The making of Nick Wayne at AEW WrestleDream: Chris Jericho’s Midas touch brings a feud to an end

AEW

The feud between Nick Wayne and Chris Jericho ended at AEW WrestleDream, with the young star victorious in Orlando, Florida.

With a 2-1 record, Nick Wayne will no doubt be on cloud nine after AEW WrestleDream, with the influence of Jericho being a clear factor in the success of the rivalry.

Recently, Jericho shared an insight into the success he’s had elevating younger stars in AEW, going so far as to indicate that winning isn’t necessary for his role to be a success.

With this in mind, the role that Jericho played in his rivalry with Nick Wayne has, indeed, elevated the young star to new heights:

How Nick Wayne and Jericho started

The first match between Wayne and Jericho took place on September 16, with a victory for the veteran likely not surprising anyone.

There was respect from Jericho, but fury from Wayne after his puka shell necklace was destroyed, leading to The Prodigy unleashing that anger in a post-match beatdown.

For Wayne, it could be argued that it was an indication of the talent that he has grown within the 21-year-old star, particularly when it comes to his character work.

Grand Slam France

The whole thing could have ended at Dynamite, with Jericho taking a break from television before returning for another feud elsewhere, but AEW continued it at Grand Slam France, the company’s first-ever show in Paris, with that match taking place at Collision.

For this, Wayne would be the victor, with his reflection of what went down in France being a step up for his character work.

“Nick Wayne beat Chris Jericho”

Whether it was Justin Roberts delivering a custom entrance announcement for Nick Wayne, The Prodigy himself entering the ring with a little dance, or the star stating “Nick Wayne beat Chris Jericho”, with pyro, not once but twice, it all elevated the star.

The fans chanting “one more time” would see Wayne react to the call-out instead of just continuing on with his thoughts.

Wayne did, indeed, “need to change” to beat Chris Jericho and that change has brought out a new persona in the star that fits him, while not abandoning what fans had seen before. The arrogance, that swagger, everything about Wayne is a reflection of Jericho in his earlier years.

Jericho is a star who can demolish many stars on the mic, and seeing Wayne step up to the level of the veteran.

The rubber match at AEW WrestleDream

At AEW WrestleDream, the fans were clearly in Jericho’s corner, as would be expected, given the sheer aura of the star who dominated in the opening moments of the match, only for Wayne to eventually gain the upper hand.

The match gave Wayne the spotlight while not taking away from Jericho, with The Prodigy resorting to underhand tactics, including low blow attempts that would be countered by the presence of a cup to prevent such activity.

In a moment of symmetry for Jericho’s first loss, the veteran star would attempt a low blow of his own, only for Wayne to pin his opponent, bragging at the victory post-match.

The challenge ahead for Nick Wayne

Now that Nick Wayne has revealed just how engaging he can be as a character while in the spotlight of a titan of the business, the challenge will be keeping that momentum going after his feud with Jericho.

Jericho has gifted the star an opportunity that has been offered before, as he has noted himself, naming MJF among those he has helped elevate since signing with AEW.

From here, however, it’s up to Wayne and AEW creative to forge a future for The Prodigy that sees him capitalize on what Jericho has brought out of him.

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• AEW
• chris jericho
• Jericho
• Nick Wayne
• WrestleDream

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