AEW: 3 reasons why Chris Jericho should not be AEW Champion
Chris Jericho has been involved in professional wrestling for close to 30 years. He has done everything in professional wrestling. He is the biggest mainstream name to sign to AEW.
AEW has marketed itself as a new wrestling promotion which can provide competition to WWE. That is something fans have craved since the Monday Night Wars from 1995-2001. Other promotions, such as Impact Wrestling, have attempted to replicate the Monday Night Wars and the attempt went downhill fast.
It can be argued that AEW is the most viable challenger to WWE for viewership in North American pro wrestling in 20 years. AEW has shown itself as the cool and exciting promotion. It pushed itself into relevance thanks to the likes of Cody & Brandi Rhodes, Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, The Young Bucks, and Hangman Page. AEW capitalized on WWE fans being disenfranchised with the current WWE product. AEW had successfully presented itself as the “hardcore” wrestling fan’s promotion.
Chris Jericho has earned the right to wrestle when he wants to. He has not been tasked with being a full time draw for a wrestling promotion in 7 years. Since he left WWE for good in early 2018, he has had creative opportunities with New Japan Pro Wrestling in matches with Kenny Omega, Tetsuya Naito, and Kazuchika Okada. Jericho helped cement all 3 men by putting on an excellent matches that proved that defeating Chris Jericho means something.
The main event of AEW All Out determined the inaugural AEW Heavyweight Champion. This match was between Adam “Hangman” Page and Chris Jericho. Page won the 21-man Battle Royale at AEW Double of Nothing. Chris Jericho defeated Kenny Omega in the main event of that PPV to determine who Page’s opponent would be. AEW is less than 30 days away from debuting on TNT.
The outcome of this main event would play a pivotal role for AEW. Who would be on the debut episode of AEW TV as the inaugural AEW Heavyweight Champion? The answer, Chris Jericho, as he defeated Page in an exciting match to be crowned AEW Champion.
This was universally applauded by professional wrestling fans and critics alike. It is a move that I believe sends the wrong message.
Chris Jericho is one of the greatest pro wrestlers to ever live. He still cuts an amazing promo. If he is to be used as a vehicle to get other wrestlers over, he can still be incredibly valuable to a promotion. He doesn’t need to be the World Champion in order to have a positive impact for AEW.
Hangman Page should have defeated Chris Jericho for the AEW Championship at All Out.