Backstage Report On How AEW's Chris Jericho Vs. Takeshita Match In DDT Came About

In a little over a month, veteran wrestler Chris Jericho will head over to Japan to make his DDT debut, taking on rival Konosuke Takeshita. The move is a surprising one for Jericho, and the latest "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" details how the match came to be. According to journalist Dave Meltzer, Jericho was initially asked by DDT to wrestle on a show in July. When it became clear that wasn't possible due to scheduling issues, Jericho instead put forward the idea of doing the match in November.

The report states that once the DDT match was decided upon, they began putting the angle together in AEW. It's unclear if Meltzer is implying that the entire Jericho-Don Callis storyline sprung from the idea of Jericho vs. Takeshita in DDT. As for the reasoning behind bringing Jericho in, Meltzer speculates that the company hopes Jericho's name value will bring more attention to DDT's streaming service, Wrestle Universe, just as Jericho was able to do for New Japan Pro-Wrestling with his match against Omega in 2018.

Before Jericho faces Takeshita one-on-one in DDT, both men are set to be involved in a six-man tag match this Sunday at AEW WrestleDream. That match will see Jericho team up with Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi to take on the trio of Takeshita, Will Ospreay, and Sammy Guevara. After a recent loss to Jericho, Guevara joined up with The Don Callis Family, positioning himself firmly against his former mentor and adding a fresh element to this ongoing feud.