The Jericho problem
Chris Jericho is currently appearing on mainstream television shows like CBS' Tracker, as reported by PWInsider. While the exposure is nice for his personal brand, it signals a massive disconnect with his current standing in the AEW ring. He is no longer the guy who carries the main event.
His recent booking has been a disaster of pacing and logical consistency. Watching him cycle through various gimmicks while younger talent sits in catering feels like a massive oversight by Tony Khan. The Learning Tree persona is supposed to be ironic, but it mostly just feels like a chore for the audience to sit through.
Stagnation in the ring
Look at his recent output. The matches are technically sound, but they lack the urgency that defined his early AEW run. He is slowing down, and his reliance on the Judas Effect to finish matches has become predictable to the point of exhaustion. When you see him lock in the Walls of Jericho, the crowd reaction is often a polite golf clap rather than the roar of a main event star.
The move set has become arguably too safe. He is protecting his body for these outside projects, which is his right, but it hurts the product. A veteran of his stature should be using his remaining time to elevate the next generation, yet he keeps finding his way back into championship contention. It stalls momentum for guys like Konosuke Takeshita or Swerve Strickland who actually need the spotlight.
The prediction
Jericho will likely remain a fixture on Dynamite for the foreseeable future, but his days as a serious contender are over. He is currently booked as a gatekeeper who refuses to open the gate. Unless he undergoes a character shift that doesn't involve him talking for ten minutes straight, he will continue to draw heat for all the wrong reasons.
My prediction is that he drops his next major feud decisively. If he keeps hovering around the top of the card, the wrestling industry will continue to question AEW's commitment to building new stars. He needs a clean loss to a rising talent, followed by a transition into a commentator or manager role. Anything else is just vanity booking.
The 80 percent of the audience that wants to see fresh faces is being ignored for the sake of nostalgia. It is time to let the younger roster take the wheel. Jericho has had a legendary career, but the current chapter is dragging the whole book down.
