Chris Jericho has stopped wearing his light-up jacket to the ring despite New Japan's wishes because it doesn't feel right to him anymore.
Despite the toll it takes on competitor's bodies, there is no sport like professional wrestling that allows for longevity. If a wrestler's body can hold up then the men and women in the industry can literally go on for decades. There's more to it than that, though, as it also requires a performer to constantly reinvent themselves and keep their act fresh.
While there are plenty of wrestlers out there who can do that, such as The Undertaker, there is no one better at it in the business right now than Chris Jericho. The key to it is to make those changes subtle, not to overhaul your entire character and persona. Y2J jas done it by adding a scarf, tweaking his entrance video, or adding a new catchphrase to his repertoire.
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One of the biggest changes Jericho has made to his appearance in recent years was the addition of his light-up jacket. Since the stage is in complete darkness when he first appears for his entrance, it made for a pretty cool effect when he was standing there with his back to the fans. However, the more eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that he didn't wear it for his most recent match in New Japan versus Tetsuya Naito.
Jericho was recently a guest on Wrestling Observer Radio and explained why the light-up jacket is no more. "When I went to do the Naito match in Osaka, New Japan wanted me to wear the light-up jacket, and I was like, 'I can't. I don't feel it anymore.'," Y2J explained. Apparently, New Japan officials almost insisted on him wearing it, however, Jericho obviously got his own way in the end.
If someone who is as good at his craft and knows his persona as well as Jericho refuses to do something or insists on doing something else, then you should probably take his advice. At this point, the former World Champion is more than 25 years into his career and right now is arguably enjoying the best part of it, and shows no sign of slowing any time soon.