Wrestler Chris Jericho Says He'll Never Return to Poughkeepsie

One of the biggest names in professional wrestling may have just insulted his biggest fans throughout the Hudson Valley.

At 48-years-old, Chris Jericho just signed a three year deal with AEW wrestling. During a recent interview, the future WWE Hall of Famer was asked about his new contract. That's when he seemed to put down Poughkeepsie, a city that helped kickstart his career and continue to support him even when his career started to falter.

According to Wrestling News, Jericho was talking about his future as a wrestler when he boasted about a recent match at the Tokyo Dome as being one of his best. He went on to contemplate his future by declaring that he would only "continue to have matches that mean something." Jericho went on to explain that it meant his days of wrestling in cities like Poughkeepsie, New York are "done."

The way that I feel right now, I want to continue having great matches that mean something. Nothing against the fine people of, you know, Poughkeepsie, New York, or Kirriemuir, Scotland, or wherever, those days of going to those towns are done.

While it's nice that he called the citizens of Poughkeepsie "fine people," it does kind of sting that he seemed to be talking down to us, explaining that a match at the Mid Hudson Civic Center wouldn't "mean something."

Perhaps Jericho forgets that Poughkeepsie was the very first city that embraced him the day after he ended his career with the WWE. After losing his contract on Monday Night Raw in 2012, Jericho and his band Fozzy made a stop at the old Collector Realm location on Raymond Avenue in Poughkeepsie. Fans lined the streets for a chance to meet Jericho and buy signed copies of the band's CD.

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Since then, Poughkeepsie has stuck with Jericho during his ups and downs. The wrestler-turned-wannabe-rock-star returned again in 2014 to perform with his band at the Chance. An autograph signing at the Poughkeepsie Galleria brought even more fans out to support Jericho and show him lots of love, despite mixed reviews of the band's music.

While being in Poughkeepsie may not "mean something" to Jericho, his visits over the years have certainly meant something to his devoted fans. The Hudson Valley has been the site of some legendary wrestling matches throughout the years and is revered by many past and current professional wrestlers. While it's clear that Poughkeepsie isn't as populated as larger cities, there's no denying that the city is home to some of the most passionate wrestling fans in the world.

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What do you think about Chris Jericho's comments about Poughkeepsie? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

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