5 booking directions for the Jericho Appreciation Society after losing at AEW Dynamite: Blood and Guts
AEW Dynamite this week was headlined by the second-ever Blood and Guts match between the Jericho Appreciation Society and Blackpool Combat Club. Last year's edition saw the Inner Circle and the Pinnacle go to war, with Chris Jericho being thrown from the top of the cage by MJF.
This time around, The Wizard's latest faction was locked inside a steel structure that housed two rings and featured the likes of Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz, interim AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and the BBC's newest member Claudio Castagnoli.
It was a brutal and violent affair which culminated in Sammy Guevara taking an awe-inspiring fall from the top of the structure. Ultimately, the Mad King and the Swiss Superman got the victory after the latter tapped out Matt Menard, much to the frustation of Kingston.
With the Jericho Appreciation Society suffering a loss, what's next for The Demo God and his team? Here are five booking directions that AEW can carry out to help recover their momentum.
#5. Chris Jericho & Eddie Kingston have one final blowoff match
Wow what a Show Thank You @AEW @TonyKhan Look at this @IAmJericho @MadKing1981 https://t.co/l9utnG0WXu
While Eddie Kingston had Chris Jericho trapped in a submission, Le Champion didn't tap out. Kingston's failure to give Jericho his comeuppance was a major disappointment given it was the main feud that necessitated such a brutal stipulation.
The fact that it didn't have a definitive ending paves the way for Kingston and Jericho to have a blow-off singles match down the road. During an interview with New York Post Sports, The Mad King expressed his disdain for the 51-year-old and his lackey Sammy Guevara:
"When you have cowards like Chris Jericho and the other one [Sammy Guevara], that's not fun. You gotta chase 'em around and beat 'em up. I don't feel like chasing people, I like to stand toe-to-toe."
Whether it's on a future Dynamite, Rampage or pay-per-view, the long-running rivalry deserves a proper blow-off before competitors can move on to other things. It's the least that this personal feud deserves.
#4. Chris Jericho challenges Jon Moxley for the Interim AEW World Championship
In the early stages of AEW, Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley were the cornerstones of the company as its first two world champions. In fact, it was Mox who defeated Le Champion at Revolution 2020 to become the top guy, leading the promotion through the pandemic.
They have since crossed paths a number of times, including in this week's Blood & Guts match. But Moxley felt like a supporting act in the main feud between Jericho and Eddie Kingston.
After Dynamite went off the air to start the taping of Rampage, AEW president Tony Khan addressed the live crowd regarding a new match concept called "Royal Rampage." The winner of the upcoming battle royal will become the no. 1 contender for Jon Moxley's interim world title.
What if The Wizard enters himself as one of the competitors and lasts till the end? It would be the perfect way for Jericho to regain his momentum and immediately put himself in title contention.
While it is a retread of a previous rivalry, both wrestlers have evolved since then. It would be a great placeholder feud while awaiting CM Punk's return from injury.
#3. Jake Hager starts a rivalry with Claudio Castagnoli
Now that Cesaro is AEW, will there be a chance to see him reunite with Jack Swagger? Perhaps in a one on one match or a tag team against each other?! https://t.co/L9CaRVx5Xs
In the middle of the Blood and Guts match, there was a special moment when Jake Hager faced off with All Elite Wrestling newcomer Claudio Castagnoli. The live audience in Detroit, Michigan popped hard at the site, as it was a callback to their time in WWE when both wrestlers formed an alliance called the Real Americans.
Then known as Jack Swagger and Cesaro, the two superstars were managed by Zeb Colter and featured regularly on the WWE main roster. Now that they are both in AEW and have pledged allegiance to opposing factions, it would be cool to see Hager and Castagnoli transition into a singles rivalry.
Not only can the company reference their previous history, it promises to be an excellent wrestling match, given the talents of both men. It would also be a great starting feud for Claudio to ease into his new environment before moving to bigger names on the roster.
#2. 2point0 challenges for the AEW Tag Team Championships
After they arrived in #AEW and called out the toughest competition from day one and then survived a brutal Texas Tornado match last night on #AEWDynamite, there is no doubt: Matt Lee and Jeff Parker, #2point0 are #AllElite! #2forTheShow https://t.co/MRYMh7cCNr
Matt Menard and Angelo Parker have seen their stock rise since joining the Jericho Appreciation society. They are regularly featured in major television segments alongside Chris Jericho and have enjoyed more promo time as well.
This has allowed them to connect better with wrestling fans than their previous stint as 2point0 wrestling insignificant matches on Dynamite and Rampage.
However, it's time for the duo to start making a bigger impact in the tag team division or risk being seen merely as lackeys to The Wizard. Menard and Parker should absolutely get themselves into tag team title contention and challenge The Young Bucks for the straps.
Although a heel vs. heel match rarely works well, the talents of the Jericho Appreciation Society members plus Matt and Nick Jackson should be enough to see it through. Holding the titles would lend even more credibility to the stable and make bigger stars of Menard and Parker.
Judging by their workhorse performances in Blood and Guts, they are ready for an even bigger spotlight.
#1. Dissension between Sammy Guevara and Daniel Garcia as they fight for Chris Jericho's attention
Full #AEWDynamite results: Sammy Guevara vs. Daniel Garcia for the interim TNT title f4wonline.com/news/aew/resul… https://t.co/va6N8nLTbf
Sammy Guevara and Daniel Garcia are two of the most talented young wrestlers in AEW. One other thing they have in common is the fact that they were both handpicked by Chris Jericho as the future stars of each of his AEW factions, the Inner Circle and the Jericho Appreciation Society respectively.
Now that both wrestlers are in the same stable, it's only a matter of time before jealousy starts to brew between them. Guevara has had more success of the two, becoming a multi-time TNT Champion and being regarded as one of the four pillars of AEW. Garcia, on the other hand, still has a lot to prove despite his immense abilities.
Similar to how the Spanish God felt threatened when MJF joined the Inner Circle last year, this time the roles will be reversed, with Garcia feeling that Sammy and Tay Conti's inclusion could take the spotlight away from him. It will be interesting to see how Chris Jericho manages both men's egos in the long run.