Chris Jericho isn’t apologizing for slow-burn wrestling storylines — and he’s not holding back when it comes to impatient fans either.
During a March 1, 2026 conversation with Spencer Matthews, the former Undisputed WWE Champion addressed modern wrestling audiences who demand instant payoffs. Jericho made it clear that he prefers long-term storytelling and believes fans sometimes rush to judge angles before they fully play out. Jericho explained that some of his favorite feuds have lasted months — even a full year — and that stretching a storyline can make the eventual payoff far more meaningful.
“I like long-term stories. My favorite ones have always been ones that last for months.”
He said he would rather extend a compelling angle than wrap it up too quickly just to satisfy short-term reactions. That’s when Jericho took direct aim at fans who constantly ask for immediate answers.
“I would rather make things go longer than shorter.”
“I always love wrestling fans, especially modern-day ones, who just want to know the answer right now. Give us the answer.”
To drive home his point, Jericho compared wrestling to watching a long movie, arguing that viewers need patience to appreciate the full story. He then delivered the line that immediately grabbed attention.
“If I’m watching Saving Private Ryan, it’s three hours long. It’s a long movie. You better be watching and paying attention. And at the end of that three hours, then you can decide if you like it or not.”
“An hour and a half in, if I go, ‘This movie, they haven’t even found Ryan yet. This movie sucks. This is stupid. This is too long.’ I hear it every day from wrestling fans. My thing is, shut the hell up and let me tell my story. When it’s done, if it takes a year, tough luck.”
Jericho pointed to his 366-day feud with MJF in AEW as proof that patience can pay off. Despite online criticism that the rivalry lasted too long, he believes the extended arc made it stronger.
“I did a feud with MJF in AEW. It was 366 days, literally a year and a day. There were people like, ‘This feud is too long.’ Why? What else do you got going on?”
He also referenced his classic WWE rivalry with Shawn Michaels, which was initially planned to be short but ended up stretching over many months because both performers saw greater potential.
“They wanted it to be a one-month thing. And we were like, what do you have coming up? Nothing. So why are we ending this in a month? Let’s keep going.”
Jericho believes wrestling’s strength lies in its ability to tell layered, episodic stories that evolve over time, rather than delivering instant gratification every week.
“That to me is the brilliance of pro wrestling. We can tell any story we want and we can make it go as long as we want or as short as we want.”
Jericho’s comments may stir debate among fans who prefer faster-paced storytelling, but his track record includes some of the most memorable long-term feuds in WWE and AEW history. For him, the payoff only works if the journey feels earned.
Do you agree with Chris Jericho that wrestling fans need more patience, or should storylines move faster in today’s era? Leave your thoughts and feedback below and join the discussion.
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