Now Reading: Chris Jericho explains why he did not leave AEW for WWE return
-
01
Chris Jericho explains why he did not leave AEW for WWE return
Chris Jericho has told the Wrestling Observer Radio that he stayed with AEW instead of returning to WWE early in 2026 because he helped found the company. Jericho said: 'I've got skin…
The Story in Brief
Chris Jericho has told the Wrestling Observer Radio that he stayed with AEW instead of returning to WWE early in 2026 because he helped found the company. Jericho said: 'I've got skin in the game in AEW. I helped start AEW. And in a lot of ways, if there was no Chris Jericho, there might not have been an AEW.' He rejoined AEW in April after WWE fans had hoped he would appear at the Royal Rumble 2026 in Saudi Arabia or the Elimination Chamber event, where Danhausen emerged from a crate instead.
Jericho left WWE for AEW in 2018 and became its first world champion in August 2019. The news outlet notes that Cody Rhodes and CM Punk have left AEW for WWE in recent years, with Rhodes winning the Undisputed Universal Championship at Wrestlemania 40 and Punk currently holding the WWE Championship.
The Indian Opinion
The pro-wrestling press is pushing a triumphalist 'AEW loyalty vs WWE glamour' frame, but the real story is simpler: Jericho has an ownership stake, not just a contract. Fans on social media call him 'washed', yet his roster draws eyes to AEW, a fact both sides ignore. The test will come in 2027: if Jericho is still a ratings draw, the narrative flips. If not, does he still stay?
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
