Chris Jericho Responds To WWE Putting NXT Head-To-Head Against AEW
Chris Jericho appeared on Busted Open Radio today and discussed NXT reportedly moving to the USA Network on Wednesday nights to go head-to-head with AEW. With three hours of RAW on Mondays, as well as two hours of SmackDown on Fridays on FOX starting in October, Jericho noted that there is already too much WWE programming.
"I think WWE is great but there's too much WWE as it is," Jericho said. "By adding another two hours, that really dilutes the product, it dilutes their mindset, it dilutes the focus. It's a reactionary move that's done by a guy who wants to start a war. We don't care if you want to start a war, that was never our intention. There's no war for us, we're just doing what we're doing. People there don't like that and they're reacting to it, and it just dilutes their own product.
"You remember in the 90s, Nitro would start at 7:57 and RAW started at 8:00, and the reason that we started early is because we wanted our pyro to be before theirs. Who gives a crap? What's the show like? Don't worry about what the other guys are doing, worry about your own stuff.
"I don't care about any other wrestling company in the world. I want everyone to do good, everyone be the best that you can be, whether it's WWE, Ring Of Honor, Impact, New Japan, AAA or friggin' George Swanson's show at the Armory on a Friday night. Do your thing. We don't care, and I think that's one of the things that makes us cool. It's a typical thing, the more other people will do, the more it makes us look revolutionary and cool, and we haven't even started yet. Just wait until we start."
Jericho also felt that NXT on Wednesday nights might not affect them because he feels that a big percentage of their fans don't watch WWE.
"We still don't know who our fan base is," Jericho admitted. "I don't think that there's a lot of crossover between WWE fans and AEW fans. I think a lot of people that are into AEW are people that maybe haven't watched wrestling in a while, or maybe are looking for something different. Maybe they don't like WWE, I don't know."
You can listen to Jericho's comments below. If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Busted Open with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
??EXCLUSIVE?? In the wake of #NXT's potential move to a live Wednesday night show on the USA Network, @IAmJericho tells @davidlagreca1 & @bullyray5150 that @AEWrestling is just doing their thing and not trying to start a war ?? pic.twitter.com/OsR8lYMnC3
? SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) August 19, 2019