7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash (21 Dec - Review)

3. Ricky Starks Gets The Chris Jericho Feud

AEW's familiar booking patterns meant Ricky Starks being de-pushed as a genuine concern coming out of his failed World Title challenge, though those fears were proven unfounded last night. Starks once again commanded an immense reaction in Texas, delivered a great promo, and is now in a feud with one of AEW's biggest stars, Chris Jericho.

Looking tremendous in his black and white ensemble, Starks acknowledged his loss to MJF, said it was on nobody but himself, and promised to climb back to the top. He was interrupted by the Jericho Appreciation Society, whose leader began the sales pitch by putting Ricky over as a million-dollar talent. As he has done plenty of times before, however, Jericho asserted that if Starks really wanted to make it, he needed the JAS' guidance.

'Absolute' chose not to fall for it. He ripped Jericho to pieces, twisting praise for his powers of reinvention into saying he looked like a single dad on his fifth divorce, slapping the JAS' metaphorical hand away rather than shaking it. Jake Hager then jumped him from behind. Jericho, Daniel Garcia, and Sammy Guevara joined the beatdown until Action Andretti's save, following last week's shock.

Later, Andretti's backstage promo was interrupted by 2point0, who distracted the newcomer long enough for Jericho to throw a fireball in Action's face. He's a wizard, remember.

Ricky was the star of the show here, but while the cynicism surrounding Jericho throwing himself into programs with hot AEW stars as they are gathering steam is earned, this should work provided it doesn't go on forever and ever. AEW would be wise to heed the lessons of Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston here.