Well past 50, wrestling veteran Chris Jericho recently claimed he still has some career left in him.
Missing from in-ring action since AEW Dynasty 2025, Jericho recently became a talking point when rumors about him joining WWE emerged. However, still listed on AEW’s active roster list, the rumors slowly died down.
Speaking with GamesHub for a new interview, Jericho opened up about his career and shared his belief in having some career left in him despite being 55-years-old.
“What worries me about the guys working today is here I am at 55, 35 years in, with still some career left to go. I don’t know if it’s a year, two years, four years — I’m not sure. But I don’t know how many of the guys working now will have the option to go 35 years. Hopefully all of them. But you can already see what serious injuries do — a bad neck surgery changes everything,” Jericho shared.
Explaining the toll of having a physical style and long-term career, the veteran further explained, “The longevity may be harder to sustain when there’s so much emphasis on the physical at the expense of charisma and character. I remember the first time I ever got hurt. I thought I was invincible.
“I was in León, Mexico, did a dive over the top rope, and the guy who was supposed to catch me — a guy called Masaka — he just stepped aside. I landed on old-school bolted-down arena chairs. I messed up my arm and I thought, oh, I could actually get hurt doing this. And if a guy doesn’t want to catch you, that’s even worse. After that I started getting smart about which moves were worth the risk. The guys who figure that out early are the ones who get the longevity.”
Wrestling for over three decades, Jericho has performed across several countries and even won titles across multiple major promotions. A former WWE World Champion, Jericho is also the inaugural AEW World Champion.
Former Olympic and pro boxer, infrequent wrestler and current Shane Taylor Promotions member Anthony Ogogo says he was set to join Blackpool Combat Club and Inner Circle in AEW.
In an interview with ITR Wrestling, Ogogo revealed he was initially set to be a part of Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle — an idea greenlit by Tony Khan who wanted Jericho to mentor him. However, Jericho had other plans with Jake Hager eventually stepping up given their time together in WWE.
“With Jericho, I was supposed to be Jericho’s bodyguard, part of his Inner Circle group. That was supposed to be me. I think Tony Khan’s idea was for me to work with Jericho and learn from Jericho,” he said, also giving the inaugural AEW World Champion credit for being a real life “Learning Tree.”
“Especially in the early years, he was the learning tree and I would always ask questions and he’d teach me stuff. He’d always watch my matches and give me critique and say ‘Do this, don’t do that. He’s the man who knows how to get over so Jericho is someone I definitely learned a lot from,” Ogogo said.
Ogogo, a former Olympic medalist and boxer officially made his in-ring AEW debut in 2021. He was trained by Cody Rhodes, QT Marshall and Dustin Rhodes.
He then said at one point, he was working with both Bryan Danielson and William Regal who he said were training him to join the Blackpool Combat Club.
“At that point, I was being groomed to join the Blackpool Combat Club before it became the Blackpool Combat Club and it never really materialized. So, I trained all this time with Danielson and Regal and put in all those hard work in to learn,” he explained.
He then further elaborated on their guidance both with Danielson’s impact in wrestling and Regal teaching him old school British wrestling style.
“The whole thing about pro wrestling is you can be who you wanna be. Just because I wrestle like big and strong and do like power moves. Regal taught me this as well, Regal taught me this old school British wrestling big guy, tough styles. Just because you do the impact stuff doesn’t mean you can’t learn the intricate stuff. It just thus far hasn’t been called to use, doesn’t make sense for me to be using it.”
“He (Danielson) taught me so much, again, not just wrestling stuff, but how to get over. He got this thing [(he Yes chants) over. And when someone does a move, or a quote, and it transcends outside of wrestling, that guy knows what he’s talking about. Tremendous guy, wonderful man. Really really nice guy as well. Super nice guy.”
The 37-year-old last competed on this past weekend’s ROH TV tapings in Jacksonville, Florida — his first match since last November, also in ROH. That was his first action in a Khan-owned company since August 2024.
The Blackpool Combat Club was formed in 2022 with Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli with Regal as the group’s manager. By 2023, Regal departed AEW and returned to WWE in a backstage role.
