Chris Jericho has been away from the AEW storylines for months, but he remains a viral topic of debate. Sources have provided a significant update on the future Hall of Famer, his relationship with Tony Khan, and a surprising creative pivot.
Jericho is currently on hiatus as rumors and speculation continue on a potential WWE return. Jericho left for Fozzy’s 25th Anniversary Tour in April, exiting the storylines in frustration amid real-life fan heat and “please retire!” chants. The 35-year industry veteran had a new Dynamite storyline planned for off-nights while on tour with his band, but the program was nixed as Jericho really felt like it was time to take a break.
Tony Khan’s inaugural AEW World Champion has shot down WWE return talk over the years, but he recently caused a major stir within the world of wrestling by “liking” a social media post about returning to his longtime employer, which also claimed that his AEW deal is up in December. A recent report from within WWE added to the chatter about Y2J’s future, just before he shared a rare tour photo with a nod to The Rock.
The Learning Tree was a new moniker Jericho took on in April 2024, but this became a faction the following week when Big Bill was recruited. Bryan Keith joined that same month, and the trio brought heel antics to Dynamite and Collision until mid-April when Jericho stormed out days after Bandido ended his second ROH World Championship reign at Dynasty 2025, the same show that saw Bill and Keith fail to dethrone The Hurt Syndicate of the AEW World Tag Team Championship.
Le Champion, The Redwood, and The Bad Apple are apparently no longer a faction. AEW recently removed The Learning Tree billing from Jericho, Bill, and Keith on the official roster page, indicating the faction was officially disbanded, although quietly.
Keith and Bill last teamed up on July 26, losing to The Bang Bang Gang in a #1 contender’s tournament match. Since Jericho walked out, Keith and Bill worked just four matches, with one victory. The Learning Tree’s last trios match was a loss to Bandido and The Outrunners at AEW-ROH Global Wars in Australia on February 15.
Chris Jericho’s AEW Contract Status
Rumors and speculation continue to grow on what the future holds for Chris Jericho, but he is under contract to AEW through 2025. Fightful Select adds that the former WWE Champion still has a number of months left on the deal.
There have been no recent talks about new creative plans for Jericho within AEW. However, Jericho does speak directly with Tony Khan when it comes to his storylines.
The Demo God is also facing a potential contract situation. Fightful pointed to how there’s not a significant history of Jericho taking stretches off like the current period, so uncertainty remains over how the hiatus will be handled, if there was a contract freeze, or an extension in the works.
Excited to share that I’ll be attending THREE upcoming #Fall2025 con’s to meet all of you from around the world! Catch me at ↙️#scarefestweekend in Lexington, KY on October 17th + October 18th#spookyempire in Orlando, FL on October 31st + November 1st#ricomicconofficial in… pic.twitter.com/1Zinhe26Ud
— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) July 15, 2025
Jericho recently announced his Jerichon Tour 2025, kicking off at Scarefest Weekend on October 17-18 in Lexington, KY, and wrapping November 7-8 at Rhode Island Comic Con with more dates possible. Fozzy currently has their Eyes On You 2026 Tour scheduled for February 6 through February 21 in the UK.