Chris Jericho believes AEW’s recent momentum has come from staying true to its own identity rather than worrying about WWE, insisting the company has always focused on improving its own product instead of reacting to the competition.
Speaking with SHAK Wrestling, Jericho was asked what opportunity AEW has as fan perception surrounding WWE continues to evolve.
Jericho rejected the idea that anything has fundamentally changed in AEW’s approach. “I think it’s the same as always, in that we’ve never worried about WWE ever.”
Instead, he said the company’s attention has always remained on its own programming. “We’ve only worried about our own show, our own product, the quality of what we’re doing.”
Jericho also pointed to business metrics that he believes reflect AEW’s current strength, arguing the company’s growth is backed by more than perception. “You can see it in the numbers, tickets sold, the ratings.”
He specifically referenced AEW’s television performance following its expansion onto HBO Max, noting that recent ratings have approached the figures the company achieved before streaming viewership became part of the equation. “I think last week, were very close to the ratings that they were right before HBO Max became a platform for us.”
Jericho argued that, when streaming audiences are factored in, AEW’s overall audience is likely larger today than it was several years ago. “If we’re doing those same ratings, plus there’s the HBO Max, that would tell me, common sense would say we’re doing bigger ratings now than we were doing three or four years ago.”
He credited that success to AEW remaining committed to its own creative philosophy regardless of what happens elsewhere in the wrestling industry. “No matter what’s going on around us, we keep our noses to the grindstone and worry about what we’re doing.”
Jericho also emphasized that AEW has never tried to replicate WWE’s product. “We’ve never been a WWE light. We’ve been AEW since day one, and that’s never changed.”
While acknowledging that AEW’s style is not for everyone, Jericho believes consistency has been one of the company’s greatest strengths. “Sometimes you like it and sometimes you don’t, but we’ve never changed it.”
