With ONE Championship signing a deal with TNT, Vitor Belfort has called out Chris Jericho for an inter-promotional match. Belfort challenged Jericho during an interview to promote ONE’s debut event on TNT on April 7th.
“With myself being with ONE, and on the same network, I think it’s time for [AEW CEO] Tony Khan to give me Jericho, and I can whip Jericho’s butt. We can really make that fight happen,” Belfort said to SCMP MMA.
Chris Jericho responded by pretending to not know who Belfort is.
The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has appeared on Dynamite previously. Belfort was a member of Mike Tyson’s entourage that confronted Jericho on an episode of Dynamite last spring.
“I think this is what the audience wants, we can draw a lot of audience for AEW and ONE. It’s time to cross-promote and bring these two together. ONE has a lot of top athletes, including myself, and we can make some big fights in both,” Belfort said.
“It’s gonna be phenomenal. Think about me and Chris Jericho doing a ONE fight and going over there, imagine how many fans wanna see that – him making his debut in ONE, and me making my debut in AEW.”
AEW star Chris Jericho and legendary manager/promoter Jim Cornette are the latest wrestling personalities to exchange trash talk in public.
Jericho recently addressed Cornette’s negative comments about him on the Jim Cornette Experience podcast. Jericho said that Cornette and his co-host’s comments don’t bother him. In fact, he’s happy to give them material to talk about. Cornette fired back, as seen below.
Jericho posted the following Monday afternoon:
I’ve been told @TheJimCornette & his sidekick @greatbrianlast continue to brutally bury me for everything I do & say. My response to that is this….have at it! You’re entitled to ur opinions & Im honored to provide content that helps u pay your bills. Best of luck to both of u!
Thanks Chris–If you put the vodka down, got on a low-carb diet, had enough pride to quit doing cheerleading routines with outlaw wrestlers & stopped giving your money to a lunatic psychopath leading an insurrection against the US, I don't know WHAT I'd talk about. #StupidIdiothttps://t.co/xE5DuQ19pY
Shortly after that Tweet, Cornette realized he forgot to comment on Jericho’s band “Fozzy” playing the Sturgis festival this summer. The event has been labeled a “Super Spreader” event by some.
Sorry, I forgot to mention recklessly and with no regard for anyone's safety spreading a potentially deadly disease around the world because his midlife crisis demands he go out and play with the children. There's that too. https://t.co/xnOi1TBKjD
Jericho also expressed similar sentiment in a Tweet sent to Sebastian Bach yesterday.
I’ve been told that @sebastianbach continues to go out of his way to bury me. My response is this…be my guest! You are entitled to ur opinion & it doesn’t affect me either way. I still dig ur work on the first 3 @OfficialSkidRow albums & look forward to ur new record.
Bach has criticized Jericho for numerous things in the past. He was upset that Jericho’s band called their tour “Fozzy Across America” which he felt was a take on Skid Row’s “Skids Across America” tour. The singer eventually deleted his Tweet regarding this, however.
Bach has also accused Jericho of lip-syncing.
I've texted you three times no response. I will sing in your face anytime you want
Jericho’s guitarist spoke about Bach in a reply to this thread as well.
“Any time I have witnessed Sebastian’s name come up in a group setting, the room enthusiastically lines up to say the worst things about him. He’s universally disliked, never witnessed a more unifying topic. @IAmJericho has ALWAY come to the guy’s defense and shuts it down.”
Any time I have witnessed Sebastian’s name come up in a group setting, the room enthusiastically lines up to say the worst things about him. He’s universally disliked, never witnessed a more unifying topic. @IAmJericho has ALWAY come to the guy’s defense and shuts it down. 1/2
AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. Cody would discuss a number of topics during the interview, including the first year of AEW programming.
“Somebody asked me to grade it [AEW’s first year]” Cody Rhodes began on the podcast. “And of course, as part of the company I can’t give it a bad grade! But I said like ‘an A, and there’s room for an A+.'”
“We know where we need to grow” Rhodes would continue. “Even if AEW only went one year? It’s still been the greatest year of my life. I learned a lot of lessons, and learned some hard lessons about the burdens of management. If you were not popular before? You’re definitely not going to be popular as you enter that space.”
