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There is no doubting that Chris Jericho is a star. The man has been in the wrestling business for almost 30 years and is the standard bearer for professional wrestling. While some have never equated Jericho in the same breath as Hulk Hogan, The Rock, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, or even Triple H, others have pointed out his "Madonna-like" ability to keep himself relevant. This is an extremely difficult task, especially with today's stringent wrestling standards.
No, that's not a typo. Jericho is "Madonna-like" because like the pop star, he has been able to effectively transform himself over the years. The singer Madonna did this every few years, as she transformed her image to fit the times. Many singers like Lady Gaga have taken a page out of her book and are constantly evolving to stay relevant in the eyes of the public.
Professional wrestlers are no different. Hulk Hogan became Hollywood Hogan for a while, The Undertaker went through a biker phase as 'The American Bad Ass' before returning to his beloved 'Dead Man' character. Even AEW's Dustin Rhodes is changing himself to suit the current audience.
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The larger point is that Jericho's ability to evolve is just one of the many impressive attributes he brings to the table. RAW is Jericho was mentioned many times over the years in WWE, but it's probably more true now that he is in AEW. Here are 5 reasons why AEW is Chris Jericho.
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#5. He keeps the audience's eyes on the AEW product
Imagine that! Jericho managed to invent a meme with his "A little bit of the bubbly" quote. "A little bit of the bubbly" immediately went viral and set the internet ablaze. Soon, almost everyone on Twitter was tweeting silly and ridiculous Jericho GIFs. Most importantly, he kept people talking about AEW.
Another instance of Jericho's ability to get almost anything over with fans would be when he lost the AEW title. He quickly turned it into a promo that would have been the basis for a storyline, had the belt not been found. Chris Jericho has the ability to turn water into wine and a good pro wrestler always knows how to use every situation to his or her benefit.
In Jericho's case, this was to AEW's benefit, as the company looks to cement their imprint on the pro wrestling circuit.
#4. Masterclass Unscripted Promos
Go back to last week's edition of Dynamite and wrestling fans can see why Chris Jericho is the heart and soul of AEW. A good pro wrestler is one who can think on his or her feet and Jericho did just that. Look at how he handled the crowd when they started chanting "We The People" at the sight of Jake Hager.
Only Jericho could have silenced that crowd and so expertly changed the subject. With so many young and fairly inexperienced wrestlers in AEW, that promo was a masterclass on how to stay on target while going off-script. AEW has confirmed that they will not script promos for wrestlers, with the exception of bullet points, if required.
Jericho is old school and that's probably a big reason why he decided to sign with AEW in the first place. He has an uncanny ability to say what he wants and it's the template that other AEW Wrestlers should follow. His promo at Fight for the Fallen was his first totally unscripted promo in 20 years. It's just one reason why he's in the main event.
While still in his early days with AEW, Jericho has already left an imprint that will set the tone for the company in the years to come.
#3. Chris Jericho putting other AEW Wrestlers over
Don't be fooled by the loss that Darby Allin suffered on AEW Dynamite. It was widely expected that Jericho would win the match. It's the reason why he's going to stay AEW Champion for a long time. But something marvelous happened during this Philadelphia Street Fight.
While watching the match, there were some flashbacks to the past. Bret Hart vs 1-2-3 Kid aka X-Pac. That match was won by Bret Hart, but X-Pac got over and in the process had what many consider to be the best match of his career. By extension, Bret Hart made Pac that night and helped him get over with the crowd in attendance and the millions watching at home.
The same applied on AEW Dynamite when Darby Allin managed to get in some offense while his hands were taped behind him. It was an astonishing bit of athleticism that showed Darby Allin was someone who wouldn't give up despite the overwhelming odds. That old-school mentality is something that Jericho brings to AEW.
Sure, Jericho cheated to win and that's because he's a heel. In doing so, he brought a new level of attention to a young wrestler, who will hopefully do better things in the years to come.
#2. Jericho's first heel stable - The Inner Circle
Truth be told, Jericho never had a stable when he was in WWE. In his long history with the company, Jericho was in several tag teams, but never in a full stable of his own. It's hard to believe, but true nonetheless. This is Jericho's chance to cross off another item from his bucket list. The Inner Circle looks very much like Jericho's baby and he's going to strike gold with it.
Also read: The Inner Circle: Getting to know AEW's newest Heel Stable
In wrestling, it's important to have a stable. Look at the history of wrestling and you will see stables everywhere. Whether's its the nWo, D-X, The 4-Horsemen, or Evolution it's essential to have a group of villains or heroes that the audience can relate to. The Inner Circle will be AEW's chief villains and are set to take over the entire organization.
Some wrestling fans have tried to mock Jericho's AEW character as a poor man's Hollywood Hogan, but that would be disregarding his status as a true star. Whenever this faction dissolves, each man will be a bigger star than they ever were and they will have Chris Jericho to thank for that.
#1. Chris Jericho's mainstream appeal
While Chris Jericho may not be in the same status as The Rock when it comes to Hollywood, he's still a well known name that garners mainstream appeal. Jericho will be starring in the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot as a villain. The larger point is that this gets eyes on the product in any shape or form.
It's clear that Jericho was going to be the face of AEW. Tony Khan was smart enough to realize that putting the AEW Championship on Jericho was an effective way to build other stars. Jericho is a known entity and as a heel surrounded by a group of thugs, he's set to hold on to that belt for a long time.
It's clear that Jericho believes he was a main-event star, despite having been missing from WWE's main event scene for years. Jericho's AEW run is important for the whole promotion and he has been tasked with getting this new talent over, whether in promos or in matches.
Whenever Jericho actually retires, he will have left a body of work that will be marveled at for years to come. Hopefully, that will include making AEW a promotion that will last for a long time to come.
