AEW superstar and Inner Circle leader Chris Jericho was the latest guest on lucha-libre legend Konnan’s Keepin It 100 podcast to discuss a variety of pro-wrestling related topics, including how AEW doesn’t always produce good angles. Highlights are below.
How details sometimes slip through the cracks in AEW:
Everything isn’t always good. We have a lot of details that sometimes slip through the cracks. We still have quite a few times when very similar angles will happen one after the other. An example of that was a few weeks ago when the big question was if MJF would join The Inner Circle. I think there was a town hall when Bischoff was asking the questions. As soon as we were done, we went to a package where Taz was asking if Hobbs will join Taz’ team. In the production meeting, I said, ‘guys, how can that even be?’ It’s the exact same thing and they didn’t notice that. I said, ‘maybe we should use that package somewhere else and in the future, let’s not use the word join for Will and Taz.’ Let’s say ‘Are you going to come with us? Are you going to work with us? Are you going to be part of our team?’ Will MJF join The Inner Circle was the tagline for our PPV match, therefore any other joinings should be suspended for this duration. That’s just common sense but sometimes those things fall through the cracks. I would like to see a little more attention to detail.
On comedy spots in his storylines:
My feuds always have heat. They always have a beginning, a middle, and an end and it’s always planned out accordingly. Sometimes you might have to wait, but isn’t that what great storytelling is? I’m not the booker for anybody. I’m the booker for myself. I don’t have creative control. I did it with the whole Moxley story. I did it with the whole Cody story. I did it with the whole Orange Cassidy and now with the whole MJF. I think Moxley was 12 weeks and Cody was 10 or 12 weeks and we could have probably gone longer with that one. In order to have a story, there has to be ups and downs. The original idea and the original connection between MJF and I is the comedic element because they are very similar characters. There is a lot more to this and the idea is to make everybody a much bigger star coming out of it than they did going in. At this point in my career, all I’m about is entertaining and being creatively stimulated and not doing the same old same old. I also came up in wrestling with ‘80s WWF. Yes, we loved Andre and Hogan. Yes, we loved Steamboat and Savage. Don’t forget that Steamboat and Savage was based all around George “The Animal” Steele, the most ridiculous character of all time. There was Vince McMahon singing Stand Back with Hulk Hogan playing bass in the background. I love that stuff. I always did and Vince loves the stuff. So, I’m like, let me try some stuff. The song and dance routine, I wouldn’t do that with anybody, that was MJF’s idea by the way. The guy was a childhood prodigy. He’s been singing and dancing since he was five years old. If there was ever a time to try it, let’s do it. Are we going to do it every week? No. Is it something people will always remember? Yes.
On putting the shows together:
We don’t have writers and we are very proud of that fact. I book all my stuff. I think QT Marshall takes all the ideas for the week and then he formats the show. It’s always about the opening quarter, the cross over quarter and the final quarter. Tony decides where he wants that and then QT shapes up the rest of it. Tony then goes through it. It’s a weekly collaborative process for sure.
Full interview can be heard here. (H/T and transcribed by Wrestling News)