Danielson’s dispute with Moxley after his betrayal at 2024’s All Out led to the pivot to the Death Riders.
It’s still not clear when or where we’ll see Chris Jericho in a wrestling ring next. But Jericho will be making a television appearance this Sunday night.
Jericho has announced that he’ll be guest starring as a villain on the March 22 episode of the CBS drama series “Tracker.” The show airs from 9-10 p.m. Eastern time.
“Stoked to announce I’ll be playing the lead bad guy on this Sunday’s episode of @trackercbs, the NUMBER ONE SHOW on network tv!!!,” Jericho posted. “The episode is called #Breakaway also starring @justinhartley, @fionarene, @davidpaulramsey & @durance.erica and was directed by @davidmbarrett395!
“I play #VirgilDean and let’s just say, he’s not a nice guy. Can’t wait for you all to see it, THIS SUNDAY at 9pm EST on @cbstv & @paramountplus!”
After Baxter, a veteran stuntman, disappears following a risky stunt, his girlfriend, Laura, calls Colter to investigate a B-movie set, uncovering shady producers and a trail that leads into a dangerous underground world.
Jericho has now been away from pro wrestling since April 2025. At the start of this year, there were rumors that he could be returning to WWE upon expiration of his AEW deal, but he remains on the AEW roster and is believed to have had his contract frozen.
In an interview with Spencer Matthews, the former WWE and AEW Champion shared his thoughts on long term storytelling, saying that’s what he prefers. He lamented that some fans often complain that storylines go on for too long.
“I like long-term stories. My favorite ones have always been ones that last for months, you have to be creative. You don’t have to be on the show every week, both guys don’t have to be on the show every week,” he said. “There’s always a way to tell a story that elongates it. I would rather make things go longer than shorter. And I always love wrestling fans, especially modern day ones, who just want to know the answer right now, give us the answer right now!”
He compared stories seen in pro wrestling to that of a movie, saying that people should judge a storyline only after its completed.
“If I’m watching Saving Private Ryan, it’s 3 hours long, It’s a long movie. You better be watching and paying attention and at the end of that three hours, you can decide if you like it or not,” he said. “An hour and a half in if I go, ‘This movie, they haven’t even found Ryan yet. This movie sucks! This is stupid! This is too long!’ I hear it every day from wrestling fans. My thing is, shut the f*** up and let me tell my story when it’s done. If it takes a year, tough luck! This show is going on for 50 years, it doesn’t have to end in a week or two weeks or three weeks.”
Jericho’s wrestling career is currently in a state of flux, choosing to take time off last spring. Although his contract was set to expire at the end of last year, recent reports indicate that his Jericho’s deal has been frozen due to taking time off.
Chris Jericho feels his match with Kenny Omega led to the start of AEW.
While talking with Spencer Matthews, Jericho gave his Mt. Rushmore of wrestling opponents, first listing Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley), The Rock, and Shawn Michaels. For his fourth, Jericho named Kenny Omega, saying that their match at Wrestle Kingdom 12 back in 2018 made history.
“We changed the business when we had our match at the Tokyo Dome, which at the time was crazy because nobody ever thought it would happen,” he said. “We’re both from the same small town in Canada called Winnipeg, and we pretty much packed the Tokyo Dome. Digital streaming was through the roof for New Japan Pro Wrestling, which then led to Tony Khan seeing and deciding that he could form AEW because there was so much demand for wrestling that was not WWE.”
Khan founded AEW in 2019, one year after their Wrestle Kingdom match. Both joined the promotion and became AEW’s top stars, with Jericho becoming the first-ever AEW World Champion. His status with the company is currently in question as reports indicate his contract has been frozen due to taking time off.
A new report from Fightful on Tuesday indicated that both those around Jericho and AEW are under the belief that AEW froze Jericho’s contract after he took time off early last year. Fightful asked AEW “a number of times” in an official capacity if Jericho had left the company, but has yet to get a response. Jericho’s profile is still listed on AEW’s website, and no internal memo has been released regarding his departure, which Fightful says is standard in the company.
Jericho’s future has been shrouded in mystery of late, with speculation mounting after it became known that his contract was due at the end of 2025. In November, it was reported that WWE had made Jericho an offer for a retirement storyline. The following month, Jericho indicated that he was “pretty sure” he would be wrestling somewhere in 2026.
