Tag: Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho says his most memorable characters are not invented from scratch. They are built in a creative blender from old wrestling tape, prestige film villains, and David Lee Roth music videos.

Speaking to David Shoemaker on The Masked Man Show ahead of AEW Double Or Nothing, the 55-year-old walked through the influences behind characters like the suit-and-tie Jericho who feuded with Shawn Michaels and the Festival of Friendship segment with Kevin Owens that became a viral 2017 moment.

For the Shawn Michaels feud, the source material came from a couple of unexpected places.

“The suit and tie Jericho, which was the famous feud with Shawn Michaels, that was highly influenced by Bockwinkel. The suit, using big words to make people feel stupid. And then it was a lot of No Country for Old Men, Anton Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem. Very quiet speaking and ‘this is what’s going to happen.’ So that was kind of the combination of that.”

Festival of Friendship, the segment where Kevin Owens turned on Jericho ahead of WrestleMania 33, had a similarly cross-medium pitch.

“The Festival of Friendship with Kevin Owens, that was meant to start out as an 80s David Lee Roth video and end as the Game of Thrones red wedding.”

The Blender

Jericho says the move he keeps making is not impression. It is reassembly.

“Not so much mimicking, but taking certain elements of things and putting them all into a blender and shaking them up, and suddenly you’ve got this really cool persona that you’ve created with little pieces of all your favorite ingredients of your inspirations.”

The result is a catalog of distinct gimmicks, from Y2J to the Painmaker to the Learning Tree, that each got the same level of commitment regardless of how the audience eventually received them.

“Whether you like it or not, I’ve given 1,000% for every single iteration of Chris Jericho. There’s never been one where I thought, ‘Oh, this one’s not going to work.’ Everything that I’ve done, I’ve put a million percent into it. Sometimes it doesn’t work as well as the others, but the intent and the passion and the effort has always been there.”

Jericho framed the whole catalog with a building metaphor for fans who picked him up at different points across three decades in WWE, WCW, New Japan, and AEW.

“If the Chris Jericho career is a skyscraper building, and you got on the first floor and got off on the 5th, or if you got on the 6th and stayed on till the 20th, or if you got on the 21st and got off on the 22nd, whatever it is, if you appreciated my work at any time, I’m happy about that.”

Jericho is back in action this Sunday at AEW Double Or Nothing in Queens, leading a Stadium Stampede team that includes Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, Jack Perry, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin against the team of Ricochet, the Gates of Agony, Mark Davis, Andrade, Clark Connors, and David Finlay.

Chris Jericho says he put everything into the Learning Tree gimmick.

The former AEW Champion recently had an interview with Ringer Wrestling. He talked about things such as WWE rumors before his AEW return this year, the reason he dropped his first name upon his comeback, and more.

During the interview, Y2J also discussed the Learning Tree gimmick he had been portraying before his year-long hiatus from Tony Khan’s promotion. Chris Jericho compared it to dirty music, explaining how he used the negativity of the world to generate heat for the character:

“I also think that ‘The Learning Tree’ was a good era because it was really going left field and focusing on the haters of the world, which then made them hate it even more. So that might be a little bit more of a Dirty Work, Music from ‘The Elder’, or St. Anger type of vibe. But I thought that was a really cool one as well.”

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Sometimes It Doesn’t Work: Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho introduced the Learning Tree gimmick back in March 2024. He originally tried to get HOOK to join him as a team. The former World Champion was eventually joined by Big Bill, and Bryan Keith in his new faction. Though the whole thing was received poorly by the fans, and it led to the wrestling veteran taking a long hiatus from the business.

The 55-year-old seemingly acknowledged the negative reaction to the character saying that sometimes things don’t work out as you planned. Though he claimed that he gave his 1,000% to the gimmick, same as any other version of his character:

“Whether you like it or not, I’ve given 1,000% for every single iteration of Chris Jericho. There’s never been one where I thought, ‘Oh, this one’s not going to work. Let me focus on it less.’ Everything that I’ve done, I’ve put a million percent into. Sometimes it doesn’t work as well as the others, but the intent, passion, and effort have always been there.”

The former FTW Champion will be joining The Hurt Syndicate and The Elite for a Stadium Stampede match against The Demand, The Don Callis Family and The Dogs at Double or Nothing this Sunday.

Chris Jericho has been sued over a t-shirt, licensed as a magician in Nevada, and almost arrested filming in front of the White House.

JERICHO, as he’s now known, spoke with David Shoemaker on The Masked Man Show ahead of AEW Double Or Nothing and pulled out the weirder corners of his career.

The Living Legend Lawsuit

Larry Zbyszko, best known for his run as the original “Living Legend” in AWA, once sued Jericho over a t-shirt design.

“You have to watch calling me a Living Legend, because Larry Zbyszko sued me once for making a t-shirt in WWE that said Living Legend Chris Jericho. There was a short period of time when I called myself that, and I had to go to an arbitration thing. Some of the evidence that was presented was from Pro Wrestling Illustrated. I had explained to the lawyer, like, Pro Wrestling Illustrated is all made up. 15 years later, I’m the living legend again.”

