Chris Jericho is focused on getting people to react.
In recent months, Chris Jericho has formed The Learning Tree. He initially joined forces with Big Bill before Bryan Keith later joined the stable.
Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Chris Jericho discussed the formation of The Learning Tree and noted that the group stemmed from the criticism he faced on social media.
“I’m a big proponent of letting the story lead you, not the other way around. That allows me to evolve. The whole Learning Tree is taking negativity from social media and getting a reaction out of it. That’s what wrestling is all about–getting people to react to what you’re doing. There’s a serious side, too–look at the vicious beatdowns we’ve given Samoa Joe and Hook and [Katsuyori] Shibata. It’s something I made a career out of, and it’s one of the reasons I’ve been doing it for so long at the highest of levels, which makes some people mad. This is what I do. I’ve never wanted to be a nostalgia act, I’ve never wanted to rest on my laurels. I’ve also never been afraid to take chances and do something different, and that’s what we’re doing right now," Jericho said.
Jericho also noted that he wanted to help elevate Big Bill, as he was interested in working with him. He stated that he, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith had great chemistry. Jericho stated they had some great stories to tell.
“I think Big Bill is great–I loved him as Cass and I wanted to work with him. Tony Khan suggested Bryan Keith, and the bad apple character was born. The chemistry is great, and we’re putting a spotlight on something new–and that gives us some great stories to tell," Jericho said.
Jericho also noted that he wanted to help younger talent, and that was his goal in working with Big Bill and Bryan Keith.
Jericho recently said that The Learning Tree was about helping people move up the ladder. Check out his comments here.
Click here to see what Bryan Keith had to say about joining The Learning Tree.