Having been with the company since its inception in 2019, Jericho’s last appearance on AEW television was back in April, explaining to his Learning Tree associates Big Bill and Bryan Keith that he was taking time off.
*Winners, top place winners, comments and every winner of every award dating back to 1980, from Wrestler of the Year, MMA MVP, Most Outstanding, Most Outstanding MMA Fighter, Tag Team of the Year, Best on Interviews, Promotion of the Year, Best Weekly TV show, Match of the Year, MMA Fight of the year, U.S./Canada MPV, Japanese MVP, Mexico MVP, Europe MVP, Best non-heavyweight, Women’s MVP, Women’s MMA MVP, Feud of the Year, Best Box Office Draw, Most Improved, Most Charismatic, Best Technical, Best Brawler, Best Flying Wrestler, Most Overrated, Most Underrated, Rookie of the Year, Best Non-WRestler, Best Television Announcer, Worst Television Announcer, Most major show, Worst major show, Best maneuver, Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic, Worst TV show, Worst match, Worst feud, Worst promotion, Best Booker of the Year, Promoter of the Year, Best Gimmick, Worst Gimmick, Best Book and Best Documentary.
*Tons of news related to the build to WrestleMania, why the card may be changing, a major concern regarding ticket sales, predictabiity vs. surprises, How Bron Brakker’s injury changes things, Brock Lesnar situation, Becky Lynch situation, situation in Las Vegas, concerns in Las Vegas, why ticket sales are down, plus build to Elimination Chamber
*Tadao Yasuda, a unique life of a former sumo star, IWGP champion, one of the biggest upsets in MMA history, the birth of the New Year’s Eve fighting tradition, gambling issues and more
*Coverage of the New Beginning in Osaka, talent leaving, talent staying, what is the difrection for New Japan the next few months and a worst and best match of the year candidate one right after the other
*Betting odds for this week’s wrestling
*Most detailed look at the TV ratings, a look at the red flags, streaming numbers and more.
*Notes on the honoring and retirement of El Satanico and career highlights
*Mistico sellout updates
*The last Friday for a month at Arena Mexico with the biggest names
*AAA TV tapings with WWE talent
*Starddom PPV notes
*Epstein files wrestling references
*Biggest UK women’s show coming
*Show coming up attempting to be the largest attendance for an all-women’s show in three decades
*Pareamount again trying to get WBD
*How politics affects pro wrestling
*Grand Slam Australia notes
*MJF talks Punk
*TV reviews
*YouTube notes
*CBS airing UFC on 3/7
*Zuffa boxing defies Ali Act with world title announcement
*WWE injury updates
*Bad Bunny Super Bowl controversy
*WWE Hall of Famer threatens to quit if another person isn’t removed
— Garrett and I did our weekly show covering AEW in Australia, the awards and WrestleMania build and news. Our weekend show will be Sunday night.
–The biggest issue of the year of the Observer, our awards issue, is out today.
–Hopefully if you DVR SmackDown you scheduled it because a lot of systems including my own did not record it if you didn’t due to it being on Syfy tonight. It’s also on Syfy next week before going back to USA on 2/27.
— Grand Slam Australia with the time difference actually takes place tomorrow morning U.S. time from Sydney. It will air on tape delay on both TNT and HBO MAX at 8 p.m. It’s a pretty loaded up show. About 7,000 tickets were out at last word.
— AEW is doing lots of media this week. MJF was on their version of The Today Show this morning, Kyle Fletcher arrived and went to an indie show where he cut a promo and announced.
— There is a 25 percent off ticket sale for both nights of WrestleMania offered through Allegiant Stadium for both nights through midnight on Monday night.
— Chris Jericho’s Talk is Jericho podcast that came out this week was with Thekla, which was the first show he’s done with an AEW wrestler since Darby Allin in September.
— Since I’ve been asked this a few times this week, when HBO MAX debuts later this year in the U.K., AEW will not be part of it at this time. In the U.K., AEW will remain exclusive for TV shows on AEW+ for the TV shows live and ITV for television exclusivity on a few days delay.