Cody Rhodes on Company Metrics
Cody would then discuss the ratings success of the promotion. “I still think like, it is surreal, like the numbers? That’s why I love the data. I love when (Chris) Harrington shows me this spreadsheet, talks about our international deals. We’re having these calls…like I was on the phone with Microsoft the other day!”
Rhodes would finish by saying how he laid out how he wanted his involvement to work with AEW President Tony Khan on day one. “I told Tony, I said do not give me this job unless you want me to really do the job. Which would mean really embrace it, which would probably include pissing you [Khan] off from time to time. But he’s never been pissed at me.”
AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. Cody would discuss a number of topics during the interview, including the younger talent who are currently working in the promotion.
Chris Jericho would specifically discuss the young tag team Private Party. Jericho faced Isiah Kassidy in a match on the September 25th 2019 episode of AEW Dynamite.
Chris Jericho on Private Party
“The thing with this those guys? They’re like 19 and 21” Jericho would begin on the podcast. “They’re never had to do a promo in their life, at least not on national TV. When I worked with Isaiah Cassidy? It was his second ever singles match on live TV. Like for us we’ve been doing it for so long, but these are kids and they need advice and are probably super happy to get it.”
“But they must also be a little scared you know? Like ‘oh these guys never say anything, they don’t talk, they don’t ask questions.’ I’d be terrified if I was those two guys at 19 and 21!”
Jericho would finish by saying how it’s the older talent’s responsibility to look after the younger stars. “It’s kind of our responsibility, but these are just really young guys.”
Chris Jericho has of course been working with his own stable of younger talent over the past year. The creation of the Inner Circle has given ‘Le Champion’ the ability to help fresh stars like Sammy Guevara, Pride & Powerful, MJF and Wardlow advance their careers and stature on AEW programming.
AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. Cody would discuss a number of topics during the interview, including the fact that he was Brodie Lee’s final match in professional wrestling.
Cody of course faced Brodie Lee in a Dog Collar Match on AEW Dynamite; this was Cody’s return bout after being defeated handily by Lee on the show a month prior. The angle was set up so that Cody could go and record the ‘Go Big Show,’ making sure that the production was adhering to COVID-19 protocols.
“I hated the fact that I was his last match” Cody Rhodes would begin on the podcast. “Like, I loved it, and I love that feeling. But, I also hated it, because god, we were all denied all these other great matches.” Interestingly, Cody Rhodes actually defeated Brodie Lee/Luke Harper in his first ever television loss in WWE; so Brodie’s first and last televised losses came at the hands of Cody Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes on Brodie Lee
“I wasn’t confident in that…obviously he could have continued and been better and done more stuff and I could have [gone on] to be better” Cody continued, lamenting how far he and Brodie Lee could’ve gone together in their feud and AEW in general. “I hate it, but love that I shared that moment with him.”
Cody Rhodes would finish by stating how bittersweet it was to have the main event match against Brodie Lee on that Dynamite; something that Brodie Lee had worked his whole career for and the reason he left WWE, to get to the main event. “Now I look at it [the match] more with a reverence and love. Just because, he got to go out…the thing he wanted the most? He got to go out on top. Which is great.”
You can check out some of the highlights from Brodie Lee vs Cody Rhodes in the Dog Collar match below:
Jim Cornette recently weighed in on the AEW/Chris Jericho and NBA Twitter fanbase and why NBA fans decided to body shame Chris Jericho.
A recent episode of AEW Dynamite was pre-empted by an NBA game. The December 23rd episode of Dynamite followed on from a game that went into overtime and some NBA fans decided to watch the opening AEW match.
That match saw Top Flight (Darius and Dante Martin) take on the Inner Circle tandem of MJF and Chris Jericho. With Jericho being arguably the biggest mainstream name in AEW? Fans were quick to mention how different he looked from when he appeared in WWE during the ‘heyday’ of 2001-2005.
Jim Cornette on Chris Jericho
“Why is anybody surprised?” Jim Cornette would begin on the Drive Thru podcast. “This is another thing that I’ve been saying for a long, long time. Whether you like it or not. Chris Jericho is the biggest mainstream name recognition star in AEW, specifically because of his years and years spent with the WWE. That was when their ratings were much higher than they are now.”
“It’s not because he had a match at the Tokyo Dome a couple of years ago” Cornette continued. “It’s not because he’s with AEW now. It’s not because he was with WCW in 1998, it’s because he was a big star on WWE TV for a significant period of time; when they were doing much better ratings themselves than they are now. That’s just math and common sense.”
