5 ways AEW can book the Jericho Appreciation Society
AEW's latest faction is the Jericho Appreciation Society. Led by Chris Jericho, the stable includes his former Inner Circle partner Jake Hager and three new members: Daniel Garcia and 2point0's Matt Minard and Angelo Parker.
After great success with the Inner Circle, fans wondered if it was the right move for Jericho to create a new group so soon. But the seeds of this new formation have been building for months thanks to a rivalry between the Demo God and Eddie Kingston, which forced Santana and Ortiz to take sides.
After Kingston defeated the former AEW World Champion at Revolution 2022, Jericho would refuse to shake the New Yorker's hand. Instead, Jericho attacked him on the March 9, 2022, edition of AEW Dynamite.
There was an initial show of respect between Jericho and Kingston, but then 2.0 & Daniel Garcia would ambush and attack the pair. Santana & Ortiz came to the rescue, but Le Champion turned on them instead. Jake Hager would join the assault on his former Inner Circle teammates, cementing the heel turn and forming the Jericho Appreciation Society in the process.
AEW needs to avoid making the same mistakes they that they did with the Inner Circle if this brand new faction is to succeed. Here are five ways the company can book the Jericho Appreciation Society to ensure it flourishes.
#5. Push Chris Jericho as the star attraction of the group
Congratulations, @IAmJericho. Don't like @MadKing1981's chances of ever attaining this prestigious honor #AEWRampage https://t.co/6PozIetZbX
Chris Jericho has to be pushed as the main star of the group. Naming the faction after him is a great first step to highlight how self-centered he has become, but that is not enough.
AEW has to put him front and center and lead the promo segments. He is the clear mainstream name in the group and should be treated as such. Initially, Le Champion was the leader of the Inner Circle and that worked, but once he dropped the title to Jon Moxley, he took a step back and was treated as an equal to his stablemates.
The move backfired as it diminished Jericho's star power to a certain extent and he became just another faction member and that might have led to it stagnating.
The best move for the Jericho Appreciation Society is to position the Influencer as the star and leader of the team while allowing others to act in supporting roles. Like The Bloodline over in WWE, Roman Reigns is the clear main man while The Usos are his lackeys. It doesn't take away from their contributions but accentuates the Tribal Chief's character instead.
Make Daniel Garcia and 2.0 a back-up entourage that follows Jericho wherever he goes, while Hager can remain as the silent, intimidating right-hand man. This ensures that fans begin to associate them all as a united front and lets the former AEW World Champion be viewed as a top star once again.
#4. Make Jake Hager relevant in AEW once again
Sports Entertainers always Win…. And never wear shirts. It was a big night for #jas and the squad delivered HUGE! #aewdynamite https://t.co/M8SI62WjLt
Speaking of Jake Hager, his run in AEW has been a disappointment, if we're being honest. When he made his surprise debut on the first episode of Dynamite, it felt like a big deal straight away. As a former World Heavyweight Champion and undefeated Bellator MMA fighter, Hager should have contended for All Elite Wrestling's top prize and become a champion by now.
Instead, he is stuck as a background player in the Inner Circle and hasn't had a memorable moment or fued to his name. No, the MMA Rules Cage Fight against Wardlow doesn't count. With him now joining the Jericho Appreciation Society, there are concerns that he could be a bit-part player once more.
Hager has a legitimate fighting background and is an All-American amateur wrestler. He should be treated like the enforcer that he is, similar to how Ken Shamrock was treated in his role as in The Corporation during the Attitude Era.
There is no reason why he can't play the same role as the bodyguard to Chris Jericho in the JAS. While the group fashions themselves as "Sports Entertainers," Hager could be the outlier that contrasts their wild antics with a stoic and menacing presence.
#3. Give the Jericho Appreciation Society a decisive victory over Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz
#AEWDynamite live results: Daniel Garcia & 2point0 vs. Eddie Kingston, Santana & Ortiz f4wonline.com/aew-results/ae… https://t.co/OfaQPER627
Despite their current rivalry with Chris Jericho, Santana and Ortiz remain huge admirers of the former WWE Champion's longevity and journeyman career. In an interview with Complex’s Unsanctioned show, Ortiz revealed how Jericho was a major inspiration for both him and Santana during their early years.
"Take away how currently I feel about Chris Jericho but really, one our bonding moments, me and Santana, we read ‘A Lion’s Tale’, Chris Jericho’s first book and just reading how he came up in wrestling as far as how he was a journeyman, how he went from Canada to the States to Mexico to Japan. He did all that before he joined WCW and WWF."
"He did a little bit of ECW then he went to — I think afterwards, he went to WCW and then he went to WWF eventually. But that, to me and Santana, that was the way you do it. You wrestle everywhere, you wrestle everyone, you wrestle every style, you become the guy that can wrestle any style which, you know, a testament to Chris, you saw it recently with Eddie [Kingston]," said Ortiz. (H/T: Post Wrestling)
Proud & Powerful will always be intertwined with Le Champion thanks to their association in the Inner Circle. However, for the Jericho Appreciation Society to stand on their own, Y2J needs to wrap up his feud with his former teammates quickly and move away from them.
It will also help JAS get a signature victory early in their run if they can defeat Santana, Ortiz and Eddie Kingston before moving on to other opponents.
#2. Go all out with the Sports Entertainer theatrics
The most compelling aspect of this new faction is their insistence on being called "Sports Entertainers". The term is closely associated with WWE as Vince McMahon considers his talents "Superstars" as opposed to pro wrestlers.
Naturally, this term is largely frowned upon in AEW who pride themselves on being the home of professional wrestling. However, it is a brilliant way to gain heel heat from their audience and it seems like Chris Jericho recognizes this fact.
Not only has he leaned into the over-the-top aspects of his WWE persona, the Jericho Appreciation Society has started using terms such as "AEW Galaxy," a cheeky nod to the WWE Universe. It seems like this philosophy has rubbed off on the group's youngest member, Daniel Garcia.
In an interview with Simon Miller of WhatCulture, Garcia revealed that he chose Le Champion over The American Dragon because he wanted to learn the art of sports entertainment, having already become a good professional wrestler:
"Every interview I saw of him [Danielson], he talked about how he wanted to be a in group with me, how he wanted to take me under his wing, then the Jericho thing came about and I wanted to learn how to be a sports entertainer. I didn't want to learn how to be a good wrestler because I'm already a good wrestler. Now, I need to become a great sports entertainer, that's what Chris Jericho is teaching me," he said.
It further exposes the divide between WWE and AEW fans and is a clever way to trigger a reaction from them. Leave it to Chris Jericho to find fresh and interesting ways to reinvent his character this late into his career.
#1. Ultimately put over Daniel Garcia and 2.0
2point0 Threaten Bryan Danielson: Stay Away From Our ‘Son’ Daniel Garcia, Don’t Wreck Our Happy Home bit.ly/3ijwZhN https://t.co/wQSKcnIclx
Ultimately, the whole point of this group is to give Daniel Garcia and 2.0 some direction for the first time in their AEW careers. The end goal should be for the three men to become bigger stars.
Chris Jericho has already elevated Sammy Guevara from an unknown rooker to a 3-time TNT Champion. While Santana and Ortiz had some success in IMPACT wrestling as part of LAX, they have definitely become bigger stars in AEW thanks to their association with the Demo God.
2Point0 and Garcia have long been treated as fodder for AEW's biggest stars to beat, but now that they're aligned with Jericho, they are finally going to be given something meaningful to do other than put over the rest of the roster on television. Here's hoping that Garcia will become a TNT Champion down the road while 2.0 fulfills their potential to win the AEW Tag Team Championship.