"They (WWE) didn't have a deal like that five years in" - Controversial AEW star slams Tony Khan haters 

A controversial AEW star has voiced his criticism of detractors and haters of Tony Khan in light of the Jacksonville-based company's new media rights deal. The talent in question is Chris Jericho.

All Elite Wrestling recently signed a reportedly lucrative multi-year agreement with its broadcasting partner, Warner Brothers Discovery. Jericho, who has been with the Jacksonville-based promotion since its foundation in 2019, recently addressed the subject on Busted Open Radio.

The inaugural AEW World Champion critiqued detractors and industry veterans who had cast doubt on the company's ability to successfully negotiate a deal with WBD and claimed that even WWE had been unable to pull off such a feat five years into its existence, highlighting the undeniable growth of All Elite Wrestling.

“I think we proved a lot of so-called ‘experts,’ and we made them look like idiots. We knew what was going on with this. The landscape changes constantly; numbers go up and numbers go down, but the overall demo of what AEW brings to the table as a live sporting event is invaluable... Warner Brothers Discovery didn’t want us to go anywhere, and you can see, $185 million a year for a company that has only been going five years. That’s never happened before. Ever. Obviously, WWE is the gold standard. They didn’t have a deal like that five years in."

Jericho went on to add:

"We’re not going anywhere. Tony Khan is not going anywhere. I’m not going anywhere, much to people’s chagrin. Neither is the rest of the company. It’s going to be a really great next three to five years. There is nothing worse than if AEW didn’t get a great television deal. There is nothing better for the business and the fans than for [All Elite Wrestling] to thrive and be healthy. We are." [H/T - Fightful]

The Learning Tree's comments may not have been entirely unmerited, as veterans like Konnan had insinuated last month that Tony Khan was investing his own money to supplement the deal he believed WBD had offered the promotion, even though its value has since been reported to be approximately around $ 185 million per year on average.

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Chris Jericho was the MVP of AEW's first five years, thinks Matt Hardy

On a recent edition of the Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, former AEW talent Matt Hardy - who exited the promotion earlier this year - praised Chris Jericho.

He emphasized the role played by The Demo God and his popularity as a top star behind the establishment and success All Elite Wrestling has achieved over the past five years. Matt went on to say Jericho was the first person that popped up in his mind when he thought about the first five years of AEW because he was the guy who had represented AEW more than anything in that period.

Jericho is currently the leader of a heel faction called The Learning Tree, alongside Big Bill and Bryan Keith.