Jericho did not detail how the arbitration was resolved.

The Nevada Magician’s License

The fireball spot in Jericho’s arsenal is not just stagecraft. In Nevada, it requires actual paperwork.

“That was something that nobody had seen for years in pro wrestling. We were in Vegas and I had to get a magician’s license for real to throw a fireball, because that’s the rules that the commission has, which I still renew every year and carry with me at all times. So yes, I am a licensed magician in Nevada.”

The White House Scare

Jericho also recalled a Washington DC shoot that nearly ended in cuffs. The bit cast him as a “conspiracy victim,” but nobody on the crew had a plan when they got to the location.

“We went to Washington DC and I was a conspiracy victim, and when we showed up, I thought the camera guys were going to know what they wanted us to do and the camera guys thought that I would know. So neither one of us had any idea. We just walked around DC and the White House, and we were filming me in front of the White House doing this speech, and we almost got arrested because you can’t film the White House with cameras.”

Jericho is back in the ring this Sunday at AEW Double Or Nothing, leading the Stadium Stampede team of Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, Jack Perry, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin against Ricochet’s group at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens.

Chris Jericho says dropping his first name in AEW was inspired by self-titled albums from bands like Metallica and The Beatles, and that the ambiguity it created online was entirely intentional.

Speaking to Ringer Wrestling, Jericho explained the thinking behind going simply by “Jericho” since returning to AEW at the start of April.

“I like the idea of what I’m doing now with ‘Jericho.’ And by not using that first name a lot, it created this whole intrigue online like, ‘What’s he doing? What’s the idea? What’s the reason?’ And honestly, it’s like a self-titled album. That’s where I kind of got the idea from.”

He said the name alone carries enough weight to make additional branding unnecessary.

“I could create a dozen other nicknames, but how many more do I need? Everyone knows who Jericho is. And when you hear that name, then you can go remember whatever memories you have on your own. So it really is like Metallica, ‘The Black Album.’ It doesn’t need to be called anything. You know who Metallica is, you know what’s going on. The Beatles, ‘The White Album,’ same thing. That’s kind of what the idea is for the ‘Jericho’ era. And I like it. I like what’s been going on and going with the flow and seeing what’s working and what’s not.”

Jericho also addressed the persistent rumors that he was heading back to WWE before his AEW return, stopping short of giving a direct answer but saying he enjoyed how fans ran with the speculation.

“I never said the rumors became fact, I said that the rumors became fact to the fans. But I’ll leave that for another day. I like the idea of the intrigue.”

Jericho competes this Sunday at AEW Double Or Nothing in New York City in a Stadium Stampede match. He teams with Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, The Young Bucks, Jack Perry, and Kenny Omega against Ricochet, The Gates of Agony, Mark Davis, Andrade El Idolo, Clark Connors, and David Finlay.

Chris Jericho will not appear on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite in Asheville, North Carolina, for legitimate reasons related to his touring schedule with FOZZY, not his wrestling storyline.

Jericho is in the midst of the band’s Twisted Faith 2026 Tour, with FOZZY scheduled to perform in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday night, the same evening as Dynamite. The remaining tour dates run through May 16 and include stops in Columbus, Philadelphia, St. Charles, and Flint.

His absence comes at a busy period storyline-wise. Jericho recently returned to AEW and is set for the Stadium Stampede match at AEW Double or Nothing 2026 later this month. During last week’s Dynamite, Ricochet challenged Jericho to join the chaotic match and predicted he would not be able to assemble a team. Jericho quickly proved that wrong, lining up Kenny Omega, Jack Perry, and The Young Bucks to join his side. They will face a team comprising Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona, and the Don Callis Family’s Mark Davis, with a fifth mystery participant still to be announced for the opposing side.

This is not the first recent Dynamite Jericho has missed for outside commitments. He was absent from the April 29 episode while filming in New York City, with that project later confirmed to be a guest appearance on Dexter: Resurrection on Paramount+.

The remaining FOZZY Twisted Faith 2026 Tour dates are May 12 in Philadelphia at Underground Arts, May 13 in Harrisburg at Capital City Music Hall, May 14 in Columbus at Sonic Temple, May 15 in St. Charles at Arcada Theatre, and May 16 in Flint at Machine Shop.

Chris Jericho has made his way to the small screen outside the squared circle. The AEW star appears as a guest on Apple TV+’s hit series Margo’s Got Money Troubles, which is now streaming its latest episode.

Apple TV promoted the appearance on their official X (formerly Twitter) account. Jericho shows up in the series’ fourth episode, which features a wrestling expo scene. Nicole Kidman’s character, Lace, a former pro wrestler, and Nick Offerman’s character, Jinx, a retired wrestler and father to the show’s lead, are also central to the wrestling-themed storyline.

