Chris Jericho and Matt Cardona bring their Long Island roots to Ring of Honor Wrestling title fight in NYC
Chris Jericho Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Ring of Honor Wrestling’s biggest event of 2024 is headlined by a championship clash between two native Long Islanders: Chris Jericho and Matt Cardona.
But you’d be forgiven for not knowing that Jericho is from here. He was in his 20s before he even learned a major Long Island roadway carried his name.
“When I first started working in WCW, we would do shows in Nassau. I didn't even know that there was a Jericho Turnpike. We’d drive past it and, people would say, ‘Oh, is that where you got your name?’ And I’d be like, ‘No. I didn’t even know that thing existed,’” Jericho said. “So as far as the connections to Long Island go, it’s in name only.”
Jericho, who lived in Manhasset until he was 4, has little memories of his Long Island life beyond watching his father, former New York Ranger Ted Irvine, practicing at a local ice rink. But that hasn’t stopped the reigning ROH world champion from proclaiming himself the “King of New York” ahead of his bout against Merrick native Cardona at Final Battle at Manhattan’s Hammerstein Ballroom Friday night. It's the first of three shows in the venue this weekend by ROH's parent promotion, All Elite Wrestling.
Ever the antagonist, Jericho acknowledges the boasts about his Big Apple cred are mostly meant to get under the skin of his opponent, and of fans. But, Jericho said, there’s a morsel of truth to his claim of being a New York legend.
“Nevermind the history my father has in Madison Square Garden. Look at the history I have in Madison Square Garden. There was a time, I think in 2008, that John Cena vs. Chris Jericho in a cage was the highest grossing [wrestling] show in MSG history,” said Jericho, who has accrued multiple world championships in WWE, AEW and ROH over his 34-year career.
Still, at 54 years-old, Jericho said he still gets excited about headlining a major wrestling show, even in an intimate setting like Hammerstein.
“Anytime you main event a sold-out show, I don't care if it's the Tokyo Dome or if it’s the rec center in Brandon, Manitoba, it means something,” Jericho said. “And, at this level, when I've been doing this for so long, it's still exciting. It's exciting to be the champion. It's exciting to headline a pay-per-view. It's exciting to go into a new building.”
And Jericho said he’s also excited about sharing a ring with Cardona, with whom he first shared a locker room nearly 20 years ago in WWE. Jericho recalled once helping a young Cardona, who was then known as Zack Ryder, remove the hair on his back.
Two decades later, Cardona, has earned the moniker the “King of the Indies” for racking up championships in multiple independent promotions following his 2020 departure from WWE.
“I think Matt has done a tremendous job of recreating and reinventing himself. And I know a few things about that,” said Jericho, who credited Cardona for “being ahead of the curve” by producing YouTube videos to help market himself 15 years ago.
"He was always a visionary when it came to taking advantage of the internet. I remember he got so much heat for calling himself the 'internet champion.' . . . He was one of the guys that embraced that early on," Jericho said. "It's something that I've been able to do -- reinvention, evolving, and staying relevant . . . You have to stay relevant. If not, you become nostalgia. And I have no interest in being part of a nostalgia act. And I don't think Matt does either."
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
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