Chris Jericho Says Wrestling Is The Strongest It Has Ever Been

In an interview with The Inquisitr, Chris Jericho spoke about if any promotion could compete with WWE and if wrestling is as strong now as it’s ever been. Here are highlights:

On if wrestling is the strongest it’s ever been: “Well, I mean, absolutely. Going back to the Monday Night Wars and 9 million people on a weekly basis, it may not be that way right now from a TV standpoint. But with so many options out there, and so much talent — from an in-person live event and buzz standpoint — it really is. From that aspect, it’s the strongest it has ever been.”

On if any promotion could compete with WWE on TV: “I don’t think so, as no promotions would go head-to-head as TV has changed. Before, you had to make a choice. Now, everyone can DVR one show — or flip back and forth, or watch one now and the other later. I do believe, though, that there is definitely room for another show on a national TV basis. That’s one of the reasons I came to AEW, and something we’re working on and are going to get very, very soon. It’s a great time for that. We have a whole collection of guys with years of experience, but not many of them in the mainstream media… Kenny Omega, Nick and Matt Jackson, Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, guys from China… everyone has been talking about what we’ve been doing for years. It’s very exciting to have a passionate owner with a lot of money, some great talent — untapped and unknown — combine them with a strong TV deal and former WWE names like Jim Ross and myself, and you’ve got a recipe for success.”

On which wrestler could be the next Chris Jericho: “Don’t know, man. It’s hard to say. It took me 20 years to become Chris Jericho. It’s all up to the person. Some guys have the physical element. Some have the talking element. But there is so much more it than that, and the x-factor is the confidence in knowing — from a match side of things — to put together a proper match and grab people’s attention. I have been constantly evolving from my side. You have to be willing to take a chance, and I don’t know — there are a lot of guys who are very talented on our roster. Who will be around for a 30-year career, and evolving and constantly changing? It’s hard to say with this business if there could be another Chris Jericho, and not just from an ego standpoint.”