Did you see the Twitter drama with Chris Jericho and the NBA fans? Do you think that Jim Cornette is right here? Let us know in the comments
AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’
When discussing his Wrestle Kingdom 12 match against Kenny Omega; Chris Jericho would reveal that he was concerned about leaving the WWE bubble and heading to another promotion where he believes he may have not been ‘remembered.’
Chris Jericho on WWE versus New Japan
“There’s a certain atmosphere in WWE” Chris Jericho would begin. “It is what it is and I enjoyed it there for my time there. But this (New Japan) was a whole different level of…star positioning, shall we say. Positioning me in the main event of the Tokyo Dome with Kenny who is a proven huge star in New Japan.”
“Me? I’d not been there since 1997 when I was doing jobs for Kanemoto, whoever the hell it was…El Samurai?” Jericho would continue. “So for me to go there? People kind of knew who I was, but not really, unless you were a fan from 20 years prior. So I had to start from scratch. They might know the idea of what Chris Jericho is, maybe heard the name or seen some matches, when WWE came to Japan to do Sumo Arena? But this was a chance for me to prove myself on a completely different level.”
It’s almost baffling to believe that a veteran the stature of Jericho would think that the Japanese fans wouldn’t know who he is. Given that the former Y2J had been in almost every major promotion before 2018 and had won most of the biggest titles in the world? It’s fair to say that he would’ve always been welcomed by the Japanese fans with open arms.
Are you amazed that Chris Jericho was worried about this prior to re-joining New Japan? Let us know in the comments
AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’
One of the most common comparisons Omega/Callis have had is that of Nick Bockwinkel and Bobby Heenan. Don Callis would start the interview by addressing that notion and saying that he and Omega are completely different beasts.
Don Callis on Comparisons To Greats
“I actually never said it, but people are saying that” the IMPACT Wrestling EVP would begin on the podcast. “I think it’s great. Nick Bockwinkel? He’s one of the greatest of all time. I think Bobby Heenan is a great wrestling manager. I am not a manager, I’m not a wrestling character, I’m making history Chris (Jericho), just like you.”
“I’m not out there performing, I’m not Bobby Heenan” Don Callis would continue. “I’m a revolutionary, I’m Winston Churchill. I don’t care what people say about me on the internet, I don’t care what the ratings are. Because guess what? When we get a rating? The next week, we forget about the week before and we’re on to the next thing.”
Don Callis would then reveal that his ambition goes far beyond the now in pro wrestling. “I don’t care what people say about me now. I care about what people say about Kenny Omega and Don Callis 50 years from now. When people are saying ‘we thought Eddie Graham, Bill Watts, Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon were smart?’ Don Callis and Kenny Omega are on a totally different level.”
‘The Invisible Hand’ would finish by again rubbishing the comparisons to Bockwinkel and Heenan. “That’s just the reality. So Nick Bockwinkel and Bobby Heenan? Great, great, wrestlers. Kenny Omega is not a wrestler, Kenny Omega is a God among insects. That’s how much better Kenny Omega is than everybody else.”
Do you agree with Don Callis? Do you think that he and Kenny Omega are carving out a path that will put them in the history books? Let us know in the comments
AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’
Jericho would begin the interview by asking Kenny Omega how he felt about finally getting the AEW Championship. Much had been made of the AEW EVPs (The Young Bucks and Omega in particular) not being ‘the same’ performers they were in Japan before creating All Elite. Omega would state that he was ready to be the ‘Best Bout Machine’ again.
Kenny Omega on Becoming AEW Champion
“I felt that it was time” Kenny Omega began on the podcast. “I felt that I’d waited long enough kind of trying to help everyone else out. It was time to help myself, and when I had sort of made that decision? I thought, who better to do it with than one of my family members, you know?”
Omega would then discuss how the pairing with him and Don Callis would align on AEW and IMPACT programming. “Even though he was involved with a different company had other business to attend to? He made himself available. I think you can really tell when you’re comfortable with someone in a ring, comfortable with someone in a professional environment. Don and I working together? It just goes hand in hand.”
