Chris Jericho’s recent remarks comparing a lively TNA Bound for Glory crowd to a quieter AEW Dynamite audience have sparked plenty of debate, but Eric Bischoff sees something much bigger at play. During a new episode of 83 Weeks, Bischoff explained that none of this surprised him, and he views Jericho’s approach as a calculated move with purpose behind every word as his contract reportedly nears its end.

Bischoff said he has been watching Jericho’s positioning for some time and believes the veteran performer is executing a long game designed to elevate his value. “Here’s the fun thing about Chris. I’ve been watching the prequel to all this for about a year and a half. I’ve seen this train coming,” Bischoff said. “Chris is constantly playing chess. In my opinion… I kind of think I see what he’s doing, and I think he’s brilliant”.

Rather than assuming Jericho is certain to walk away from AEW, Bischoff sees a negotiation strategy unfolding. “He’s raising his stock value,” he said. “And guess what? If he stays with AEW, he’s more valuable than he was six months ago. And if he’s not going to stay with AEW, he has value that he didn’t have six months ago… But Chris is smart enough to see that”.

Bischoff also highlighted Jericho’s physical transformation as another deliberate part of the presentation. He reflected on the change he noticed from a year earlier. “If you had seen him a year ago, I did. I went, Whoa, Chris… Have you seen a mirror lately? You know not to be cruel, but you know when you’re out there in your underwear, you kind of got to be aware of what she looked like, I guess. And it didn’t appear that Chris cared, looked at him now,” Bischoff said. “And the reason I noticed it is because I also know that Chris is smart enough to use that… you’re drawing attention to your commitment to whatever it is you’re about to do next”.

For Bischoff, the ideal outcome would see Jericho remain in AEW, especially if this strategy ultimately strengthens his standing within the company. “I really hope that, you know, this is Chris making a move so that he has more value to AEW… I’d like to see him raise his stock and make it matter in AEW”.

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