Chris Jericho’s legendary career has spanned several decades and multiple major promotions, but he firmly believes that one specific match altered the course of professional wrestling history. During a recent conversation with Spencer Matthews, the veteran superstar reflected on his legacy and asserted that his high-profile clash with Kenny Omega directly led to the formation of All Elite Wrestling.
Changing the Business at the Tokyo Dome
While discussing his personal “Mount Rushmore” of wrestling opponents, Jericho listed Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley), The Rock, and Shawn Michaels. For his final selection, he named Kenny Omega, pointing to their groundbreaking encounter at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in 2018. “We changed the business when we had our match at the Tokyo Dome, which at the time was crazy because nobody ever thought it would happen,” Jericho explained.
Jericho highlighted the unique synergy of two performers from the same small town of Winnipeg, Canada, packing the massive Tokyo Dome. He noted that the match caused digital streaming numbers for New Japan Pro-Wrestling to skyrocket. According to Jericho, this unprecedented success caught the attention of Tony Khan, proving that a massive, untapped market existed for a major wrestling product outside of the WWE umbrella. Khan officially founded AEW in 2019, just one year after the Wrestle Kingdom bout, with both Jericho and Omega joining as foundational stars.
Jericho would go on to make history as the inaugural AEW World Champion, establishing the brand’s early credibility. However, his current status with the promotion remains shrouded in mystery. Reports indicate that his AEW contract has been frozen due to his extended time off television. Since stepping away from his “Learning Tree” faction earlier in the year, speculation continues to mount regarding whether the legendary performer will finish his career in an AEW ring or explore one final run elsewhere in the industry.
