Chris Jericho has pushed back against fans who criticize long-term wrestling storylines, pointing to his feuds with Shawn Michaels and MJF as proof that patience produces the best stories in the business.
Speaking on UNTAPPED with Spencer Matthews, Jericho defended the art of extended storytelling in an era where many fans demand instant payoffs.
His feud with MJF in AEW lasted a year and drew complaints from some viewers who felt it was dragging on. Jericho had no time for that criticism.
I did a feud with MJF in AEW. It was 366 days — literally a year and a day," Jericho said. "There were people like, 'This feud is too long.' Why? What else do you got going on? Shut the [hell] up and let me tell my story. When it's done — if it takes a year, tough luck. This show is going on for 50 years. It doesn't have to end in a week or two weeks.
The Shawn Michaels Feud That Almost Ended Too Soon
Jericho revealed that his legendary feud with Shawn Michaels in WWE was originally planned to last just one month, but the two performers lobbied successfully to extend it.
With Shawn Michaels and I — they wanted it to be a one-month thing," Jericho recalled. "'What do you have coming up?' Nothing. 'Well, what do you have coming up, Shawn?' Nothing. 'Well, then why are we ending this in a month? Let's keep going.' We did seven, eight, nine months. Ended up being one of the greatest stories in WWE history.
The 55-year-old also compared the craft of wrestling to jazz music, explaining how performers build matches in real time.
It's like playing with a jazz band or improv comedy. You're working together and basically making it up as you go along," Jericho said. "You'd know the finish of the match, but other than that, you'd just go in the ring and do it. Just talk to each other and come up with stuff, and listen to how the crowd is reacting. You're an artist. You start with nothing.
Jericho's comments come as his AEW contract situation continues to dominate headlines, with a potential WWE return widely expected. Jericho himself has remained coy about what comes next.