“I think that’s why people enjoy it (Kenny Omega and Callis)” Kenny Omega would continue. “Because they see that, they see the chemistry there. They also see one of the greatest managers, one of the greatest wrestling personalities of all time with, arguably, I would say; the greatest wrestler currently active in today’s world.”
Are you enjoying the start of Kenny Omega’s run as AEW Champion? Do you think that he’ll appear in more promotions? Let us know in the comments
All Elite Wrestling’s Chris Jericho has named The Big Show as his favorite tag team partner. Jericho made the declaration on a recent episode of his podcast, Talk is Jericho. He stressed how Big Show was his favorite tag team partner “by far.”
“That was because I was tag team champions with Edge and Edge tore his Achilles tendon and he was going to be out for eight months,’ Jericho said. “They didn’t want to strip me of the titles, so Vince wanted me to have another partner because we were going into a feud with DX. A lot of people wanted to put me with a young guy and I said, we can’t do this, DX will eat you alive unless I have somebody that’s a world champion level.”
According to Jericho, he suggested he team up with Kane. However, Vince McMahon proposed he team with Big Show. Jericho liked the idea but had a couple of caveats before agreeing.
“I said, great, but no more comedy and he needs to get rid of the one-sided strap. I wanted him in tights. He wanted a singlet. I said we are going to remember how big he is and he is going to be a giant with me. Vince said, ‘Absolutely.’ That’s where it started.”
Jericho And Big Show’s Chemistry
Chris Jericho reflected on how every match the team won was only because of The Big Show knocking out their opponent. The two would ultimately become close friends, with Jericho noting how they would argue “like an old married couple.”
“[…] I would have an idea and then he would come up with an idea. I would say, ‘yeah that’s good, but mine’s better.’ He would say, ‘Fine, I’ll just sit here and be a big stupid giant and won’t say a word.’ We had a great chemistry and a great friendship. He was an excellent partner for sure.”
Chris Jericho competed during last night’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Alongside his Inner Circle stablemates, he faced off against Best Friends, The Varsity Blondes, and Top Flight.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has discussed the idea of a Sting versus Chris Jericho match taking place in AEW. He broached the hypothetical bout during an episode of his Hall of Fame podcast after Jericho shared a fanmade image teasing interest in a match with “The Icon.”
Booker T argued that the image, which features Jericho in his NJPW Painmaker gear and makeup, managed to convince him.
Referencing the Painmaker look, Booker T admitted, “You know what? I never thought about this. The blackjack with the spikes on. That was actually really cool. Nah man. It works.”
“Not that Sting can’t touch the career of Darby Allin and some of those other guys. I really think there’s a place there for him as a character. That’s one thing about wrestling is that no matter how old you are, you can still be a character.”
Booker T noted that, although Sting is 61-years-old, he can “still go out there and go.” He believes Sting can still deliver in the ring, even if it’s only “a little something.” As far as he’s concerned, a matchup between Sting and Jericho would deliver because it will “tell a story.”
“I think it really wouldn’t matter for him and a guy like Jericho. I really think they can go out there, pretty much, with smoke-and-mirrors, and tell a story. With no disrespect to anyone, I think there is enough knowledge in their head to do smoke-and-mirrors and tell the story, even at the age Sting is right now. Even still at the age of Chris Jericho right now, I think, no disrespect.”
Booker T On Why Jericho Is The Right Opponent For Sting
Booker T then likened a potential bout between the two to Shawn Michaels versus The Undertaker. He argued how “At that time, it was about 100 years [combined] because both them were about 50 at the time. And they went out and had the best match on the card by far that night. They told the best story by far that night on the card.”
He believes that Chris Jericho is the perfect opponent for Sting to not only deliver a good matchup but also protect him, ensuring “The Icon” can also walk out of the ring afterward.
Booker T then speculated on a potential feud between the two. He imagined they could have as many as three matches together:
“So, my thing is yeah, who’s the right guy? […] Chris Jericho, take nothing away from the guy. Over the years, he has learned what the game is truly all about. He’s like a walking encyclopedia as far as the wrestling game goes. So yeah, I could see that happening, and surely the fans of AEW would tune in to check that out. Without a doubt.”
Sting appeared during last night’s episode of AEW Dynamite. He teased his intentions in the promotion during a segment with Cody and Darby Allin.
All Elite Wrestling’s Chris Jericho has reflected on how the late Pat Patterson helped his career. Jericho paid tribute to Patterson during a recent episode of his Talk is Jerichopodcast.
