Chris Jericho is pulling inspiration from legendary music acts for his latest character presentation in AEW.
Since returning to AEW in early April, the veteran star has largely been referred to simply as “Jericho,” quietly dropping “Chris” from his on-screen name.
The subtle tweak immediately sparked speculation among fans online, with many wondering if there was a deeper meaning behind the change.
Speaking with The Ringer, Jericho explained that the idea was influenced by iconic self-titled albums and stripped-down branding from some of his favorite bands.
“I like the idea of what I’m doing now with ‘Jericho.’ And by not using that first name a lot, it created this whole intrigue online like, ‘What’s he doing? What’s the idea? What’s the reason?’ And honestly, it’s like a self-titled album,” Jericho said. “That’s where I kind of got the idea from.”
The former AEW World Champion said he no longer feels the need to constantly reinvent himself with new nicknames or labels, believing the single name already carries enough history and meaning for wrestling fans.
He elaborated further by comparing the concept to famous albums from Metallica and The Beatles.
“I could create a dozen other nicknames, but how many more do I need,” he continued. “Everyone knows who Jericho is. And when you hear that name, then you can go remember whatever memories you have on your own. So it really is like Metallica, ‘The Black Album.’ It doesn’t need to be called anything. You know who Metallica is, you know what’s going on. The Beatles, ‘The White Album,’ same thing. That’s kind of what the idea is for the ‘Jericho’ era. And I like it. I like what’s been going on and going with the flow and seeing what’s working and what’s not.”
Interesting approach from one of wrestling’s biggest reinvention specialists.
Elsewhere in the interview, Jericho was asked if he has a favorite chapter from his decades-long wrestling career. Rather than point to a specific run, he admitted he usually considers his current work to be his favorite era.
Jericho also briefly touched on the WWE speculation that surrounded him prior to his AEW return last month.
While he stopped short of directly addressing the rumors, he admitted he enjoyed watching fans turn online chatter into assumed fact.
“I never said the rumors became fact, I said that the rumors became fact to the fans. But I’ll leave that for another day,” Jericho said. “I like the idea of the intrigue.”
Looking ahead, Jericho is scheduled to compete in the Stadium Stampede match at AEW Double or Nothing.