— AEW Dynamite did 604,000 viewers and an 0.12 in 18-49, down from last week but second best demo number in a while. We’re still trying to figure out what is good and what is normal with the latest refiguring. The number doesn’t include HBO MAX viewership.
— Dana White is on the NASCAR truck series race broadcast between the first and second stage. He is associated with the return of Dodge to the series and is talking about them and Tony Stewart, as well as the “driver search” which was a contest to find a full time Dodge Ram driver in the Truck series on FS1 (thanks to Tom Mehs)
— No UFC tomorrow. UFC returns on 2/21.
— Arena Mexico sold out by the time I woke up today. It’s the Fantastica Mania farewell tour as the top guys won’t be back wrestling on a Friday Arena Mexico show after tonight until 3/13. The only people booked are those who are going to Japan with the tour starting Wednesday in Tokyo. Tonight’s card looks great, all matches out of nowhere but unique lineups:
Stigma vs. Okumura
Futuro & Valiente Jr. vs. El Hijo de Stuka Jr. & Magnus
Utimo Guerrero vs. Hechicero vs. Atlantis
Mascara Dorada vs. Titan
Atlantis Jr. vs. Soberano Jr. vs. Averno for the Historic light heavyweight title
Mistico vs. Templario
This means Hechicero and Dorada won’t be at AEW tapings until March.
— El Clon debuts tomorrow night at Arena Coliseo teaming with Volador Jr. vs. Angel de Oro & Daniel Garcia, also debuting tomorrow. This was tracking toward a sellout.
— The Sunday Arena Mexico main event has Neon vs. Clon vs. Garcia vs. Esfinge.
— AAA TV tomorrow night on YouTube at 9 p.m. Eastern has La Parka vs. Jack Cartwheel, Money Machine vs. War Raiders vs. Rayo & Bravo with the winners getting a shot at Pagano & Psycho Clown for the title and Las Toxicas vs. Adelicious & Faby Apache & Jesse Jackson.
— Maple Leaf Wrestling has announced floor seats are sold out for their 3/27 and 3/28 shows in Windsor, ONT. Both shows will be live on Triller. Among those appearing are Don Callis, Josh Alexander, Cavernario, Mascara Dorada, Bishop Dyer, Ricochet, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Kaito Kiyomiya, Gisele Shaw and Daisuke Sasaki.
— AEW stars Mistico, Tommaso Ciampa, Roderick Strong, Orange Cassidy, Hechicero and Marina Shafir are going to the C2E2 pop culture convention in Chicago at the PWW Tees booth.
— PWInsider has reported that the NXT show scheduled for 2/24 at Center Stage in Atlanta is in jeopardy. It was reported that the production trucks are usually parked in the parking lot next to the building, but the parking lot has been sold and they’ll need additional permits to do production.
— Baby Doll Nickla Roberts turns 64 today. Tommy Dreamer turns 55. Mark Coffey turns 36 and Chris Bey turns 30. Bill Mercer was born 100 years ago today. Angelo Mosca was burn on this day in 1937. Buddy Lee, who promoted women’s wrestling when he was married to Fabulous Moolah and later became a major name in country music as a promoter, passed away 33 years ago today at the age of 60. (thanks to Tony Richards)
— Defy and Dragon Gate have a joint show on 4/10 at the Hawthorne Theater in Portland, OR. A full crew of Dragon Gate wrestlers will be on the show along with Bryan Keith and Marina Shafir, who are both Defy champions.
Chris Jericho discussed his acting ambitions in a recent interview.
Jericho told Loaded Magazine that he hopes to do more acting in the future, and that he has four projects “in the can.”
Jericho was asked if he has “a dream he’s yet to chase” and responded:
“I’d like to do more acting. If you can make it to a high level in wrestling- and I think I have- and you’re playing a character, that’s acting. I have about four acting projects in the can, waiting to go at the moment.”
Among the projects Jericho has worked on recently is The Walk-On’s, a film about a group of men who join a Division III school’s football team after the closing of a local factory. Steve Austin, Kenny Omega, Tyrus, and Titus O’Neil are also part of the cast.
