AEW’s Chris Jericho and the Art of the Modern-Day Promo

Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling

Chris Jericho is a rather divisive figure in professional wrestling. The Canadian wrestler has such a legendary body of work that some fans consider him one of the greatest of all time.

While he also has many critics, particularly those concerned with comments he’s made outside of wrestling, it’s hard to deny the man of many nicknames and catchphrases is wildly entertaining at his best. His foray into Japan to face Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12 helped to pave the way for All Elite Wrestling. Later, his stint as the inaugural AEW world champion gave the company its first glimpse at mainstream star power before Jon Moxley, CM Punk or Bryan Danielson entered the fold.

However, The Demo God’s act kind of grew stale after he turned face and his stable, The Inner Circle, had run its course. His feud with MJF created some memorable moments like the Blood and Guts match or The Labors of Jericho. Still, it lasted way too long and ended anticlimactically after he pinned The Salt of The Earth at All Out in September.

Still, it’s hard to ever count the veteran star out. Whether you love or hate him, he has always managed to adapt and reinvent himself. After what seemed like a creative drought, Jericho has done just that following a war of words with Eddie Kingston on the Feb. 23 episode of Dynamite.

The self-proclaimed Influencer went on to deliver one of his best showings with AEW to date and he took on The Mad King in the opening match of Revolution. Afterward, he refused to shake his opponent’s hand, leading to a much-needed heel turn the following week.

In the process, he finally dismantled The Inner Circle and founded The Jericho Appreciation Society. Now, we know it’s easy to be skeptical of another stable led by the First Ever Undisputed Champion, but the segment featuring his newest five-man band was surprisingly brilliant.

The Dawn of the Era of the Sports Entertainer

Say what you will about Jericho, but he understands his audience. It has been one of his greatest strengths throughout his career no matter where he goes. As such, he knows how to carefully craft a new antagonistic persona that plays up to his viewers’ wants and masterfully mocks the things they hold dear.

In the latest edition of Dynamite, The Influencer illustrated this as he introduced the Era of Sports Entertainment in AEW. This may elicit eye rolls and groans from fans who have grown tired of the company’s copious amount of jabs at its distinguished competition. However, this was such a clever way to acknowledge his legendary run with WWE and flip its verbiage into a way to garner jeers from his new smarky fanbase.

Professional wrestling is truly at its best when there is ample crowd participation. The best talkers in the industry know how to say the right words and strike the right nerves to get an intended reaction. Watching Jericho wind the live audience in San Antonio up was a thing of beauty.

Initially, there was some truth to his words as he listed his accomplishments and the things we should be grateful for. Then, the former AEW world champion appeared more and more bitter and narcissistic as he broke down his need for appreciation. Some savvy fans may immediately recognize that he similarly demanded a thank you as Le Champion.

Then, he committed a cardinal sin outside of the WWE Universe as he declared, “I’m not a professional wrestler. I am a sports entertainer.” It was a veiled reference to Vince McMahon’s recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

During his first non-WWE interview in 15 years, the chairman and CEO said, “The reasons we call them superstars and not wrestlers is because anyone can wrestle—either poorly or well. Do you want to be a professional wrestler or a WWE Superstar? WWE Superstar sounds a whole lot better.”

This quote sparked a familiar debate among fans and wrestlers online over the difference between sports entertainment and pro wrestling. Even more, it created discourse over WWE’s place as a dream destination and whether or not their marketing approach is the best. 

It was extremely smart of Jericho to reignite the debate and mock AEW’s core fanbase’s contempt for the term sports entertainment. After all, it’s an idiom that McMahon popularized and All Elite Wrestling has branded itself as an alternative to his presentation. It was a shrewd move and it worked magnificently as the crowd showered him with boos.

A Well-Thought-Out Backstory

Then, Daniel Garcia added fuel to the flames when he interjected and concurred. Red Death is revered for his technical prowess among independent wrestling. He was considered the antithesis of a sports entertainer. So, this was a betrayal similar to watching your favorite underground rapper put out a heavily pop-influenced record featuring Ariana Grande. Older fans could liken it to hearing Nas’ “You Owe Me” or Jay-Z’s “Sunshine” for the first time.

Calling Garcia the epitome of a sports entertainer was like nails on a chalkboard for some hardcore fans. However, Jericho expertly brought this aspect of the segment full circle. The 51-year-old explained that he donated money to help his new stablemate after he and Kevin Blackwood were seriously injured in a car accident on Jan. 6, 2019. It was the type of nod to real-world events that adds depth to wrestling storytelling.

As for 2point0, Jericho disposed of their “bad names from bad creative,” another callback to his time as Le Champion when he introduced Jake Hager as a part of Inner Circle on Oct. 9, 2019. Just as he used Hager’s real name on that fateful day, he reintroduced the tag team as “Daddy Magic” Matt Minard and “Cool Hand Ang” Angelo Parker. It was a great nod to AEW’s continuity and well-placed jab at WWE’s naming conventions, which provoked the ire of some fans.

Then, the former WWE superstar gave viewers another easter egg as he explained that his former best friend, Kevin [Owens], introduced them after they were released from NXT. Many fans may remember that his feud with a certain Prizefighter was his last major storyline with WWE. Minard and Parker are real-life friends with KO, so it all lines up.

In a matter of minutes, Jericho gave what looked like another hodge-podge stable a legitimate backstory and perfectly detailed their reasons for joining or appreciating him. He also gave us just enough peeks behind the curtain to make it feel even more special. That’s the mark of a truly great modern-day promo. There’s an art to it, and The Influencer executed it incredibly well.

They are the JAS and they beat up pro wrestlers. It’s a simple mantra, but their leader crafted his best segment in a long time around their debut and simultaneously did what he does best again. As a parting gift, he told fans to remember this date, which was Austin 3:16 day, as he reclaimed the term sports entertainer.

There is some irony here as Jericho gave fans more of what they wanted as he became a full-fledged heel again. It’s hard to tell if that was intentional but the fact that we’re even questioning whether he’s right is another reason why this was such a phenomenal segment.