The Inner Circle leader revealed how Patterson was the Yoda to his Luke Skywalker. He confessed how this wasn’t just true for him and that Patterson helped to influence and inspire “so many guys of my generation.”
“I was in the business nine years before I met him. I didn’t really understand what psychology was. I might have thought that I did, but I really didn’t until I met Pat,” Jericho explained. “Pat taught me 90% of what I know of how to put together a wrestling match. The mindset comes directly from Pat Patterson.”
Jericho then pointed to “modern era main-eventers,” naming Superstars like Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, The Rock, and Kurt Angle alongside himself. According to him, “Whoever is in there, Pat was our guy.”
He explained how Patterson was usually the agent assigned to their matchups. “[…] that’s just the way it was because you were working on top and Pat was always with the top guys.”
Chris Jericho On What Made Pat Patterson A Great Agent
Chris Jericho noted how working with Patterson on these high-level matchups was akin to collaborating with a co-writer on a song. Jericho may come up with an initial idea, and together, they would help change and evolve it into something better.
“Lower level agents would get insulted if you said you didn’t like the idea and they would get mad. Pat never said that. He would always say, here is what I’m visualizing. Then, ok, let’s try this. He would never get mad if you didn’t like it.”
Jericho admitted that Patterson wasn’t afraid to challenge an idea. Despite this, he maintained a humility that never saw him declare, ‘I’m Pat Patterson, so my idea is the best so listen to me.’ He wasn’t that type of an agent […].” Jericho explained that this collaborative approach is what made working with Patterson so fun.
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
‘The Demogod’ Chris Jericho has reacted to NXT beating last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite in TV ratings and reminded people that they still came out ahead in the important demo.
The former AEW World Champion took on his Twitter to react to the latest TV rating of both the shows and he wrote: “It’s all about the Demo daddy. #wewinagain”
Week 59 of the Wednesday Night Wars between AEW and WWE saw NXT defeat Dynamite in overall viewership during the Thanksgiving eve episodes of the shows.
NXT managed to garner an average of 712,000 viewers on the USA Network while Dynamite was only slightly behind with 710,000 viewers on TNT.
Dynamite came out ahead when it comes to the 18-49 demo which is considered to be the most important demo for advertising. It ranked #7 in the Cable Top 150 for it while NXT ranked at #25.
However, AEW’s weekly show still saw a significant 16% drop in overall viewership from last week’s episode of the show which had garnered 850,000 viewers.
On the other hand, NXT recorded a jump of 12% from last week’s episode of the show which had only gotten 638,000 viewers.
While Chris Jericho is often praised for his mic work, he is also an incredible actor and his skills such as his unmatchable comic timing have helped him in staying relevant in the wrestling business for so long.
During his recent appearance on the Keeping It 100 podcast, the former AEW champion talked about a number of things and he also gave his opinion on why the comedy in WWE does not work nowadays.
Jericho explained that his view of comedy is that you should always play it straight because when you try to be funny, it never really turns out that way:
“My view of comedy is you always play it straight, WWE comedy is d–k and fart jokes. That’s why a lot of it doesn’t work well.
Don’t try to be funny. Because when you try to be funny it’s never funny. And that’s been my attitude with all these segments.”
Chris Jericho also talked about the process of putting together a show in AEW and he admitted that there are times when some details slip through the cracks since they do not have writers at the show.
Apart from this, the former World Champion talked about things like drug use in wrestling nowadays compared to older times. You can check out his comments on the matter at this link.
Chris Jericho has been a part of the wrestling world for over 30 years and during this time, the former world champion has seen the good, the bad and the worst the industry has to offer.
One of the things Y2J has seen the wrestling world evolving through is the extensive use of drug back in the day to the current era where it’s considered prohibited.
Jericho talked about a number of things during his recent appearance on Keeping it 100 with Konnan podcast, such as the backstage environment at AEW:
“It’s been a really cool environment with AEW because Tony is, you never want to say this, but he’s one of the boys to an extent, he’s one of the boys in that he hangs out after the show. He’s very generous.”
Discussing the difference in the drug use in today’s wrestling compared to the past, Jericho said “Now, it’s you know, weed and alcohol, there’s really no pills, there’s really no drugs.”
