Okay, let’s be real: Has there been anything better on AEW television than the oddly entertaining feud between Chris Jericho and Matt Hardy’s faithful drone companion, Vanguard 1?
The two of them have been going back-and-forth at each other for weeks now, with Jericho repeatedly trying to get Vanguard to join his group, the Inner Circle, to no avail. It’s been the storyline that wrestling fans needed during these hard times and one that hopefully doesn’t go away anytime soon.
Every week, Jericho and Vanguard have shared lengthy segments on Dynamite, including one from Le Champion’s home aka "The Jericho Compound," which saw Y2J once again try to recruit Vanguard — this time, with a tiny drone-sized Inner Circle t-shirt.
"You look good, Vanguard. Are you in?" Jericho asked, as cheesy and amazing as ever. "Should we shake on it? Elbow to propeller?"
Vanguard denied the offer once again and zoomed away, sparking an epic scene. Jericho yelled and screamed, threw a bottle of "Bubbly" and proceeded to "release the hounds!" It was amazing as it sounds, with Jericho’s house dogs and chihuahuas serving as the hounds.
Hardy came out on Dynamite the following week and commended Vanguard for turning down the Inner Circle invitations in another hilarious back-and-forth. Vanguard called Jericho’s Inner Circle t-shirt a "dumpster fiya" and was given the task of telling “Le Hole of the Ass” that Hardy wants to challenge him to an "Elite Deletion" match at his home in Cameron, North Carolina, aka "The Hardy Compound." One can only hope that this match is as good as the feud between Jericho and Vanguard.
The beef was first ignited on the March 22 episode of Dynamite. Jericho cut a full-blown promo on Vanguard — calling the drone a "piece of s—t" at one point — before eventually offering a spot in the Inner Circle. It was as Jericho as Jericho promos get, and helped set up a "magical" face-off with Hardy.
Upon watching the Vanguard segments, one thing is clear: Jericho is at the top of his game. If there were any doubters left in regards to his promo work and creative chops, having an should surely turn them into believers. There just isn't anyone in the business today who is doing more with less the way Jericho is. He’s the Daniel Day Lewis of professional wrestling. The feud with Vanguard is Jericho’s My Left Foot.
More importantly, amidst all of the good work that AEW has been doing, it's been mostly lacking in one thing: comic relief. Jericho's comedic "feud" with Vanguard 1 has been a highlight of Dynamite's programming over the last month -- and AEW should lean into further lighthearted moments in the months to come.