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The Young Bucks have stated that 2019 marked the closest the team came to joining WWE.
Speaking with Adam’s Apple, AEW Executive Vice Presidents Matt and Nick Jackson discussed their history of talks with WWE.
Matt Jackson clarified that while they never held a physical contract, they engaged in negotiations multiple times. He identified the period leading up to the formation of AEW as the point where a departure was most likely.
He said, “I mean, there was never an actual physical contract, but we were negotiating, not even at that time but many times before in our career… 2019 was probably the closest.”
The pair also addressed the current status of Chris Jericho within the company. Nick Jackson described Jericho as a “founding father” and expressed a strong desire for the former champion to remain with the organization.
He noted that Jericho is currently taking time away to assess his future.
He’s a founding father so of course we want him to stay. We’re not sure where he’s at headspace-wise right now, but I know he’s like on a break and he’s trying to figure it out on his own. And sometimes you’ve got to let a wrestler like that figure it out on his own.
When asked to identify the “Mount Rushmore” of AEW, the brothers listed Jericho, Hangman Adam Page, and Kenny Omega. Matt Jackson suggested that he and his brother belong on that list as well.
I mean you got to put him [Jericho] up there. You got Hangman. Definitely. I mean Kenny, right? And then if you could put a couple of extra heads up there you can put me and my brother out there probably.
Matt Jackson also singled out a specific maneuver as the most painful finisher he has received. He pointed to the “flipping powerbomb” used by Jurassic Express.
The Jurassic Express one. It just sucks. It’s brutal. It’s like a flipping powerbomb. Anytime your head whiplashes you’re screwed. I took it at the last pay-per-view and it was lights out.
