Why Chris Jericho No Longer Takes Online Criticism Seriously

Chris Jericho has been part of the business for well over three decades and is more than happy working in AEW. As is the case with every professional wrestler in the business, he has his fair share of haters and Jericho has now explained why he couldn’t care less about online critics.

While speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Chris Jericho talked about how wrestling and fan reactions have changed over time. He said that 25 years ago, wrestlers didn’t have to do as much in the ring for people to think a match was great, but now, even if the crowd reacts the same way, critics and fans on social media might still say the match was bad. Because of social media, there are more opinions than ever, and many people take them too seriously.

“Twenty-five years ago, you could do a lot less and still have people think it was an amazing match. Whereas now, if you do the exact same thing and get the same crowd reaction, critics and pundits will say, ‘Well, that was a terrible match.’ There’s a lot more opinion out there because of social media, and people put a lot of stock in those opinions.”

Jericho said that while it’s good for fans to share their thoughts, their opinions aren’t the final word. Many people act like their opinions are facts, but he focuses more on how the live audience reacts and how well the show performs in ratings.

Jericho compared it to The Beatles, who were criticized in 1967 but still became one of the biggest bands ever. The Ocho believes that just because people have more ways to share their opinions now, it doesn’t mean everything they say is true.

“So, you’re seeing fans who watch the shows, maybe even all of them, which is great. But their opinions, while still important, aren’t law. They’re not written from the heavens, yet a lot of people treat them that way. To me, I still focus on what the crowd in the arena is doing and what kind of ratings we draw, rather than worrying too much about critics. Critics are always critics. The Beatles were hated as a band in ’67, but you take it with a grain of salt. Now, everybody has so much more access and more of a say, and a lot of people read that and take it as gospel when it’s really not.”

Jericho admitted that he still reads what people say but explained that you need thick skin because online comments can be really mean. He said if you believe the people who call you the greatest wrestler ever, then you also have to take the negative comments—like people telling you to quit—with the same mindset. Extreme opinions exist, but they don’t really matter.

“Of course, I read what people say. You need to have really thick skin to read the internet because people can be mean and angry. I used to say that if you’re going to read the comments, then you have to take people saying you’re the greatest wrestler who ever lived with the same grain of salt as when fans tell you to ‘fuck off and die’ or to ‘never be on TV again.’ Both are extreme opinions, but neither really means much.”

Le Champion also stated that he has stepped away from social media, especially Twitter, because it’s too negative. He doesn’t see a reason to waste time on a platform full of negativity and thinks people should focus more on positivity. While he still checks comments sometimes, he doesn’t take them as seriously as he did years ago.

“So yeah, I don’t read them as much anymore, especially Twitter. I’m done with Twitter—there’s no reason to be there anymore. I don’t go on it because it’s just so negative. Why waste time on it? There has to be some positivity somewhere. So, I do read things, but not as much as I used to, and I don’t put nearly as much stock in it as I did 20 years ago.”

Jericho believes being a public figure today is challenging. While interacting with fans is important, he thinks wrestlers should focus more on the live crowd and their success rather than worrying about online opinions and it’s not hard to see why Jericho simply doesn’t take online opinions seriously anymore.

Do you agree with Chris Jericho’s take on online criticism in wrestling? Should wrestlers ignore social media opinions, or do they still hold value? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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