AEW's Chris Jericho Explains Why Critics Of Learning Tree Storyline Are Wrong

Chris Jericho's current "Learning Tree" gimmick is polarizing, to say the least, but Jericho has revealed that the vocal AEW fans who want to see him and his stablemates, Bryan Keith and Big Bill, take a break from television are in the minority. If you don't believe that the storyline has been a success, the numbers will back up his point, according to Jericho.

"Bottom line is, it delivers, it's one of the top rated segments on the show every week," Jericho told the "Creative Imbalance" podcast. "People are into it. As much as people want to cry from the hills that they want to behead Chris Jericho and kick me off planet Earth and send me off in space in a shuttle, that's a very small amount of people. What are the people reacting to in the venue? What are they watching? We have a hit character with a lot of potential who's helping a lot of different people move up the ladder, and that's what it's all about."

Jericho's "Learning Tree" character was born from the AEW fan base's frustrations with the veteran, most notably their perception that he takes up too much television time ahead of younger talent. Meanwhile, performers such as Effy have accused the AEW star of being a clout vampire. "Please retire" chants are now synonymous with most of his on-screen segments, indicating that there are some portion of the audience who are tired of his schtick. 

Despite this, Jericho said he doesn't plan on retiring any time soon, noting that he's having too much fun and still feels confident of delivering the best matches on the show. As such, AEW fans will have to get used to the "Learning Tree's" wisdom for the foreseeable future.