Pro Wrestler Chris Jericho's fight with Victoria fan hits YouTube
By Katie DeRosa, Times ColonistFebruary 8, 2009
ICTORIA — Pro wrestler Chris Jericho punched a woman outside Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre after a World Wrestling Entertainment bout Saturday, an altercation captured by a witness on a cellphone camera and posted on YouTube.
Witnesses say the incident occurred when Jericho was surrounded by hundreds of people heckling him after he lost yesterday’s RAW Live WWE bout.
Victoria police confirmed there was an altercation outside the arena, but said the wrestler left before police had a chance to speak to him. Two fans were arrested but later released. Const. Theresa Tuttle said no charges have been laid and the incident is under investigation.
WWE issued a statement saying that Jericho’s car was “attacked by a mob” when he was attempting to leave the parking lot. It said when he got out of the car to clear a path, he was physically and verbally assaulted, until arena and WWE security arrive to re-establish order. The statement said the attackers fled the scene, but it made no mention of Jericho throwing a punch.
One witness said she saw the 225-pound wrestler spit in a woman’s face after she approached his white Chevy Tahoe and castigated him for losing the heavyweight championship to John Cena. With spit dripping down her face, the woman started hitting him, said Darshan Stevens, who watched from about a metre away. Jericho turned and punched her in the face, she said.
“I was really surprised that a pro wrestler would do that with everyone watching,” Stevens said. “And hit a girl, what are you thinking?”
Jericho took off, she said, just minutes before several Victoria police cruisers arrived.
The woman who was hit, 20-year-old Ashley Levey, said the altercation began when her boyfriend, Kalen Johl, heckled Jericho as he drove through the parking lot. Jericho got out of his vehicle, Levey said, and made a derogatory comment to Johl, who is South Asian. She said Jericho pushed Kohl first. Levey called Jericho a racist, so he spit on and punched her, she said.
Wait, I should amend that, I don't see why people wouldn't still watch. But, people care that vehemently?! I mean, it's rigged. The fighting is real enough, but the story is, well, a story. The storyline is scripted. These people are paid entertainers that do what McMahon says to do.
I blame the security more than anyone else. They LET the fans crowd his car.
I've never hit a girl in my life, I never plan on hitting a girl in my life, but for all I know I'd go into "survival mode" if there were 100 hooligans surrounding me who don't understand that the character Chris Jericho is NOT the man Chris Irvine (Jericho's real name) and the security is doing jack squat about it.
No one's right in this situation, but I think it's ludicrous to condemn Jericho immediately when you factor in everything that happened.
Quote: One witness said she saw the 225-pound wrestler spit in a woman’s face after she approached his white Chevy Tahoe and castigated him for losing the heavyweight championship to John Cena.
This is the image that came to mind when I read that.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
Quote: I've seen the Youtube videos of the incident.
I blame the security more than anyone else. They LET the fans crowd his car.
I've never hit a girl in my life, I never plan on hitting a girl in my life, but for all I know I'd go into "survival mode" if there were 100 hooligans surrounding me who don't understand that the character Chris Jericho is NOT the man Chris Irvine (Jericho's real name) and the security is doing jack squat about it.
No one's right in this situation, but I think it's ludicrous to condemn Jericho immediately when you factor in everything that happened.
^This.
“...Iguodala to Curry, back to Iguodala, up for the layup! Oh! Blocked by James! LeBron James with the rejection!”
Quote: The woman who was hit, 20-year-old Ashley Levey, said the altercation began when her boyfriend, Kalen Johl, heckled Jericho as he drove through the parking lot. Jericho got out of his vehicle, Levey said, and made a derogatory comment to Johl, who is South Asian. She said Jericho pushed Kohl first. Levey called Jericho a racist, so he spit on and punched her, she said.
I just watched the video and though I can't hear everything that transpired, I could easily see that Levey made the initial contact with Jericho (whose back was turned) and with the mayhem around him, I would imagine he was caught off gaurd.
I don't approve of men hitting women, but I really can't tell if Jericho knew he hit a female, his reaction was more of protection then anything else.
No matter what was said, she shouldn't have touched Jericho at all, so I blame her for this altercation.
WTH was the your a disgrace to Canada crap? Do some people not yet realize that wrestling is entertainment?