Chris Jericho also talked about the backstage environment at AEW after the shows saying that there is food for everyone after the show and often there is alcohol as well. He explained that it’s because Tony Khan has a sports background and he knows how to take care of his athletes.
WWE is often criticized for scripting the promos and matches of the superstars and during a recent interview, Chris Jericho revealed why Vince McMahon started doing this.
Y2J was recently joined by Court Bauer on his Talk Is Jericho podcast where the two discussed the evolution of wrestling from the attitude era to this day in detail.
During the interview, Chris revealed that Vince McMahon originally started incorporating writers into wrestling because he wanted to beat Friends:
“The reason why writers became a thing was when we started SmackDown, which was right after I got there, August ‘99; Vince made it his motto that SmackDown was going to be bigger than ‘Friends’.
‘We’re going to beat ‘Friends’ on Thursday’, and his reasoning and idea and strategy was well ‘Friends’ has writers” recalled Chris Jericho, “Then we need writers too.”
Bauer then discussed how WWE is a hybrid system where they take aspects of TV, sports and show biz and combine them all to create the ‘WWE gumbo’.
Apart from this, Chris Jericho also talked about this transition and recalled how there were no writers when he first arrived in WWE and confronted the Rock during their famous segment on his debut.
All Elite Wrestling’s Chris Jericho has detailed what he believes the promotion could be doing better, acknowledging that it has made a few mistakes along the way.
Speaking with Konnan on his podcast Keeping it 100, Jericho discussed how, despite AEW’s success, there have been “details that sometimes slip through the cracks.”
“We still have quite a few times when very similar angles will happen one after the other. An example of that was a few weeks ago when the big question was if MJF would join The Inner Circle,” Jericho said.
“I think there was a town hall when Bischoff was asking the questions. As soon as we were done, we went to a package where Taz was asking if Hobbs will join Taz’ team.”
According to Jericho, he brought up the similarities in a production meeting, asking how it happened. He stressed how the segments were the “exact same thing” and that nobody noticed.
Looking to try and differentiate the two segments, Jericho pitched a few ideas. This extended to leaning into different wording between the two stories. He explained how they used “Will MJF join The Inner Circle was the tagline for our PPV match, therefore any other joinings should be suspended for this duration.”
He stated how that approach is “common sense” before admitting that, sometimes, “those things fall through the cracks.”
Chris Jericho then stressed how, if there’s one thing AEW can do going forward, it’s to commit “a little more attention to detail.”
Chris Jericho And Comedy
When Konnan asked if Jericho thinks he’s doing too much comedy in AEW, Jericho argued that, regardless, his feuds always have heat.
He explained how his storylines will always have a beginning, middle, and end that is meticulously planned out. Jericho added how he’s not booking anybody else, only himself.
Jericho explained how, to have a captivating, compelling story, “there has to be ups and downs.”
He then argued how the original idea and connection between himself and MJF stemmed from comedy as “they are very similar characters.”
He added how the ultimate end goal is to turn everybody into much bigger stars by feuding with him. “At this point in my career, all I’m about is entertaining and being creatively stimulated and not doing the same old same old.”
Jericho then reflected on the recent Le Dinner Debonair segment with MJF. He credited MJF with the idea before praising him as a “childhood prodigy.”
“The song and dance routine, I wouldn’t do that with anybody, that was MJF’s idea by the way. The guy was a childhood prodigy. He’s been singing and dancing since he was five years old. If there was ever a time to try it, let’s do it. Are we going to do it every week? No. Is it something people will always remember? Yes.”
David Benoit recently appeared on The Ryback Show podcast. The son of Chris Benoit discussed a litany of topics during the interview, including his want to appear in the ring himself.
David has spoken at length about the difficulties of carrying his last name, following the tragic events of June 2007. These can be heard at length on VICE’s Dark Side of The Ring.
Although Benoit is still in the “early stages” of his wrestling training? He has already made a major decision regarding his professional wrestling future. “I don’t want to go to WWE” Benoit stated on the podcast.
David Benoit as a ‘Technical’ Wrestler
Benoit would also claim that he wants to be a “technical” style wrestler when he finally makes it to the ring. It’s clear that David is heavily influenced by his father, as well as Chris Benoit’s contemporaries such as Chris Jericho and Dean Malenko. David would list Jericho and Malenko as two men who have guided him thus far and are his longtime friends.
