Chris Jericho and Nick Wayne are heading to Paris for the next chapter of their AEW rivalry.
During the Collision portion of Wednesday's AEW presentation, Jericho and Wayne agreed to a rematch for AEW Grand Slam: France, scheduled for October 6. The event will take place in Paris, giving Wayne an immediate opportunity to answer a defeat that he has made clear he cannot accept.
Jericho defeated Wayne on the previous week's edition of AEW Dynamite. That result set the tone for their latest in-ring confrontation, as Wayne joined Jericho to address the loss and his escalating frustration with the veteran.
The exchange was not merely a routine match announcement. It centered on Wayne's refusal to view the Dynamite defeat as an outcome he should ever have to live with, while Jericho framed the younger wrestler's response as proof that he still has growing to do.
For more background on this topic, read Persephone Retains AEW TBS Title Over Hyan With Rope-Assisted Pin.
Wayne refuses to accept the Dynamite loss
Jericho entered the ring during the Collision segment to speak about “The Prodigy,” only for Wayne to interrupt and join him. Wayne talked himself up at Jericho's expense, continuing the self-assured approach that has defined much of his presentation in AEW.
Jericho responded by questioning the source of Wayne's hostility. He compared Wayne to a younger version of himself, but not as a simple compliment. Jericho described the younger wrestler as arrogant, presenting Wayne's confidence as a trait that can become a liability when it is not matched by experience and perspective.
Wayne fired back forcefully, stopping just short of using an expletive as he argued his case. Beneath the bravado, however, his point was direct: he cannot reconcile himself to Jericho beating him. In Wayne's view, that was not supposed to happen, and he promised that it would not happen again.
That statement effectively issued the challenge. With Grand Slam: France on the horizon, Wayne named October 6 as the place to settle the matter, and Jericho accepted. The two men shook hands after the match was made official, though the moment did little to suggest that the tension between them has been resolved.
Jericho declared that Wayne is not a man yet, but a boy who is going to “get the s*** kicked out of him by Chris Jericho.”
A rematch with clear stakes for both wrestlers
The Paris bout gives AEW a straightforward continuation of a story that began with Jericho's victory on Dynamite. Jericho has already established that he can beat Wayne. Wayne now enters the rematch with a challenge that is as much about his pride as it is about evening the score.
For Wayne, the loss has become a personal affront. He did not present it as a disappointing night or a setback that can simply be filed away. Instead, he described it as something that should not happen. That distinction matters because it places substantial pressure on him going into the second match. He will be attempting to prove that the first result was not a defining statement about where he stands against Jericho.
Jericho, meanwhile, is approaching the situation from the opposite direction. He is not treating Wayne as an equal who merely caught a bad break. His comments positioned Wayne as a talented but immature opponent, someone with obvious belief in himself but not yet the composure to handle being beaten by a veteran.
The dynamic creates a natural contrast for Grand Slam: France. Wayne's case is built on confidence, impatience, and the need to erase a result he considers unacceptable. Jericho's case is built on experience and a belief that Wayne's reaction to adversity has exposed a weakness. Their rematch will determine whether Wayne can turn his anger into a breakthrough performance or whether Jericho can reinforce every point he made in the ring.
Jericho's comparison adds another layer
Jericho comparing Wayne to his younger self is notable because it acknowledges the qualities that have helped make Wayne stand out. Wayne is not being portrayed as lacking ambition. If anything, the confrontation emphasized that he has plenty of it. His willingness to confront Jericho directly after losing to him underlines how strongly he believes he belongs in major AEW matches.
But Jericho's comparison also carried a warning. Arrogance can be a tool in professional wrestling, particularly when it fuels an athlete's willingness to take risks, call out established names, and demand opportunities. It can also become a blind spot. Wayne's inability to accept the Dynamite result could motivate him in Paris, but it could also cause him to approach the rematch with emotion rather than discipline.
That is the central question surrounding the match. Wayne does not need to convince anyone that the defeat bothered him; he has already made that unmistakably clear. The issue is whether he can use that frustration productively against an opponent with Jericho's experience. Jericho will likely be comfortable with the psychological side of the confrontation, having already shown that he is willing to needle Wayne over his age and maturity.
Wayne's response on October 6 will therefore matter beyond the win-loss column. A victory would validate his insistence that the first meeting did not represent his true level. Another loss, especially after such a public declaration that it will never happen again, would give Jericho even more ammunition in their rivalry.
Paris becomes the stage for the next confrontation
AEW Grand Slam: France will provide an international backdrop for a rematch that has quickly become personal. The October 6 date gives both men a defined destination after their heated Collision exchange, while also allowing the rivalry to move beyond a single Dynamite result.
Jericho has made his view of Wayne unmistakable: he sees an exceptionally confident young wrestler who has not yet become the man he believes himself to be. Wayne has made his own position equally plain: he believes Jericho's victory was an aberration that cannot be allowed to happen twice.
The handshake that finalized the match did not signal respect so much as it formalized the conflict. Jericho accepted the challenge and immediately followed it by dismissing Wayne as a boy. Wayne, having already admitted that the loss is difficult for him to accept, now has the chance to respond where it matters most.
When they meet in Paris, Jericho will try to prove that the initial outcome was no accident. Wayne will try to show that “The Prodigy” is ready to back up the confidence he brings into every confrontation. AEW Grand Slam: France now has a rematch built around a simple but potent question: can Nick Wayne prevent Chris Jericho from beating him again?
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.