Chris Jericho had options when his AEW contract came to an end, and a return to WWE was clearly on the table. However, the former AEW World Champion ultimately decided that walking away from the company he helped launch was not the right move.
Speaking to Beef Vegan on Rock 102.1 KFMA, Jericho was directly asked how close he came to returning to WWE. Jericho did not deny considering the possibility, saying he had to weigh every available option before making his decision.
Jericho explained that he never actually left AEW during his recent absence from television. Instead, he was working through the end of one contract before immediately moving into another agreement with the company.
“You weigh all your options, but I have skin in the game with AEW. I helped create AEW, and I was never gone. I was just off TV for a while while we figured out some stuff. Basically, I ended one contract and went straight to the other one.”
Jericho then made it clear that his relationship with Tony Khan and his personal connection to AEW played a huge part in keeping him from jumping back to WWE.
“I like Tony Khan as a boss. I like AEW as a company. I like the growth that we’ve had, and I helped start the company, so I always have, like I mentioned, skin in the game.”
The former WWE Champion also explained why his history with AEW means more than simply working for another wrestling promotion. WWE was already a global powerhouse before Jericho arrived, while AEW did not exist until Jericho and the company’s original group came together.
“WWE existed before I was there, and it’ll exist after I was there. Of course, AEW will exist after I was there too, but it didn’t exist before I was there. It was more exciting to be with the company that I helped create.”
Jericho became one of AEW’s first major signings in 2019 and was crowned the company’s inaugural World Champion later that year. His involvement immediately gave the promotion name recognition and helped establish AEW as a serious alternative in the wrestling business.
His latest comments confirm that WWE was something he considered, but his connection to AEW proved stronger. Jericho is not treating his current run as a temporary stop before one final WWE farewell. For now, he is sticking with the company he helped build from the ground up.
Do you think Chris Jericho made the right decision by staying with AEW, or should he have returned to WWE for one final run? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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