AEW’s Chris Jericho Responds to Critics Labeling Him ‘Selfish’

Chris Jericho, known as “The Learning Tree” of AEW, has built a career on adaptability and reinvention, transforming challenges into opportunities. Recently celebrating his 24th anniversary in professional wrestling, Jericho joined the AEW Unrestricted podcast, where he discussed his collaborations with younger wrestlers like “The Redwood” Big Bill and “The Bad Apple” Bryan Keith, as well as the criticism he faces for doing so.

“You want to feature them as much as possible,” Jericho stated. “Critics might say, ‘Oh, Jericho’s selfish and blah blah blah,’ but that’s how fans start to understand who these guys are. I did it with Daniel Garcia, Sammy Guevara, MJF, and Orange Cassidy. The more you work with them, the more comfortable the audience becomes with their characters.”

Veteran wrestlers often leverage the later stages of their careers to help nurture emerging talent. Jericho himself had the privilege of learning from legends like Bobby Eaton, Arn Anderson, Scott Hall, Ric Flair, and Hulk Hogan, who shared their wisdom and time in the ring to help shape the future of professional wrestling. Now, Jericho feels he is embracing a similar role by mentoring the next generation of wrestlers in AEW.