‘You Have To Connect With The Audience, If Not You’re Just A Couple Of Guys Out There Doing High Spots’ – AEW Star Chris Jericho Shares Advice For Young Wrestlers

AEW

With impressive feats of athleticism being pulled off on a weekly basis on AEW TV, Chris Jericho has warned young wrestlers that they need to always prioritise building a connection with the audience above just pulling off flashy moves.

The importance of storytelling and attaching meaning to actions inside the ring is something veteran names in the industry have been voicing for years, with The Undertaker this week making headlines by stating that he’s looking to bring more stories into AAA’s product rather than just having “in-ring spectacles.”

While speaking positively about the way the in-ring aspect of pro wrestling has evolved from an athleticism standpoint, Chris Jericho believes that personality, character and charisma are still vital in building a connection with the fans.

Speaking with Dan Marston, Jericho said:

“You have to connect with the audience, and I’m not going to throw stones at the style of wrestling nowadays because when I started our style was the version of what’s going on today. The peak of athleticism in 1991 was a Moonsault. I remember the first guys to do a Moonsault in Japan was myself and Lance Storm. Now a Moonsault is the opening move.

“But that’s fine, the athleticism grows but the same principle for wrestling never changes. It’s all about your personality and about your character and about your charisma and connecting with the audience.

“You have to connect. If not, you’re just a couple guys out there doing high spots and not getting any reactions because there’s so much going on, no one’s paying attention because nothing is special.

“There has to be a reason for what you’re doing, a reason why the match is even happening. So it’s up to all the guys and girls to figure that out for themselves. You have to find a character that’s going to connect and be a little unique that people are going to remember.”

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After almost a year off TV, Chris Jericho made his return to AEW on the April 1 episode of Dynamite, bringing an end to months of speculation regarding a potential return to WWE.

During the same interview with Dan Marston, Jericho looked back on his time in WWE, particularly his 2008 heel turn, and named it the riskiest character change he made in his near four decade career – click here for full details.

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