Chris Jericho’s AEW Future Up In The Air As WWE & Others Promotions Lurking

Chris Jericho hasn’t been seen on AEW television since April, and his absence has triggered constant speculation about whether he’s creatively burned out—or planning something bigger behind the scenes. Now, thanks to new insight, we have a better idea of what’s going on—and where things could be headed.

During the Fightful Select Backstage report podcast, Sean revealed that he’s spoken with multiple people across WWE and other national/global wrestling promotions over the past month and a half regarding Jericho’s future in the business. While no official offers have been made, sources inside WWE believe the company would be willing to go big if Jericho showed interest in returning.

“People I talk to in WWE believe that Jericho would almost certainly get offered several million dollars annually to return to WWE. But they also said that at this stage, AEW could match it. And they weren’t even sure what Jericho’s motivations are.”

Sean noted that there are at least two other major promotions that have expressed interest in using Jericho in some capacity—not counting AEW or WWE. However, he made it clear this is all early-stage interest, not active negotiations or contracts on the table.

“In addition to WWE, there are at least two other companies on a national/global level who are interested in having Jericho appear for their show. AEW is also in there. That doesn’t include AEW. So there’s WWE, AEW, and at least two other national-size promotions.”

Another promotion has reportedly expressed that while they’d love to use Jericho, they’re not getting into a bidding war over him.

“There’s another company that’s just open to using him. They said they’re probably not going to get into the bidding element for Chris Jericho because they think it’s a fruitless venture.”

As for AEW, Tony Khan still sees Jericho as a key part of the company’s future and reportedly wants to keep him around. There’s no indication that Jericho has requested time off or that AEW is sidelining him against his will.

“Tony Khan very much likes Chris Jericho and wants to keep Chris Jericho there. I had people I talked to say they didn’t think Tony would freeze the deal or anything like that. But again, you never know—maybe Jericho wants that done as well.”

While no creative discussions have taken place within WWE regarding Jericho’s return, internal reactions to Jericho’s name and signature moves being referenced on WWE TV have been overwhelmingly positive.

“I’ve not heard about any direct conversations about Jericho or creative ideas discussed in WWE. But one higher-up did tell me that the reactions to his name being dropped and the reactions to his moves being used on WWE TV—and the fact that they got such a positive reaction—do bode well for the potential interest in Chris Jericho moving forward.”

Jericho signed a three-year extension with AEW back in October 2022, which is expected to expire between November and December 2025. That timing conveniently aligns with his Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea cruise in early November 2026—an event that, for the first time, has no AEW branding or AEW talent listed. It’s a detail that hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially with his recent absence from AEW TV and shift in podcast content away from AEW coverage.

Whether Chris Jericho is preparing for a return to WWE, weighing outside options, or simply taking a well-earned break, his next move is already generating major interest behind the scenes.

Do you think Jericho should ride one more wave back into WWE, or should he stay loyal to AEW? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

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