Chris Jericho has wrestled for almost every major wrestling company in the world, but it appears he won’t be venturing far beyond AEW in the coming years.
In October 2022 the star signed a new contract to keep him with All Elite Wrestling until at least 2025. Aside from being an on-screen talent, the deal included Jericho becoming a producer and creative advisor.
However, speculation persists over WWE attempting to sign a number of big-name AEW stars. After all, should Jericho want to leave the company, it wouldn’t be the first contract buy-out in wrestling history.
Despite this, in a new interview with the Daily Star, Jericho has poured cold water on the idea that he would leave AEW to rejoin WWE.
“I don’t see why it wouldn’t be. I don’t hold a torch for WWE. To me, that’s not ‘the place to be’. AEW is the place to be. It really is. I’ve been in WWE. I know how it works. They work that way, I don’t care if Vince is there, Hunter is there, or whoever is there. They have a way of doing things, and I was there for 20 years and was pretty good at it. I like the way we do things at AEW better… so I don’t know why I wouldn’t want to finish my career in AEW.
I never thought that I wouldn’t finish my career with WWE, but things happened, and I was just like ‘I want to go to Japan and do this match [with NJPW]’ and it opened up a whole new world for me.
It was like ‘oh my gosh, this is the fun side of wrestling again! Business is business and there’s always ups and downs, but I have zero interest in ever going back to WWE. That’s not out of bitterness or anger. I love Vince and I love Hunter and all the people there.”
WWE Had Hoped Chris Jericho Would Return
Shortly after Jericho signed his new AEW deal it was reported that WWE had been hopeful of landing the star. Reports suggested that the company felt the former World Champion would return when his previous AEW contract expired.
Jericho will be back in action on the March 1st episode of Dynamite when he takes on Peter Avalon before facing Ricky Starks at Revolution.