AEW’s Chris Jericho decided on Action Andretti match, direction in October

[Big Red Machine]

https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/aews ... in-october

Jericho decided to work with Andretti after watching him wrestle QT Marshall on Dark.

Ian Carey
13 hours ago


Chris Jericho made the decision months ago that he was going to make Action Andretti a star. 

Andretti scored a surprising upset victory over Jericho at AEW Winter is Coming on Wednesday. Shortly after the match, Andretti was announced as having signed with the promotion. 

Our own Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that the decision for Andretti to defeat Jericho was made more than two months ago. Jericho saw Andretti wrestle QT Marshall on Dark (filmed October 7 and aired on October 11) and decided then that he was going to "make him a star." 

"Action Andretti had a match on one of the streaming shows against QT Marshall and Chris Jericho was watching the match and decided at that moment that this guy is going to be a star. So, he decided that he's going to make him a star," Meltzer said. 

Jericho first had to get through his run as ROH Champion and feud with Claudio Castagnoli, however. 

"This match on this date was not something where it was decided yesterday. This was weeks and weeks and weeks ago. The date was decided the day of the Action Andretti and QT match," Meltzer continued. 

Renee Paquette caught up with Andretti for his comments after the match. 

"Renee, words cannot describe how I feel right now. I just went out there and beat, like you said, the former AEW World Heavyweight Champion and an eight-time world champion at that. I'm pretty new to this game but that's pretty damn good for a rookie if you ask me. And if I can do that out there against a guy like Chris Jericho, well then Renee, I think there is no telling the rest of the things that I can do here in AEW."

[Big Red Machine]

So that eliminates the theory that Jericho wouldn't have lost the belt if there had been a TV deal announced (either that, or Tony knew there would be no deal back in October and played it up otherwise the whole time, but that seems less likely to me).