Chris Jericho is taking a big fat victory lap after All Elite Wrestling (AEW) secured a new multi-year media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. After several months of wrestling pundits spewing doom and gloom about AEW’s long-term prospects, Jericho says they’ve made those “experts” look like idiots.
The Learning Tree appeared on Busted Open Radio on Wednesday and touted the importance of there being more than one thriving major wrestling promotion.
“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.
We knew it was something that people would want to be involved with. 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.”
– Chris Jericho
Jericho’s comments come amid growing speculation about AEW’s future, particularly in light of their new lucrative deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. He emphasized that AEW’s rapid growth and success have proven the naysayers wrong, while setting the stage for an exciting new chapter.
“Obviously, WWE is the gold standard. They didn’t have a deal like that five years in. With all the growing pains, good and bad, that AEW has, we’re still such a young company. That showed we have a real commitment.
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.”
– Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho, formerly known as “The Ocho” to signify his eight World Title reigns, looks be become The Nueve this Saturday night when he challenges Mark Briscoe for the Ring of Honor Worlds Championship at AEW WrestleDream.