Jericho previously expressed his excitement about the role, saying he “had a blast filming with the legendary Nicole Kidman and the hilarious Nick Offerman.”

What Is Margo’s Got Money Troubles?

Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a comedy-drama created by David E. Kelley, based on the 2024 novel by Rufi Thorpe. The series stars Elle Fanning as Margo Millet, a young woman who turns to OnlyFans to support herself and her newborn after becoming pregnant by her college professor. Michelle Pfeiffer also stars as Margo’s mother. The show premiered on Apple TV+ on April 15, 2026, and has earned a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Professional wrestling is woven throughout the show’s DNA. Offerman’s Jinx is a retired pro wrestler whose career wisdom helps guide Margo, while Kidman’s Lace is a former wrestler-turned-attorney who was once half of a tag team called Leather and Lace.

Jericho’s cameo is the latest example of AEW talent crossing into mainstream entertainment. The veteran recently returned to AEW and brought back a popular WWE gimmick before competing against Ricochet at AEW Dynasty. He signed a new multi-year deal with AEW after being a free agent.

Chris Jericho might be getting ready for a comeback.

The former World Champion has remained in the news despite being absent from the wrestling scene for almost a year now. He has kept people guessing about his next move, but so far, all speculations have proven to be wrong.

The wrestling veteran made another such suggestive move recently. According to USPTO records, Chris Jericho filed an application on March 24, to trademark the term ‘Cornerstone’ to be used on merchandise as well as wrestling exhibits & performances by a professional wrestler.

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The filing could just mean that the 55-year-old is gearing up to launch a new set of merchandise, declaring himself an important figure in the wrestling world.

Coupled with his recent comments about still having some career left in him, however, there is a strong possibility that Chris Jericho might be getting ready to end his wrestling hiatus.

The big question in that case would be which brand Y2J would make his return for, as WWE, AEW, ROH, and NJPW remain viable options.

Which company do you think would be the best fit for Chris Jericho at this stage of his career? Let us know your pick in the comments below.

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Chris Jericho believes match quality is overemphasized in today’s wrestling.

The former AEW World Champion recently spoke to GamesHub for a new interview. He talked about things such as his underrated rivalry with the Rock, pitching Vince McMahon an angle involving The Wyatt Family and Shawn Michaels that went nowhere and more.

During the talk, Chris Jericho was also asked how he defines success in wrestling at this stage of his career. In response, Y2J discussed how match quality has become a big topic of discussion among fans in recent years while wrestling is not about that:

“Match quality has become so overemphasised. Wrestling isn’t about match quality — wrestling is about connecting with the crowd, capturing the imagination and the interest of the people watching.”

• Chris Jericho Provides Update On Wrestling Career

How Is The Crowd Reacting: Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho explained that matches with exceptional quality of in-ring work used to be rarer back in the day, giving the example of his WrestleMania 18 match with HBK. Nowadays, however, a single show could feature multiple five-star matches, which makes things like character work and storytelling even more important:

“Now you can go to a show and see five-star matches back-to-back, if we’re going by the definition of lots of innovative physical moves. Which is great. But how is the crowd reacting? A five-star match should mean the crowd is going crazy in a sold-out stadium.

You can also have a five-star match in a community centre in front of 50 people, so the rating in isolation is irrelevant. It’s character, it’s storyline, it’s charisma. That’s what wrestling is about — it was in the 1930s and it is now.”

The wrestling veteran said that the biggest stars are those who connect with the crowd at the highest level, and anyone who can do that will always have a career.

He mentioned how Ultimate Warrior did not have many great matches but people still paid to see him just running in the ring. Jericho said that he would love to be able to do something like that and save the wear and tear on his body.

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Chris Jericho is not retired.

The former AEW Champion has not been seen in a wrestling ring since April last year, fuelling up all kind of rumors about his status and future in the industry.

Y2J provided a passing update on his career during a recent interview with GamesHub. Chris Jericho was discussing his concern for the current generation of talent over their high-risk working style, and said that he still has some career left:

“What worries me about the guys working today is here I am at 55, 35 years in, with still some career left to go. I don’t know if it’s a year, two years, four years — I’m not sure. But I don’t know how many of the guys working now will have the option to go 35 years. Hopefully all of them.”

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The Longevity May Be Harder To Sustain: Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho then recalled the first time he got hurt while competing in an event in León, Mexico. The former WWE star revealed that his opponent called Masaka stepped aside instead of catching him during a dive over the top rope. Jericho messed up his arm after landing on the arena chairs, and it was the moment that smartened him up about the risks of the business:

“But you can already see what serious injuries do — a bad neck surgery changes everything. The longevity may be harder to sustain when there’s so much emphasis on the physical at the expense of charisma and character.”

The most recent reports on Jericho’s status suggests that his deal with Tony Khan’s promotion was frozen upon his hiatus. This means that his absence from the company will not automatically result in free agency and there is a chance of the 55-year-old returning to AEW instead of going back to WWE. You can check out more about it here.

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