"He does the very thing he's accused of" - WWE veteran weighs in on Santana and Ortiz's on-screen dispute with Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho's relationship with Inner Circle members Santana and Ortiz has been crumbling in recent weeks.
Amidst Eddie Kingston's comments on Jericho holding back Proud 'N Powerful, the Latino wrestlers began to distance themselves from him. The team was set to face Daniel Garcia and 2point0, though Santana and Ortiz made it clear they weren't going to look out for Jericho. Despite the rising tension between the two sides, Jericho and his teammates won their bout last week on AEW Dynamite.
During the Jim Cornette Experience Episode 416, Cornette addressed the dispute in the Inner Circle and critiqued the match itself.
"In this match they are obviously miffed at Jericho, and they refuse to tag him in through the whole thing," said Cornette. "And it’s coming off like he’s supposed to be the babyface, yet he does the very thing he’s been accused of – which is stealing their spotlight."
Cornette then criticized the way the Inner Circle won the match with Jericho's finisher. He noted that this victory "did nothing" for Santana and Ortiz.
"(...)So this match was rotten," Cornette continued. "And it did nothing for Santana and Ortiz. Santana and Ortiz are [the] longest established tag team there and we see them as a regular tag team less than anybody. And they never look good because they’re always doing this other bulls***. So it just does nothing at all." (3:36:56)
Chris Jericho's feud with Santana and Ortiz has been a long time coming, as all three men have revealed in recent months. Moving forward, this brewing rivalry could be a way for AEW to potentially set up the downfall of the Inner Circle.
Chris Jericho's mentoring of Sammy Guevara has resulted in growth for the younger star
Chris Jericho might be feuding with two of his stablemates, but at least one member of the Inner Circle has enjoyed success in recent weeks.
Sammy Guevara is a two-time TNT Champion, a feat only surpassed by Cody Rhodes himself. The young star was even complimented by former WWE Champion Bryan Danielson in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
Guevara might not be an active member of The Inner Circle, but his success remains linked to his pairing with Jericho. This connection could even become an angle for the team to use against Chris Jericho down the line.
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Please credit The Jim Cornette Experience and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.