Another upcoming Jericho acting project is the Apple TV+ series Margo’s Got Money Troubles, which is set to premiere on April 15, 2026. Nick Offerman and Nicole Kidman are also part of the cast. Jericho is also attached to the psychological horror, Self Storage, currently in pre-production.
Asked about the proudest moments of his show business career later in the interview, Jericho said:
“If I had to pinpoint anything…headlining the Tokyo Dome with Kenny Omega, starting AEW and seeing it become such a success, stealing the show with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XIX and drawing 1,000 tickets for the first time in Nottingham.
What I do also makes other people happy, and that’s important. Giving them lifelong memories that help them to forget about their troubles for a moment, and helping them to chase their dreams.
The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site right now. Some of the key stories being covered:
Royal Rumble thoughts, odds and direction
The business of UFC to Paramount, the numbers that were released, what they mean, and how much revenue does this mean vs. how much they paid for rights
Coverage of Saturday Night’s Main Event
UFC 324 coverage, the fights, the future and the business
The life and times of Kim Wood, football, weightlifting, perception of people, Ken Shamrock and Brian Pillman
How Smackdown and NXT did throughout 2025 on Netflix, the ups and the downs
The most complete look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling TV shows over the past week, demos, comparisons, drops from last year factoring out why it would and should drop with big data
A new record set for most sellouts by a main eventer in a given month
Huge CMLL business week and great matches
Major shows upcoming
Big events coming for New Japan
Fantastica Mania coming
Mayu Iwatani’s 15th anniversary show
Jesse Ventura suggest Minnesota should leave the U.S.
Chris Jericho on TV show
Jimmy Jacobs talks working for Vince McMahon
Mick Foey on his mother’s death
Controversial independent angle makes mainstream attention and gets wrestler fired
Former WWE champion in talks to become a weekly TV character elsewhere
Former WCW attitude era announcer about to come back to wrestling
WrestleVotes reports that CM Punk vs. Finn Balor for the World Heavyweight Championship is an idea that’s been proposed for WWE’s Elimination Chamber PLE in Chicago on February 28.
El Grande Americano vs. Rey Fenix vs. Dragon Lee vs. Octagon Jr. in a Rey de Reyes qualifying match has been added to the card for this Saturday’s Lucha Libre AAA TV episode.
On TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast, Liv Morgan was asked how she deals with social media criticism given that she has such a large following:
Honestly, and I mean this respectfully, I don’t really care about your criticism. If you’re not someone that I’m asking critique for, if you’re not my boss – I respectfully don’t care about what you have to say or what your opinion is. Everyone is entitled to [opinions]. You know, all opinions are welcome. But it doesn’t affect me whether it’s positive or negative, because I only care about what my bosses think.
Brian Knobbs of The Nasty Boys, who has battled serious health issues over the past few years, shared that he is back in the hospital due to an infection:
While things have become more challenging financially, Brian has faced hard roads before and he’s always found a way to fight through. He’s staying positive, pushing forward, and deeply grateful for the support that continues to lift him up. Anything you’re able to do, whether it’s donating, sharing, or simply sending good thoughts, makes a real difference and is sincerely appreciated.
It’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment. I think the thing I’m most proud of is being able to do this for 35 years. Getting to tour the world and do what I love the most. Making money is great, but getting to do it is the dream. If I had to pinpoint anything…headlining the Tokyo Dome with Kenny Omega, starting AEW and seeing it become such a success, stealing the show with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIX and drawing 1,000 tickets for the first time in Nottingham.
What I do also makes other people happy, and that’s important. Giving them lifelong memories that help them to forget about their troubles for a moment, and helping them to chase their dreams. That means a lot to me.
Mercedes Mone is among the celebrity guests set to appear on season 10 of “Bar Rescue,” which premieres on the Paramount Network on February 22.
Jim Ross believes that both Chris Jericho and Powerhouse Hobbs will be in the men’s Royal Rumble match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
On the most recent edition of his Grilling JR podcast, Ross spent time talking with co-host Conrad Thompson about who he expects to be in the Rumble matches. He said Jericho is too smart not to get himself booked on the show.
