All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Chris Jericho was recently a guest on former Governor Jesse “The Body” Ventura’s “The World According to Jesse.” The pair discussed several professional wrestling topics, including Jericho’s official job description with AEW, and how WWE might hurt themselves if they don’t adapt to how AEW is doing things.
Here are the highlights (via Fightful):
Jericho’s official job description with AEW:
I don’t know everybody’s specific deals, but I am an employee of AEW. So there are inroads for that, at least for me. I’m a registered employee of the company. There are options that are opening up to this sort of vibe. When you play for a sports team — The Khan Family owns AEW, Jacksonville Jaguars, Fulham FC -0 there’s a different vibe there.
It’s more of a big time sports mentality rather than the old school ‘the way things are done’ wrestling mentality. There is a time when you have to change that. Just because it is that way, doesn’t mean that it’s right.
How WWE might hurt themselves if they don’t adapt:
AEW has health care and dental for the performers. You’re talking about a big sports team mentality instead of the every man for himself mentality the business has had for years. It’s something that appealed to me. I worked for WWE for 18 years. It’s hard to leave the place you’ve been for so long. There are loyalty and sentimental standpoint.
From a business standpoint, there was no choice. AEW was better across the board, from the guarantee I was given, the contract I was given, the employee status, the healthcare. There’s a lot more of that going on, and I think that’s going to continue to grow, which will force eventually WWE to follow suit, or else everybody will want to leave to come to AEW, which is already happening anyway.
