Chris Jericho Denies Claims of Having ‘Go Away’ Heat

Chris Jericho is definitely a veteran in the pro wrestling industry, whose career has spanned more than 30 years and he truly loves AEW no matter what. With that said, many people feel Jericho has ‘go away’ heat and Jericho has now denied such claims.

Chris Jericho defeated HOOK for the FTW Championship at AEW Dynasty and since then he has fully embraced ‘The Learning Tree’ gimmick. Chris Jericho’s current gimmick has been a point of contention among fans, as many people change the channel when they see him.

While speaking to Daily Star, Chris Jericho was asked about the criticism he receives on a weekly basis with his current gimmick. He noted that people’s opinions about him change over time. A few years ago, critics who now want him to retire were praising him as one of the greatest wrestlers. He mentioned that his match with Kenny Omega at the Tokyo Dome was seen as a historic event.

“I just don’t care, Adam. I really don’t. Things go in phases. Like, three years ago, those same people chanting ‘please retire’ were saying Jericho was the greatest of his generation. You know, Kenny vs. Jericho at the Tokyo Dome was hailed as the match that changed the course of history, and everyone was talking about how great it was.”

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Jericho pointed out his long career and his ability to stay injury-free, which keeps him regularly featured on the show. He said he doesn’t push himself onto the show because of his ego; rather, he works for his boss, who values him for bringing in good ratings. He rejected the idea that he has go-away heat, pointing out that his segments often improve ratings.

”So, I think the biggest thing is that I’ve been around for so long, working on top and never getting hurt, so I’m always here. It’s not like I force myself onto the shows because my ego can’t handle not being on them.

I work for my boss, who puts me on TV because it draws ratings. There’s this whole thing where Jericho has go-away heat and that ratings go down, but that’s not true. Look at the ratings every week—I mean, not every week, but I’d say 80% of the time, my segment goes up; it’s one of the biggest gainers on the show.”

Jericho also mentioned that despite some critics and their fans creating a negative story, he is still an important part of the show. He added that if he asked Tony Khan for a six-month break, Khan would likely refuse because of how valuable he is to the show.

”A lot of people refuse to believe anything else because of a few critics, and then those critics have their fans, creating a narrative. But the facts are, I’m still one of the most valuable characters on the show for many different reasons. If I told Tony Khan I wanted to take six months off, he’d say, ‘Are you kidding me? There’s no way.'”

Chris Jericho was also accused of deliberately trying to sabotage his match on AEW Dynamite last month. Regardless, Jericho will continue to be a constant on AEW television and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

Do you believe Chris Jericho has ‘go away’ heat? Is he a crucial part of AEW television? Sound off in the comments section below!

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.