“Hell yeah. Absolutely. He’s too smart not to get himself booked on this show for his return,” JR said when asked if he thinks Jericho will be in the Rumble. “He’ll get a big pop.”
“I’m especially excited about ‘Big Willy,'” JR continued, referring to Powerhouse Hobbs.
“I don’t know if it’s a secret or not. He’ll be in the Royal Rumble, I think. Why in the hell would you sign a guy this close to a major event and then not utilize him? And that’ll be a new face. And he looks great.“
Ross also revealed that Hobbs recently called him to thank him for advice he’s given over the years.
“He called me a day or two ago, thanking me for my help over the years. I said, ‘Well, my phone number isn’t going to change, big fella.’”
Ross and Thompson later stated that they do not have any inside knowledge about whether either Jericho or Hobbs will be in the Rumble.
The full episode of Grilling JR is available below. JR’s comments about Hobbs and Jericho begin around the 13-minute mark.
A look at Saturday Night’s Main Event, the interest level, the Royal Rumble and Rumble odds Big Bad Bobby Duncum, a look at the career of a worldwide headliner who worked on top with almost every major babyface of the 70s, including big WWF and AWA runs and Japanese major tournaments
CMLL has a big business week with Bandido, Ricochet, Komander, Gates of Agony and Lee Moriarty.
A look at some of the best matches so far this year and the craziness that ruined what could have been the best of all of them.
A look at prior plans for 2025 PPV shows that changed
A look at Netflix numbers over the past six months, as well as how every PPV in 2025 did and some surprises in that direction, as well as how SmackDown did internationally as well as NXT, and how shows that went head-to-head with AEW PPVs drew.
Notes on the TNA ratings for the first show on AMC and what they tell us.
TNA Genesis coverage
2025 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards ballot
More AEW stars to CMLL next week
AAA TV taping notes
Thoughts on the current AAA product and how it relates to Lucha Libre and WWE
Stardom makes claim against Marigold
Saya Kamitani returns early
Notes about a mainstream model who became one of the first big stars in Stardom and women’s MVP
Best tag team match of the year
New Japan next major show lineup
Eight promotions combine for a singles tournament
The potential best actual wrestler in the world signs with RAF
Feast or Fired thoughts
More on AEW’s future with the WBD sale to Netflix
Trey Miguel situation
Ticket sales for upcoming WWE & AEW shows
The most detailed look at the TV ratings over the past week
UFC returns to action with first big show of 2026
Top exec since the inception of PFL leaves
More notes regarding a lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE
Paul Heyman and Jey Uso made appearances on ESPN today to promote the Royal Rumble.
The Street Profits are among the talent advertised for NXT’s house show tour in Tennessee and Alabama this Thursday-Saturday, which means they will not be in the Rumble. AAA star El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. is also advertised for the NXT live events.
Trish Stratus recently visited the new WWE headquarters for the first time. She filmed an interview that will air on the next episode of Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast.
I think that’s logical. I don’t know for sure where else. What are his other options? I mean, they’re there. He could get a deal in Japan. He could work their style well. But if I know AEW as I do, he’s somebody you wouldn’t pass on. You know, he’s a good worker and he’s got a lot of name recognition, name identity in the business.
I like his work. It seems to me, and like I said, I got nothing to base this on other than my gut instincts, that he will be on the AEW roster sooner than later. Because he can have great matches with anybody. I like his work. He’s solid. He doesn’t worry about breaking an egg. He’s a tough kid. So I hope that we get him. I really do.
Due to injury, Hechicero is unable to compete at a show for Bandido’s Entertainment in Mexico this Friday. The Beast Mortos is replacing him at the event.
With the realities of television formatting, sometimes people are placed into positions with a very low ceiling to succeed. If you’re trapped in that position long enough … the casual fan may think certain performers don’t have anything more to give. That’s very soul-crushing. So I have to remind them that there’s still that guy in there. To be where I’m at right now, to have the freedom to perform the way they didn’t even know I could, is really important.
In the pro-wrestling business for over three decades, Chris Jericho recently opened up and addressed the concept of ageism.
Jericho, 55, is set to tour the UK with his band Fozzy in the upcoming few weeks. However, before that, he appeared for an interview with Soundsphere Magazine, where he addressed the concept of ageism in the music and professional wrestling industries.
