Chris Jericho Finally Breaks Silence On His Most Hated AEW Gimmick And His Answer Is Turning Heads
Let’s be real for a second. When wrestling fans look back at Chris Jericho’s legendary career, they usually talk about the highlights. The List of Jericho. The suit jackets. The incredible WWE title wins.
But lately, the conversation has been stuck on something else. The Learning Tree.
If you’ve been following AEW, you know exactly what I’m talking about. That particular era of Jericho’s run wasn’t exactly a fan favorite. To put it mildly, a lot of people didn’t get it. They called it awkward. They called it a creative misfire. Some even said it was the worst stretch of Y2J’s entire career.
So what does the man himself think about all that criticism?
In a recent interview with Ringer Wrestling, Jericho didn’t dodge the question. He didn’t get defensive either. Instead, he dropped a take that might surprise you.
He called The Learning Tree “good.”
Yes, you read that right. Good.
His reasoning? He says the whole point was to go completely left field and lean into the hate. He compared it to cult classic albums that people trashed at first but later appreciated. In his mind, if the haters were angry, that meant the gimmick was doing its job.
But here is the part that really got people talking.
Jericho admitted that not every version of his character works perfectly. He knows some eras hit harder than others. However, he made one thing crystal clear. He has never, ever half-heartedly mailed in a single performance. He claims he puts a million percent into everything he does, even the stuff fans love to mock.
And then he shifted gears to address those nonstop rumors about him jumping back to WWE.
His response was classic Jericho. He said fans online will believe whatever they want, and those rumors turned into “law” whether he was involved or not. He doesn’t pay attention to the toxic side of wrestling tribalism. Instead, he focuses on the people who just want to have fun and be entertained.
Love him or hate him, you cannot deny the guy’s confidence.
Whether The Learning Tree was a hidden gem or a hot mess is still up for debate. But Chris Jericho is sticking to his story. He believes in every single version of himself. And honestly? After thirty years in this business, he has earned the right to.
