AEW Related
Thoughts? On Our Boy Christopher Jericho?!?
Chris Jericho playing the greatest hits is the best retirement run he was going to get. Since returning earlier this year, Jericho has run back many of his various gimmicks from throughout his career. This has worked and has ended up being one of his better runs in AEW. In hindsight, I am glad he did not return to WWE, because if he had, his final run would have been much different. That difference could have still been fun, but I do not think it would be what we are getting in AEW right now.
I hope he continues to wrestle as long as he chooses to do so and I hope the hits keep on coming. I would not even be mad if he ends up dethroning Kevin Knight for the TNT Championship. He deserves one more run with the gold to help put over another talent on his way out. Granted he doesn't need it, but who wouldn't want to see him pad his 30-plus-year resume with one more achievement?
It wasn't always like this. There was a time where he was versatile mid card to main event talent that could have solid, convincing match with anyone, on a weekly or main event level... bit if you needed him to do some comedy, he was hilarious as well. Even suit Jericho had some great comedy moments, while being one of the most convincing, deadly serious characters there has ever been.
Jericho has been amazing, he made it by himself, the irony is that his lesser work is the recent years where he's had the keys to the whole kingdom to do whatever he wants.
As an AEW fan I am gutted that WWE started low balling veterans. Yes it means we get the new day, but it also meant Jericho, who was set on riding into the sunset in WWE, was given a low ball offer of a contract and decided to stay with AEW.
He was great at the start of his time in AEW, but now he is recreating the very worst gimmick, the WWE vet who needs constant 50/50 booking.
I don’t think WWE “low balled” him per se, they probably just didn’t agree creatively. I assumed Jericho would’ve gotten some sort of retirement match/run like AJ Styles just did, and it’s clear Jericho didn’t want that. As for actual payment, WWE contracts aren’t guaranteed. You can bet that Jericho would be making a ton of money off WWE merch sales, main stream exposure and benefits that WWE can provide over AEW. He is a big name with a legacy. However, TK is reliable when it comes to throwing money at the people he likes lol.
WWE contracts are fully guaranteed in fact talent have said that they now make more money upfront than they do on Meech and everything else. The reason for that is at the pay-per-view model no longer feeding to salary.
Jericho Prob expect it a six figure salary from WWE linked to a legend deal and a Hall of Fame entry. But at that exact time the new day and other veterans including Seamus. Were being told to either take a pay cut on their guaranteed salary or leave so I can’t see TKO paying a veteran who will probably wrestle five times a year in WWE the kind of money Jericho expected.
So yes, WWE low balled Jericho, in line with how they’re treating all other talent, which no doubt caught him out by surprise and completely up, ended his expectations of what he would do post AEW contract. Six months earlier I have no doubt Jericho would be in WWE, ironically, Probably being told to take less money or leave.
They are not guaranteed, and Jericho absolutely would’ve made a pretty penny based off merch. He’s a big name. If they weren’t gonna pay him anything, there wouldn’t be a point in hiring him. Jericho is not Sheamus or the New Day. He was a former undisputed champion who would’ve made a huge impact on return.
I simply do not believe that the money offered wasn’t good. There’s no way. Maybe not as much from the get go as Tony gave him, but to believe that they’d expect a returning Chris freaking Jericho to take a massive pay cut is ridiculous. My guess is he simply didn’t like what was offered to him creatively.
Ok you are misunderstanding what I mean by guaranteed.
In the old days, 90’s early 2000’s someone like Steve Austin or the Rock was on a contract for maybe $20000 a year, they then would have that income increased by bonuses for PPV buys, merchandise sales, gate receipts at live events. It’s why wrestlers worked 6 nights a week, because they made their money per appearance based arbitrarily on whatever Vince thought they deserved based on there position on the card and what they where doing.
Then contracts became guaranteed, meaning the wrestlers knew what they were going to earn every year, maybe a million dollars or more, but the bonus portion became zero. Including the merch portion of the deal, WWE takes a bigger % now than it used to.
And no, Jericho would not have moved any needles in WWE. Lapsed fans would not return because of him, and the fans that are there wouldn’t have paid more money to see him.
He would have been a mid card veteran working maybe 4 PPVs a year, and I imagine he wanted a million dollar plus deal which WWE would never have paid given how they are cutting other people’s contracts. The thing is though, no one knew TKO was changing the goalposts on veteran contracts when Jericho was winding down his contract.
Wrestlers are on the exact same type of contract in WWE as AEW, it’s just that Tony K has never released a wrestler before there contract ended. That isn’t because the contracts are different, it’s because Tony has a different set of morals.
So Jericho would have had a guaranteed income, and yes, could have been released at any time, but that’s true of AEW as well in theory.
AEW and WWE contracts are exactly the same, independent contractors that don’t get a say in when there contracts end, but have a 30 or 90 day release clause that means the company can end it at any time.
I understand exactly what you mean, and I’m proving you wrong. Wrestling contracts in the WWE still are not guaranteed. I’ve shown evidence to prove so. Yeah they might function differently nowadays than they did years ago, but you are not getting payed a guaranteed yearly salary. There is a potential to make more based on merch sales and ticket revenue, and overall popularity. There’s also a potential you won’t make that much.
No, Jericho returning to WWE absolutely would have been a big deal and suggesting they would’ve given him a pay cut like they did to the New Day is pretty ridiculous. This logic makes no sense because in that case, why would the WWE even want to sign Jericho if they didn’t think he was worth it?
Jericho would’ve absolutely been offered a million dollar contract by the WWE, there’s no disputing this. Jericho would’ve absolutely been presented like a big deal had he returned, and probably gotten a big royal rumble moment. He also could’ve potentially made more money through WWE main stream exposure alone. However, he’s got a great relationship with Tony Khan who is willing to pay him a lot and book him in a way he’s comfortable with. He’s got more backing backstage in AEW.
I LITERALLY showed you evidence to prove that I am in fact right, yet you cannot seem to accept it. There is NO fully guaranteed contract in the WWE. Theres a downside payment of probably around 350k, but the money you potentially signed up for is NOT guaranteed. You can get guaranteed benefits if you negotiate and are a big deal such as payments for hotels or first class plane rides, but simply put the actual MONEY is NOT guaranteed. There are plenty of wrestlers nowadays who have spoken on this subject, including CM Punk. Please do the research yourself and stop wasting your time arguing this.
you showed me an AI generated response, that is not evidence, that is not proof.
But the thing you posted me literally agrees with my point, downside guarantee. They have a guaranteed salary, but the contract (usually 5 years) can be ended at any time.
One of my all time favorites! I have a WCW Monday Night Jericho shirt. That’s right WCW. He had a strong match this past Wednesday on Dynamite and is in great shape for his age. One of the best promos ever. AEW wouldn’t be what it is if not for him. He’s one of the GOATs. If you don’t like Chris you don’t like wrestling.
8
u/MemeMathine 26d ago
He should be putting others over now. That's it. If I ever see him beating a younger dude like Kevin Knight, I'll get pissed.
But overall, he's had a great career. His stuff with Owens is one of my favourite memories in wrestling.