It’s been reported previously how David Benoit has been spotted backstage at both WWE and AEW. Ryback would ask Benoit if there were differences between the two company’s atmospheres backstage.
“I’d say, yes, you know?” Benoit revealed. “Because everyone seems to be more happier [in AEW] I find.” Benoit would finish by saying that “I’ve seen…I’ve seen a lot of old ex WWE employees at AEW. They’re just a lot happier.”
Do you want to see David Benoit in an AEW ring? Do you think that he will struggle to get past the baggage of his last name? Let us know in the comments
The unlikely match between Chris Jericho and MJF took place at the AEW Full Gear pay-per-view event in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place.
The match featured a stipulation, which was if MJF won then he could join up with the group. Jericho was a babyface with the fans and MJF a total heel. That was the dynamic of this contest. Near the end, they did some near falls with Jericho connecting with the likes of Walls and codebreaker.
The finish saw Wardlow distracting the referee and Jericho was going to hit MJF with a bat, but MJF did the famous Eddie Guerrero fake sell to roll him up. MJF is now in the group.
After a few weeks of slow build up to this match, AEW had some interesting segments in the final three weeks of Dynamite. On the October 21st show, AEW did a “La Dinner Demonair” segment.
The segment started off with both men ordering dinner while going back and forth Tension increased as they tried to one-up each other until they started signing.
Fast forward to the October 28th episode, Inner Circle held a Town Hall Meeting to determine if MJF could join up with the group. Obviously, a decision wasn’t made, but it turned out to be an entertaining segment as Eric Bischoff got to ask a question about how they would know the other wouldn’t attack them once in the group. The end of the segment saw Jericho toss out the challenge to a match at Full Gear.
All Elite Wrestling star Wardlow recently appeared on Vickie Guerrero’s Excuse Me! Podcast. The ‘bodyguard’ of Maxwell Jacob Friedman discussed a number of topics during his time on the show.
These included his first match on AEW television against Cody Rhodes and MJF’s match against Chris Jericho this Saturday at Full Gear. Full Gear takes place on Saturday 7th November and is available to purchase on FITE TV (for international viewers). The PPV is available on B/R Live in the United States.
Wardlow on The Inner Circle
“As far as my opinion, or how I feel about the Inner Circle? I’ve never been one to need a bunch of friends or need to be in a group or whatever” Wardlow stated on the podcast. “At the end of the day? I’m Max’s guy. Where Max/MJF goes? I go.”
Wardlow would talk directly about the leader of the Inner Circle, Chris Jericho. MJF and Jericho are currently feuding and will be facing each other at the aforementioned Full Gear this weekend. Wardlow would say that MJF is ‘welcome’ to join Inner Circle if he wishes, and he’ll always have his back.
“Whatever he wants to be a part of? I’m there to have his back. At the end of the day, Chris Jericho is Chris Jericho. So to be associated with him? I don’t find any negative. I don’t think there’s any negative that could exist in that situation.”
Do you think that MJF will join Inner Circle? Do you think that Chris Jericho will end up getting booted from the group? Let us know in the comments
CM Punk decided to have some fun at the expense of Chris Jericho.
On Wednesday morning, Jericho sent out a misleading tweet about the election, which has received responses from various people including wrestlers and CM Punk.
Jericho tweeted, “Im not a political person, but is it strange to anybody else, that for the first time ever, we have to wait a day…2 days…5 days…10 days…to find out who won the presidential race?”
It should be noted that elections are oftentimes not called on election day. There have been a few examples of that such as the elections in 2016 and 2000. In fact, the 2000 election took over a month before a winner was declared.
For those who may not know, the mail-in ballots are still being counted and it was known prior to election day that there could be delays. Jericho has been corrected by several people but has yet to delete his tweet.
Jericho and Punk most notably worked a program in 2012 that saw Jericho challenge Punk for the WWE Title at WrestleMania 28.
Inner Circle leader Chris Jericho has revealed he has no intention of leaving All Elite Wrestling. Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, Talk is Jericho, Jericho explained why he feels so content in the promotion.