Quote: The woman who was hit, 20-year-old Ashley Levey, said the altercation began when her boyfriend, Kalen Johl, heckled Jericho as he drove through the parking lot. Jericho got out of his vehicle, Levey said, and made a derogatory comment to Johl, who is South Asian. She said Jericho pushed Kohl first. Levey called Jericho a racist, so he spit on and punched her, she said.
I just watched the video and though I can't hear everything that transpired, I could easily see that Levey made the initial contact with Jericho (whose back was turned) and with the mayhem around him, I would imagine he was caught off gaurd.
I don't approve of men hitting women, but I really can't tell if Jericho knew he hit a female, his reaction was more of protection then anything else.
No matter what was said, she shouldn't have touched Jericho at all, so I blame her for this altercation.
WTH was the your a disgrace to Canada crap? Do some people not yet realize that wrestling is entertainment?
Crazy stuff in that video.
EXACTLY!
Anyone who knows anything about the real lives of the wrestlers knows that Jericho is one of the few class acts in the business.
He's hardly a disgrace to Canada.
And yes, the woman made initial contact with Jericho. The arena security was a joke. It's one thing to be heckled in the arena...but outside the arena once the show is over? Give me a break.
Going after one of these wrestling people for what happened in a match is like some nut going after a soap opera actor for doing something on a show...and these particular people would probably be the same ones who would call those going after the soap star an idiot.
Thats what is somewhat funny about the video, Jericho the wrester has an expression on his face before it became physical like, "are these people for real?" The hate "fans" showed towards him and some of the comments were shocking. Your point is something along the lines of my thought process and was one of the reasons why I watched the video. Pro Wrestling has already admitted that their "entertainment" but some people still go too far.
Funny how silly some people are and shows just how far some are out of touch with reality.
I could understand if this was a group of kids which is really the audience wrestling is and should be geared towards but the stupid plots have changed this to a degree, but these were young adults acting like this. It's wrestling, it's a male form of soap opera at it's best, I don't get why people watch or even get carried away with this crap, but the video proved my line of thinking that is was some crazed moronic fans, acting foolish, and I was right, but I should have expected it, we are talking about those who take and watch professional wresting seriously.
Fletch wrote: Funny how silly some people are and shows just how far some are out of touch with reality.
AMEN!
I saw the video on youtube. I am not surprised that fans like this still exist. There are fans of soap operas that think the stories are real.
Jericho is still one of the class acts in the business, and it's a shame that he had to do something like that because people can be idiots. Hopefully he's not in line to be Wrestlemania's celebrity job boy this year.
Wrestling is fake. EVERYTHING about it, please don't try and tell me they are real. LOL.
I'm the furthest thing from a wrestling fan. The though of someone thinking of me as a wrestling fan makes me want to throw them out of the ring onto the concrete padded floor.
I agree - I just watched the video and agree with you... I really can't blame Jerico too much because she really went after him and it looked like he just reacted.
Some of the marks take this stuff WAY too seriously.
Before I quit the business, this kid that I worked show with had an outstanding gimmick. He was a heel (in Cleveland) and went by the name "Bobby Modell." He wore a Ravens jersey and had a group called the "B-Town Posse" which included another worker, "Scotty Stover."
This kid would work the fans up into such a frenzy spewing anti-Browns rhetoric that they believed he was actually the nephew of Art Modell. On several occasions he had to get police escorts home because the marks would try to follow him so they could get him alone.
Wrestling marks often times lose touch with reality.
Not to belabor the obvious ..... but isn't escape from reality the whole point of entertainment?
It's a larger than life, over dramatized, action adventure/soap opera.
I quit watching it quite a long time ago when the storylines started repeating their repeats ..... but some people really get worked up over that stuff. (Just like people talking about their soap operas)
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
Quote: Some of the marks take this stuff WAY too seriously.
Before I quit the business, this kid that I worked show with had an outstanding gimmick. He was a heel (in Cleveland) and went by the name "Bobby Modell." He wore a Ravens jersey and had a group called the "B-Town Posse" which included another worker, "Scotty Stover."
This kid would work the fans up into such a frenzy spewing anti-Browns rhetoric that they believed he was actually the nephew of Art Modell. On several occasions he had to get police escorts home because the marks would try to follow him so they could get him alone.
Wrestling marks often times lose touch with reality.
