WWE's Offer and Plans For Chris Jericho Revealed (Report)

Jericho told reporters back in September that he wouldn't be "adverse" to a WWE return when news broke of his contract situation. His last appearance in a WWE ring came back at the 'Greatest' Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is, ironically, the PLE and place where many expect the 55-year-old to make his shock return if a deal is agreed upon.

The latest from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is that WWE has offered Jericho a retirement storyline, and it's said this is why the company is interested in re-signing him. He has spent the last six years in rival promotion AEW, where he was the inaugural AEW World Champion.

Jericho's 'retirement storyline' could take inspiration from John Cena's farewell tour, which saw the 48-year-old spend the year facing past rivals, upcoming talent and even trial out a disappointing heel run. But he isn't the only veteran in the twilight of his career.

AJ Styles has confirmed he will be retiring next year, although he has yet to give an official date. The Phenomenal One's retirement may be the focus instead of having two high-profile names bow out simultaneously.

One storyline Jericho will be eager to feature in is likely the revival of his feud with Kevin Owens, whom he recently met to watch an NHL game. The pair went from friends to foes, and Y2J once said that this was the story he'd be keen to be involved in if he were to return to WWE.

"Cool", "I Don't Want To" - Jericho on John Cena's Farewell Tour

If WWE were to offer Jericho a retirement story, it could look something similar to the Cena farewell tour, which has had highs and lows. While his heel run left much to be admired, he put on classics against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam and AJ Styles at Crown Jewel.

Jericho hasn't exactly been winning over AEW fans in recent years, and a separation seems the right outcome when his contract expires. Using his creative genius and launching another character in WWE for one last run opens the door to plenty of possibilities, including an Owens reunion and rematch.

The first-ever Undisputed WWE Champion shared his thoughts on Cena's retirement tour, calling it a unique approach. He appeared on the 'McGuire on Wrestling' podcast back in July 2024:

“My career is already longer than John Cena’s. No, I mean it's great. John’s always had a great love for wrestling and he’s got a great connection with the fans, so I think it’s a cool way to go about it."

Those comments were before Cena had actually started his tour, although the plans for the year-long farewell may have inspired WWE to offer Jericho a similar story. He has other ventures outside of wrestling to deal with, such as touring with rock band Fozzy, so taking on a part-time schedule like Cena would work.

But Jericho in a separate interview with Z100 New York in December he suggested such a farewell tour wasn't for him:

“I’ve never been the guy who’s like... year-long retirement ceremony. That seems a little bit... kind of like eh."

He added:

"So there might be some merit to doing a final show, but I don’t think about that stuff. I really live in what’s going on right now. My Sid Vicious, Sex Pistols attitude is like, ‘I’ll just disappear, and no one will ever see me again.’ But, I don’t know if I’d be able to do that. So, I’m sure when the time is right, I’ll know it and we’ll figure out a way to do it and then go from there. But when I retire, it’ll be ‘I’m retiring.’ I don’t want to do the thing where you come back or keep coming back."

Jericho will go down as one of the all-time greats when it's all said and done and may even remain in the pro wrestling business once he calls time on his in-ring career. He served on commentary during his AEW run which is something he enjoyed.