WWE/AEW News: Chris Jericho Makes Controversial Statement About Competing With WWE
What's the story?
Chris Jericho signed with AEW earlier this year and while doing so drew the ire of Vince McMahon and got him erased from WWE video packages.
But his future with AEW is very promising. In fact, with Jericho, Kenny Omega, Hangman page, and Cody Rhdoes, AEW future might be very bright as well.
Jericho spoke with Jerry Cox of The Inquisitor and was asked several interesting questions about the strength of pro wrestling today and also if any promotion would have a feasible chance of competing with WWE.
Of course, Jericho and AEW are reportedly trying to get a television deal in order to do so, but his overall answer to the question was very surprising.
In case you didn't know...
Chris Jericho made a name for himself throughout his career in WCW and WWE and then continued to do so wherever else he went.
He has now signed a contract with AEW, which angered Jericho's former boss Vince McMahon and is now is set to compete at AEW's upcoming event, All Or Nothing.
With that being said, AEW is still an unproven entity and it will take time in order for it to gain reconition.
Beyond that, they are also being labeled WWE's biggest compeittion, which is only putting a target on their back from the get go. If nothing else, Jericho needs to hope that he backed the winning or coudl end up on the losing end of a bussiness proposition.
The Heart of The Matter.
During the interview with The Inquisitor, Jericho claimed that wrestling was stronger than ever thanks to viable alternatives to WWE and so much buzz around them, but when asked whether he thought anyone could compete head to head with WWE, he had a totally unexpected answer.
"I don't think so, as no promotions would go head-to-head as TV has changed. Before, you had to make a choice," Jericho said.
"Now, everyone can DVR one show — or flip back and forth, or watch one now and the other later. I do believe, though, that there is definitely room for another show on a national TV basis. That's one of the reasons I came to AEW, and something we're working on and are going to get very, very soon. It's a great time for that."
Whats next?
AEW is reportedly in talks with Turner Media about bringing the promotion to their airwaves later this year, but there are disputed reports on how it will unfold.
One source claims that the promotion will be forced to buy television time in order to be on the network, while Dave Meltzer notes that they would not be buying television time and have several different suiters wanting to work with them.
In the end, its not known where or when exactly AEW will appear on television, but several sources note they are in talks for a deal now.
As for Jericho, his deal with AEW isn't exclusive, which means he could pop around here and there with other promotions if he wants to, but fans can probably expect him to be a focal point of AEW as well.