Dalton Castle says one match against Chris Jericho played a major role in securing his full-time position with AEW and Ring of Honor.
Castle’s future in wrestling was uncertain when Ring of Honor paused operations in late 2021. Like many ROH wrestlers at the time, he faced questions about where he would land next after the promotion went on hiatus. When Tony Khan purchased ROH in March 2022 and began integrating its talent with AEW programming, Castle began appearing more frequently but initially struggled to find a consistent role.
Speaking on the “What Happened When” podcast with AEW announcer Tony Schiavone, Castle reflected on the turning point in his run. That moment came during his ROH World Championship match against Chris Jericho on the October 18, 2022 episode of AEW Dynamite. According to Castle, Jericho personally selected him as one of the challengers during his championship run.
“I owe so much to Jericho.”
Castle explained that his early months with AEW were difficult because he felt largely overlooked despite being present within the company.
“I was there for like seven months, but I might as well have been invisible.”
The opportunity to face Jericho changed that perception and helped solidify his place within the organization.
“I got my full-time job at AEW just because of him selecting me to be one of his opponents.”
Castle noted that receiving a full-time deal altered how he felt within the company and how he was treated internally.
“When you finally get hired full-time, you feel like you’re part of the crew and welcomed a lot more.”
Although he has not recently been competing for the ROH World Championship, Castle has remained active across AEW and ROH programming. He recently challenged Ricochet for the AEW National Championship at ROH Final Battle.
Castle has also aligned himself with The Outrunners, supporting the team during a recent $200,000 four-way tag team match on AEW Collision. The duo ultimately fell short in their bid to win the prize.
