Chris Jericho is standing by The Learning Tree era despite the mixed reactions it received from wrestling fans online.
While appearing on Ringer Wrestling’s The Masked Man Show, Jericho discussed several versions of his career that he feels deserve more appreciation. During the conversation, he specifically defended The Learning Tree character and explained why he enjoyed leaning into negativity surrounding the gimmick. Jericho said the character intentionally took a different direction creatively while feeding off criticism from fans.
“The Learning Tree was a good era, cuz it was kind of really going left field and really kind of focusing on the haters of the world, which then made them hate it even more.”
He compared the polarizing response to certain divisive albums from legendary rock bands that eventually developed their own following over time.
“That might be a little bit more of a Stones Dirty Work, Kiss The Elder type of vibe. But I thought that was a really cool one as well.”
Jericho also made it clear that every character he has created throughout his career receives complete commitment from him creatively, regardless of fan reaction.
“Whether you like it or not, I’ve given 1,000% for every single iteration of Chris Jericho.”
The former AEW World Champion continued by explaining that even when certain ideas fail to connect, the effort behind them never changes.
“There’s never been one where I thought, ‘Oh, this one’s not going to work.’ Everything that I’ve done, I’ve put a million percent into it. Sometimes it doesn’t work as well as the others, but the intent and the passion and the effort has always been there.”
Jericho has reinvented himself countless times throughout his wrestling career, often taking risks creatively that divide fans. Even so, he clearly sees The Learning Tree as another chapter he fully committed to despite the backlash surrounding it.
Did you enjoy Chris Jericho’s Learning Tree character in AEW, or do you think it missed the mark? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
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