“Right off the bat, not to get into the specifics, but things that I have here in AEW I never had in WWE for 20 years,” Jericho said. “Even something as simple as paying your expenses on the road, like any team does. If the Jaguars go to play a game in St. Louis, the hotel is paid for and ‘Here’s the trip,’ and ‘Here’s the team bus to pick you up and drive you around.’ That’s just the way it is. It’s not even a second thought, right? That’s how it is here in AEW as well, which it’s never like that in WWE.”
Jericho argued how WWE’s process still makes its Superstars pay for their own car and hotel rooms. He shared how WWE would simply give a list of dates to a Superstar. It was then expected they would make their own arrangements. Jericho noted how “those are your expenses and your responsibility to do that.”
Chris Jericho Explains The “Biggest Difference” Between AEW and WWE
According to Jericho, his AEW experience has been a stark contrast to his WWE tenure. How the promotion looks after its roster, however, makes the “biggest difference” to him.
“To me, it’s one of those things where I’m really glad that we were able to take a chance, and get this company off the ground and make it successful. And I have no intentions of ever going anywhere ever again. I like it here, I like working for the Khan family. And it’s been a lot of fun. Which sometimes, it was not as fun in WWE. So it’s definitely a whole different vibe here.”
Chris Jericho is scheduled face off against MJF at AEW’s upcoming Full Gear pay-per-view. If MJF is victorious, he will be able to join Jericho’s Inner Circle.
Former WWE Superstar Ryback recently discussed the contentious AEW Dynamite segment featuring MJF and ‘Le Champion’ Chris Jericho.
The musical segment caused a ton of conversation since it aired on Wednesday, with the actual low rating for that quarter hour of the show adding to the back and forth. It would turn out that the quarter hour had an audience of 676,000 viewers.
Chris Jericho, however, would tout the success of the actual musical number, saying that the minute by minute rating proved it was a success. Jericho tweeted, “Just saw minute by minute ratings for #LeDinnerDebonair. I’m stoked that almost 800k checked out our song and dance! Fifth highest demo for #AEWDynamite as well. Add over a million views on Twitter & it looks like our experiment paid off!”
Ryback’s Take
“I watched the entire thing and was entertained by it” Ryback began on the Shooting Blanks Wrestling podcast. “It caught me completely off guard, I was not expecting that at all. I don’t know if anybody was expecting that!? We’ve ever seen it.”
“I’m not against stuff like that at all” The Big Guy would continue. “Because I think you do need to try things. I mean, that was why I asked that question ‘let’s see what the rating said and if the rating showed an increase? It’s not something you’re gonna do every week. They’re not gonna have Jericho and MJF just do Broadway’s every week you know?”
Ryback would further praise the pair for the creativity of the segment. “I think it was a way to do something outside the box in a creative way at a time where creativity is kind of. We need creativity right now with everything going on. I didn’t hate it at all and I enjoyed it. I watched the entire thing, and I go ‘whoa I’ve never seen anything like this before.’ And I thought, both of them? They pulled that off as well as they could have.”
The Big Guy would finish by discussing how the segment worked from a character standpoint. “They had the the character stuff up front, and I thought it created a really interesting dynamic and story with them. Just how they’re both kind of scumbags and dropping the girls at the same time and doing little things like that. I thought it was really cool and interesting.”
Do you agree with Ryback? Did you enjoy the segment? Will this help the MJF and Chris Jericho feud? Let us know in the comments
Chris Jericho and MJF received high praise for their Le Dinner Debonair segment.
The segment aired this past Wednesday on AEW Dynamite. Fans didn’t know what to expect from it going in, but the majority of fans liked it while a minority of the fanbase didn’t.
There was tension as they tried to one-up each other while ordering steaks until they started signing. Jericho took to his Twitter account where he touted the success of it:
Jericho wrote, “Just saw minute by minute ratings for #LeDinnerDebonair & I’m stoked that almost 800k checked out our song and dance! Fifth highest demo for #AEWDynamite as well. Add over a million views on Twitter & it looks like our experiment paid off! The #DemoGod wins again! @The_MJF.”
Dynamite drew 753,000 live viewers on TNT and ranked #13 among the top 150 shows on cable by doing a 0.30 in the 18-49 demographic.
Next Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite Card
TNT Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Orange Cassidy
Wardlow vs. Hangman Page (AEW Tournament Match)
Kenny Omega vs. Penta El Zero M (AEW Tournament Match)
Inner Circle Town Hall Meeting to decide if MJF will join the group