10 AEW Matches We Most Want To See

5. Chris Jericho Vs. Cody

Kenny Omega PAC
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AEW is building a rivalry between Cody and Chris Jericho, the plot of which is a bit concerning. Cody is Chris Jericho's boss. Chris Jericho is so resentful of this reality that he simply refuses to acknowledge it.

Authority angles in WWE are rotten, derivative, wildly ineffective. All of the sh*tty things. Applying the same standards to AEW, a company that has posited itself as WWE's babyface antithesis, and there's an air of unimaginative hypocrisy to it. The dynamic is also fascinatingly subverted, in that, if Cody plays a nuanced role, Chris Jericho is definitively a heel.

And he played that heel role magnificently on the Road to Double Or Nothing.

In a delightfully childish, petulant outburst, Jericho responded to Cody's threat of a fine by revealing Cody's secret surname: Cody Khan. This was expert schtick, straight from the schoolyard of imposing nicknames on the teacher's pets, and the man actually wrote a cheque out to Cody Khan before calling him a "little bastard" with the same chilling, hushed tones of Patrick Bateman.

The match itself works as a result of Jericho's new bruising style and the sympathy Cody can generate as the top, IRL babyface in the industry - a blood-splattered, smoke-and-mirrors work orchestrated by an old master and the new king of psychology.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!