Former AEW Champion Chris Jericho recently discussed Dean Malenko and the role of an agent/coach on his Talk Is Jericho podcast. This week’s episode featured AEW star QT Marshall, who himself has apparently been working with Chris Jericho to ‘agent’ some of his matches.
“Dean [Malenko] was always my coach, agent, producer, until finally recently I was like, ‘he’s being wasted with me'” Jericho began on the podcast. “Because I put together my stuff and I’ll always ask Dean his opinion. But [AEW should] put him with some guys that he can really be helping with.”
Jericho and Malenko are of course two stars who are very well aware of each other’s in-ring capabilities. Chris Jericho’s famous ‘man of 1,004 holds’ promo (including the armbar) came during the duo’s feud in WCW. During the late nineties both Jericho and Malenko were an integral part of WCW’s Cruiserweight division. Both men would end up leaving to join the then WWF at different points.
Chris Jericho on QT Marshall
“I said just put QT with me” Chris Jericho would continue. “Because the few times when I had a question for QT or I said ‘do you have any suggestions?’ He came up with a couple of things. That’s like what Jamie Noble was like [as an agent], it didn’t have to be a lot.”
Jericho would finish by saying how he is at a point in his career where he wants to get pointers and ideas, whereas someone the calibre of Malenko can be helping younger talent on a more 50/50 basis.
“Dean did it last week with me and Max’s [MJF] match. Sometimes one idea is all you need to fit everything together you know? I was like ‘just put QT with me, let me bounce off my 99%. if he has 1%? Great. Let Dean go do 50/50 with the younger guys, you know?”
Do you think that Chris Jericho will move into a ‘coaching’ role when he finishes in-ring with AEW? Let us know in the comments
