In the early days of AEW, English boxer Anthony Ogogo joined the company as a developmental talent, eventually making his TV debut in 2021 to feud with Cody Rhodes. According to Ogogo in a recent interview with Inside The Ropes, however, there was almost a very different plan for his introduction, and it could’ve happened years earlier.
“I was supposed to be Jericho’s bodyguard, part of his Inner Circle group,” Ogogo said. “I think Tony Khan’s idea was for me to work with Jericho and learn from Jericho. But I think Jericho wanted Jake [Hager], he knew Jake from their time in WWE, they had some real life situations with each other.”
The Inner Circle debuted at the end of the very first episode of “AEW Dynamite” in 2019, with Jericho joined by Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana, and Ortiz. It lasted until 2022, when Jericho and Hager turned on the other members and formed the Jericho Appreciation Society.
Although the plan for Ogogo to join The Inner Circle never came to fruition, he still views Jericho as an instrumental figure in his career. According to Ogogo, Jericho’s Learning Tree stable had its roots in reality.
“I would always ask questions and he’d teach me stuff. He’d always watch my matches,” Ogogo said. “[He’d] say ‘do this, don’t do that. He’s the man who knows how to get over so Jericho is someone I definitely learned a lot from.”
Ogogo is still signed with AEW, though his in-ring appearances have been few and far between. He did recently wrestle a match at a Ring of Honor taping, possibly signaling more work in his future. Ogogo does appear on ROH as a member of Shane Taylor Promotions, often serving as a manager for the stable.
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