Current Ring of Honor Champion Chris Jericho has been a crucial figurein AEW's rise to prominence. However, despite his contributions to the company, "The Learning Tree" has been the target of criticism from the online wrestling community, with some vocal fans calling for him to retire. Speaking on"Busted Open Radio,"Bully Ray said that, from a perception standpoint, AEW can't afford to lose Jericho because of his ability to create entertaining segments and assist with developing the deep roster of AEW's younger stars.
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"He's trying to entertain you with the band, entertain you with the backstage segments, always reinventing himself," Ray said. "Jericho is doing everything and everything to help AEW out, whether that's with young talent himself, you name it. He checks every single frickin' box. Yet they give him the backlash and the hate that they do. Why? Why, AEW fans? Why?"
Since arriving in AEW, Jericho has worked with the next generation of wrestling talent, including Orange Cassidy, MJF, and Hook. While he has had memorable feuds with notable matches, Bully Ray believes the talent needs to capitalize on the momentum that Jericho gives them.
"He's putting other talents in great positions," the WWE Hall of Famer said. "He's giving other talents the rub, but he can't be the other talent for the other talent. He can only put them in the best position to succeed. He can only present them with the best opportunities to succeed. Then they have to execute."
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If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
