Chris Jericho isn’t pretending he has another 20 years left in the tank. The AEW veteran flat-out admitted that he’s getting closer to the end of his wrestling career, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to coast through whatever time he has left.
During an appearance on Wrestling Observer Radio, Jericho was asked where he sees himself fitting into AEW after returning to regular action. Jericho said his mentality hasn’t really changed — he considers himself a company guy and will work wherever Tony Khan needs him. The difference now is that Jericho knows the clock is ticking, and he wants to spend that time getting in the ring with wrestlers he hasn’t had the chance to work with yet.
“I mean, it’s the same as it’s always been. I am a company guy through and through and, contrary to some popular beliefs, I do whatever the boss asks me to do. Obviously, at this stage of the game, where I’m nearing the end of the road at some point, I want to work with as many people that I haven’t worked with. There’s a lot of young guys on the AEW roster that will never have the benefit of house shows, for example, so they have to learn really quick on the fly, and it’s almost not fair, but it’s the way that the business is now.”
Jericho explained that the lack of regular house shows puts younger wrestlers in a completely different situation than the one he came up in. Instead of getting dozens of matches to figure things out away from television, talent can be thrown straight into a live TV match where the finished product has to deliver immediately.
“If you have a live match with somebody on TV, it has to be the best that it can be with all the bells and whistles, because you might not get another chance to work with them. And if you don’t have a good one, it could hurt their perception. It’s not going to hurt me because I’ve been around long enough where you almost get kind of bulletproof — win, lose, draw, whatever. Obviously, I still want to have great matches and still do everything I can to do that.”
Jericho stopped short of putting any date on retirement, but this is one of his clearer acknowledgments that the finish line is getting closer. For now, he sees whatever time remains as an opportunity to have new matches, help younger wrestlers and keep contributing wherever AEW puts him.
When do you think Chris Jericho should finally call it a career, and who absolutely needs to wrestle him before that happens? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback.
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