Subhojeet Mukherjee on October 20, 2025
Chris Jericho hasn’t appeared on AEW television since April, and fans haven’t stopped speculating why. Some think he’s taking a break. Others believe he’s quietly setting up a WWE return. Now, AEW President Tony Khan is finally addressing the situation—offering praise without confirming whether Jericho will actually be back.
During a recent interview on Busted Open Radio, Khan was asked directly whether Jericho would be returning to AEW soon. While he didn’t give a yes or no, Khan made it clear that Jericho will always be welcome.
“Yeah, I love Chris Jericho. He’s a huge part of AEW. He’s been here since the beginning and you know, I think we’ll see what happens here in the coming months but, Chris is always welcome, big part of AEW, we’d always want to have here.”
Khan then doubled down on Jericho’s legacy in the company, calling him a foundational piece of AEW history.
“I absolutely am so grateful to Chris Jericho for everything he’s done… You mention that AEW book, looking at the history, well, Chris Jericho is a huge part of that history.”
He pointed out that Jericho wasn’t just a top star, but a legitimate champion who helped carry AEW in its formative years.
“The very first AEW World Champion and somebody who’s now a nine-time world champion and has won several of those championships here with us. So, I am very, very grateful to Chris and Chris is always a very welcome, huge part of AEW.”
Despite the praise, there’s still no sign of Jericho’s return on AEW programming. That silence has been fueling even more speculation—especially after the 2026 edition of Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea was announced with zero AEW branding. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez pointed it out bluntly:
“Jericho Cruise has been announced for 2026. Nobody from AEW on the boat. No references to AEW.”
Dave Meltzer added that backstage chatter in WWE indicates Jericho may already be preparing to walk.
“He’s been ready for a couple months… And then nothing happened. After about a month after the tour ended and he didn’t come back, I started thinking: Tony’s probably not bringing him back and probably figures he’s going to WWE.”
Jericho’s current AEW contract, signed in late 2022, is set to expire between November and December 2025, according to reports from Variety. That would give him just enough time to finish out the year—and potentially rejoin WWE just ahead of the Road to WrestleMania.
When asked recently about his next move during Busted Open Radio, Jericho played coy, “We don’t know, right? We’ll just have to see.”
Tony Khan’s comments don’t confirm Jericho’s return—but they do make one thing clear: if Jericho wants to come back, the door is open. At the end of the day, Jericho’s silence speaks just as loud as Tony Khan’s praise. With his AEW contract nearing its end and WWE reportedly watching closely, it feels like something’s coming. Whether that’s a return, a retirement, or a shocking jump back to WWE—it’s Jericho, so expect the unexpected.
Do you think Chris Jericho will return to AEW or is he heading back to WWE as his contract winds down? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
October 20, 2025 6:49 pm
Disqus Comments Loading...