Chris Jericho suffered a surprising loss to a 'jobber' on AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming. A recent report on Wrestling Observer Radio gave a potential reason why this happened.
The Ocho made his in-ring return to Dynamite after three weeks on the annual Winter is Coming special. His mystery opponent ended up being Action Andretti.
In a shocking result, Andretti won the match cleanly. The 24-year-old kicked out of a Code Breaker and delivered a running Shooting Star Press to secure the win.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer gave a potential reason why this match took place. He stated that this was Chris Jericho's attempt at making Andretti a star.
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"Action Andretti had a match on one of the streaming shows against QT Marshall and Chris Jericho was watching the match and decided at that moment that this guy is going to be a star. So, he decided that he's going to make him a star," Dave Meltzer said.
The match being referred to here is Action Andretti vs QT marshall taped on the 7th of October 2022 for Dark: Elevation. In a match that lasted just under eight minutes, the Factory leader won, but Andretti's performance was impressive. Unsurprisingly, it caught the Jericho Appreciation Society leader's attention.
What else happened on AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming?
AEW Dynamite opened with The Elite taking on the Death Triangle and saw the latter emerge victorious after a forgettable match. Jungle Boy defeated Brian Cage and was attacked by Big Bill while the House of Black made an in-ring return to demolish the Factory.
Ruby Soho made a return of her own as she wrestled in her first match since All Out 2022. She defeated Tay Melo after a strong match. Ricky Starks and MJF squared off in the main event in a Winner Takes All match for the Dynamite Diamond Ring and AEW World Championship.
Ricky Starks came close with a Liger Bomb, but MJF ultimately picked up the win after delivering a low blow. Bryan Danielson showed up on the ramp to chase MJF out of the building, perhaps setting up the Salt of the Earth's next feud.