“It’s never too late. Ageism does exist, and you can’t worry about it,” Jericho said. “Your age is your age, but you can’t worry about it, it’s not a death sentence to be in your 50s, right, or your 60s and 70s, there’s still time to do things. Maybe you’re not going to have a career like The Rolling Stones, but you can still do it – write a song, record a song, audition for parts, all that stuff you can still do! The biggest detriment to success that we have is ourselves! Why not (do it)? Someone’s got to do it, so why don’t you?”
A former AEW World Champion, Jericho was last seen losing to Bandido at AEW Dynasty 2025. Absent for almost a year now, Jericho is now heavily rumored to return to WWE, although there has been no concrete confirmation.
Wrestling veteran and inaugural AEW World Champion Chris Jericho has been heavily speculated to return to WWE after spending years at All Elite Wrestling. While Jericho was previously rumored to return at the January 5th, 2026 edition of Raw, it unfortunately did not happen. Now, speaking to GamesHub, Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam, aka RVD, has opened up on Jericho’s potential WWE return as well as the chances of him receiving a retirement tour similar to John Cena.
“It could be. But I feel like what they did with Cena retiring was really special. I don’t remember anybody’s retirement being built up and pushed to mean that much. But then again, it seems all I’m reading is that Brock Lesnar is going to be the next guy to get a retirement tour. Then as soon as I read that, it feels like it waters down the importance of that being what it was,” RVD continued. “So I don’t know though. Maybe retirement tours will be a popular thing. Maybe we’ll all do it. But I can’t imagine he’ll get one. And not to take anything away from Jericho’s career, he has done more for the business than anyone and has all of the accomplishments to go with it, but Cena was like an era, he was the number one guy the whole time I was in WWE.“
Van Dam further opened up on Cena’s retirement tour, “They had him come in during 2001 and I think he had just come up from Ohio Valley, if I’m not mistaken, somewhere around that time. And then he’s just always been like the guy to beat. He’s been the top guy. He has been the guy that’s wrestled all the other top guys, keeping things marching forward, so automatically when other wrestlers are talked about doing retirement tours, I have to start comparing the importance, the weight of this guy retiring versus the Cena retirement tour which was the biggest thing of 2025, right?“
Jericho was last seen wrestling at AEW Dynasty 2025, when he lost the ROH World Championship to Bandido.
For several months now, former World Champion Chris Jericho has been heavily rumored to leave All Elite Wrestling and make his return to WWE. While speculations suggested Jericho would return on the January 5th, 2026 episode of Raw, it unfortunately did not happen. Now, amid Jericho’s WWE return speculations, Hall of Famer and current AEW commentator Jim Ross has addressed the veteran’s future, suggesting that his leaving AEW would hurt the brand.
Speaking on the latest edition of his Grilling JR podcast, Ross claimed, “I think it’s WWE or nothing for [Chris] Jericho. He’s happy. He’s got a lot of influence in AEW, basically, to simplify, he books his own angles. He works with the creative guys, and they communicate well. Chris [Jericho] doesn’t come empty-handed; he always got a plan. But I think his goal, if it’s to leave AEW, he’s got a great deal. I’m under the impression, he’s got a great deal, then I think it’s WWE or stay where he is. I don’t think the TNA thing plays into it but I could be wrong. Money changes a lot of opinion, sentiment. I hope he doesn’t leave.”
“He’s such a valuable member of AEW. He does a lot of things, people don’t see, helping talent, counselling talent, coming up with ideas, and so forth. And I think Tony Khan needs guys like Chris Jericho to contribute ideas,” Ross stated.
“Him leaving would hurt the brand to a degree. No doubt. You can’t lose a talent like Chris Jericho and say that, ‘Oh well, we’ll just move on, it doesn’t matter. We got other guys that are ready to step up,’ and I hope that’s true. But, bottom line of it is that he’s got options, and that’s a smart guy.”
Recently, Fightful Select also noted that, unlike other previous AEW departures, there has been no internal memo suggesting Jericho’s AEW exit. Jericho was last seen in action at AEW Dynasty 2025, losing the ROH World title to Bandido.
