Update on Chris Jericho's AEW Return After Rumored WWE Interest

We'll hear more from Jericho when he addresses his AEW return live on Dynamite from Edmonton this coming Wednesday, April 8, but what happened with WWE?

A recent report from Fightful Select indicates that conversations between Jericho and WWE did happen as his contract with AEW was set to expire late last year. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer has now learned a bit more about WWE's interest in bringing him back.

“We had been told that WWE only wanted to bring (Jericho) in for a retirement tour and farewell. At one time, we were told that the 2026 year would be built around retirements for AJ Styles, Brock Lesnar, and presumably Jericho."

AJ Styles' in-ring career came to an end back at the Royal Rumble, while Lesnar is believed to be walking away after this year's SummerSlam event in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

As for Jericho, it was never reported that he was considering hanging up his boots this year, and the belief is that Tony Khan ended up extending his contract due to time missed from AEW for various reasons.

“There are more questions than answers right now as nobody is talking about the details," Meltzer wrote in his report. "The belief is that him going to WWE is now dead and he’s back in AEW for the long term. What he’ll be doing and how the crowd will react to what he’s been doing will be a lot more clear in two weeks when they are out of Canada.”

Meltzer also reported that even though there were multiple Jericho teases on WWE programming and on social media, he was told not to believe any the stories about a potential return around the Royal Rumble or any other event. Which is consistent with what Sean Ross Sapp reported earlier this week, saying that there were never any creative plans in place for Jericho's WWE return.