and purposes, shot down in flames. Wondering if the film would ever catch lightning, Ferguson and Squiers decided to unearth these wonderful stories of extraordinary fans discussing their affinity for AC/DC and harness that energy into a vehicle that just might work…a podcast. After capturing over 50 interviews and with a newfound momentum to create all-new episodes with sound engineer Eric Kielb, "AC/DC Beyond The Thunder" is back, serving up inspirational stories about the fans, for the fans, by the fans. "AC/DC Beyond The Thunder" can be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any of your favorite podcast apps.
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