Chris Jericho isn’t worried about the negative feedback that he has received from fans as of late.
As he has morphed into his new “Learning Tree” character, Jericho has noticed an uptick in fans who aren’t digging his current work. In fact, he has heard some go as far as to chant “Please retire” at him.
But “The Ocho” hasn’t taken this to heart, describing the change in reaction as wrestling going through a phase. Jericho told the Daily Star that he believes the fans have flipped on him as of late, but he remains a valuable asset to AEW.
“Things go in phases. Like, three years ago the fans that were chanting ‘please retire’ were saying ‘Jericho is the greatest of his generation,'” He told the Daily Star. “You know, Kenny [Omega] vs. Jericho at the Tokyo Dome was like the match that changed the course of history and everyone was talking about it and how great it is. So the thing is, I’ve been around for so long working on top never getting hurt, so I’m always here. It’s not like I force myself onto the shows because my ego so big I can’t handle not being on it. I work for my boss because he puts me on TV and I draw ratings.”
Jericho went on to deny the idea that he buries everyone he works with, claiming that precisely the opposite has happened. “Ask anybody in AEW. Obviously, not every feud and story works, but I could name 20 people that benefit from working with me.”
He returned to the idea of retiring, reinstating the fact that he has no plans to retire at the moment.
“Sting at 64 retired and everybody is different. To me, when the ‘please retire’ chants were going, I was laughing because I have zero intentions of that. I’ve got a six pack, I can do a moonsault, and I know exactly what I’m doing in the ring. I know how to write storylines. I like the company I work for. I like my boss. I like the guys and girls in the company. Why would I want to retire? What’s the point because someone told me to? F**k off. I remember the [Rolling] Stones in ’89, when they did the Steel Wheels Tour, they were calling it the Steel Wheelchair Tour. ‘The Stones are too old. The Stones should retire!’ I just saw The Stones two months ago and they were amazing. They didn’t care. You retire when you know it’s time and you know it’s right. It’s not the right time right now. Until that moment where I feel, ‘This needs to stop,’ I have no intentions.”
A big weekend is ahead for Jericho, both as a wrestler and performer. Before he wrestles at AEW All In on Sunday, his band Fozzy is planning on performing in London. Jericho also says that he will play his way to the ring again this year, like he did at the previous Wembley Stadium card.
You can watch Jericho’s full interview with the Daily Star here.
