Which AEW Gimmick Did Chris Jericho "Hate" At First?

"I thought it was stupid".

Orange Cassidy Chris Jericho
AEW

Chris Jericho admitted during an interview with talkSPORT that he "did not respect" or even like Orange Cassidy at first.

The former AEW World Champion said he couldn't understand why company fans were going daft for Cassidy's laid-back gimmick, or why people online were petitioning for Tony Khan to push him. Then, Jericho realised that "over is over" and that he didn't need to get it - he just had to support the rise of a breakout fresh face.

When he first clapped eyes on Cassidy's work though, Jericho thought it was "stupid" and might burn out quickly like some new flavour of the month thing. Then, he says he "pulled [his] head out of [his] ass" and decided he'd like to help facilitate a young star's push himself.

Advertisement

That's when Jericho went to Khan and suggested he work an extended program with Orange.

Jericho has since changed his opinion on Cassidy after watching how much he puts into the gimmick up close for months. The pair are set to collide in a unique 'Mimosa Mayhem' match at AEW's All Out pay-per-view on Saturday night.

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.