These fans are idiots, I swear. When Jericho is in the arena hes a wrestler; you call him names and feed into his persona. But when he leaves, he is Chris Jericho the person, a guy who wrestles, constantly travels, and beats his body for the fans entertainment. If a mob of people rushed your car and started assaulting you verbally and physically would you just stand there and take it. The guy snapped, but he should in no way shape or form be punished.
I was a wrestling fan growing up as a kid in the Hulkamania era. About the mid 90's (10 years old) i realized that it was fake but still found it enjoyable. At about 15 years old I would only watch the PPV's with my friends out at BW3's, it was a good time. I don't even pay attention anymore, but it just really agitates me that there are ppl out there who take it so seriously that they think its acceptable to act this way to the guy when he just out on the street. IMO these people deserved what they got
The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.
I have not seen the video yet, however I tend to side with Chris on this subject. (I had him in for an autograph session at work years ago and took him to lunch) He came off as a very quiet, shy, and polite country boy in person.
I watched the video, there was not hundred of fans like the article states, maybe less than fifty, if he hit some girl, I did not see it, but I could of swore I saw someone wearing a Bungles jersey!!!!!!
These fans are idiots, I swear. When Jericho is in the arena hes a wrestler; you call him names and feed into his persona. But when he leaves, he is Chris Jericho the person, a guy who wrestles, constantly travels, and beats his body for the fans entertainment.
Exactly. I wonder if these people really think Christian Slater is really batman after dark.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
Quote: If a mob of people rushed your car and started assaulting you verbally and physically would you just stand there and take it. The guy snapped, but he should in no way shape or form be punished.
To answer your question, no I would've stayed in my car and kept driving since I'm not 6'3 250 pounds.
Quote: The woman who was hit, 20-year-old Ashley Levey, said the altercation began when her boyfriend, Kalen Johl, heckled Jericho as he drove through the parking lot. Jericho got out of his vehicle, Levey said, and made a derogatory comment to Johl, who is South Asian. She said Jericho pushed Kohl first. Levey called Jericho a racist, so he spit on and punched her, she said.
Sounds to me like he could have kept driving through the parking lot, but he chose to act like billy bad ass and get out of his vehicle allowing the mob to rush him. I'd hardly consider him the victim here.
These fans are idiots, I swear. When Jericho is in the arena hes a wrestler; you call him names and feed into his persona. But when he leaves, he is Chris Jericho the person, a guy who wrestles, constantly travels, and beats his body for the fans entertainment.
Exactly. I wonder if these people really think Christian Slater is really batman after dark.
Quote: Sounds to me like he could have kept driving through the parking lot, but he chose to act like billy bad ass and get out of his vehicle allowing the mob to rush him. I'd hardly consider him the victim here.
that was the account of the person who claims she was attacked. The person shot the video and posted it on youtube described it as this:
After Jericho drove out of the parking lot, a fan ran up to his SUV, starting knocking on the window and fingering him while yelling. Jericho opened the door and had the fan kick it shut. This is when I started recording.
another describes:
This afternoon after the WWE house show in Victoria, my girlfriend and I went to see the wrestlers leave the arena (this was my girlfriends first WWE event and she wanted to see them leave). The following is exactly what happened right in front of me and about another 50 wrestling fans who happened to be there are well:
Chris Jericho exited the building, and walked over to his white rental vehicle. The crowd watching him leave was heckling him, but he was ignoring it. He got in his vehicle and drove out of the arena parking lot, right past the crowd of us. As Jericho stopped at a stop sign, a fan ran into the street and started banging on his rental vehicle. At this point about 50 people rushed into the middle of the intersection, blocking traffic in several directions, with no police and very inadequate and incompetent security (no WWE security guards period). My girlfriend and I were literally in the very front of the crowd, and this all went down literally five feet away from us.
Chris Jericho opened the door to his vehicle in the middle of the road, and the fan shut the door back on him. Jericho then got out of the vehicle completely, and punched the fan in the face! This prompted another fan to jump in (he was friends with the first) and attack Jericho, who scuffled with the second guy. At this point, a woman who knew the second guy who attacked Jericho, started to jump in and get in Jerichos face (because he was fighting her friend).
This is where the Save on Foods Rent-A-Security Guards stopped standing around watching this happen (I swear they thought they were watching a wrestling angle or something), and stepped in to separate Jericho and the woman, who was shoving him. Looking at Jerichos face he was obviously ready to explode and was restraining himself but then the storm happened
The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.
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