Chris Jericho Reveals The Idea Behind New 'Learning Tree' Gimmick

Chris Jericho is focused on storylines and characters which he believes are the major aspects of pro wrestling.

The former AEW World Champion has portrayed several interesting gimmicks during his illustrious career, the latest being 'The Learning Tree.' Chris Jericho recently joined the Kevin Karius Show to outline the significance of evolving gimmicks over time. The 53-year-old veteran said that the matches are important but the stories and characters draw the attention of the fans which remains "the most important aspect" to him. He said:

"I just started doing this Learning Tree gimmick a few weeks ago. That's the best thing about wrestling, when people start to get mad at you, you turn into a bad guy and when people like you, you turn into a good guy. This is the start of this whole new persona as we continue the story. That's the most important thing about wrestling, the story. The matches are important, but the characters and the storylines are what really draws people into watching you and draws people into following what you're doing. To me, that's always been the most important thing."

Chris Jericho further explained that 'The Learning Tree' gimmick is based on the role of a teacher. Being a seasoned veteran of the game and with extensive pro wrestling knowledge, Jericho's persona is a reflection of his real life. He aims to teach and guide the up-and-coming AEW stars. However, he possesses heel traits as he gets people "mad," given the fact that he is a treasure of knowledge. He explained:

"The teacher. I've been doing this for a long time. I thought, what's a cool way to personify that and make people mad? I've been doing this at a high level, I thought, I'll adopt this persona of being the seasoned vet that teaches the rookies the ways of the game. That's how it started, and the way we've portrayed it, people get really mad at me for it. That's what you want. By being the seasoned vet who knows everything, that makes people mad at me. That's wrestling for you."

The Canadian legend had wanted to take Hook under his wing which the latter rejected. 'The Learning Tree' dethroned Hook and captured the FTW Championship. However, the veteran got 'Go-away heat' after the title win. On last week's Dynamite, Jericho retained his title against Katsuyori Shibata.

AEW star Big Bill has been trying to learn from the veteran star, who agreed on last week's Rampage. It has been announced that Chris Jericho will join forces with Big Bill on tonight's AEW Dynamite.