Chris Jericho has ended months of speculation surrounding his future, making a surprise return to AEW.
Chris Jericho appeared at the start of Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite in his hometown of Winnipeg, interrupting Tony Schiavone as he prepared to introduce the AEW World Championship contract signing between Kenny Omega and MJF ahead of Dynasty.
Dressed in a purple jacket, Jericho soaked in the reaction from the crowd for several moments before delivering a brief message.
“Winnipeg… AEW… I’m home.”
Jericho then exited, leaving his return largely unexplained for the time being.
Chris Jericho Makes First AEW Appearance In Nearly A Year
The appearance marked Chris Jericho’s first on AEW programming since April 2025, when his on-screen departure followed the collapse of The Learning Tree faction alongside Bryan Keith and Big Bill.
His absence had fuelled ongoing speculation about a possible return to WWE, particularly with his contract initially believed to be expiring in December 2025. However, reports later indicated the deal had been extended due to time missed, keeping him tied to AEW.
Tony Khan had repeatedly expressed interest in bringing Jericho back during that period, while recent reports suggested a WWE return was not expected. Jericho also filed a trademark for “The Cornerstone” in recent days, hinting at a possible new direction following his comeback.
At 55, Jericho has not indicated that retirement is imminent, previously stating the opposite when discussing his future in the industry.
You can personalise your Google settings to see more stories from slamwrestling.net when you search for wrestling news.
Google’s Preferred Sources feature lets you choose the websites you trust most. Once added, Google is more likely to show SLAM in Top Stories and the “from your sources” section.
- Click this link to take you directly to Google’s “Source preferences” page.
- Sign into your Google account.
- Search for slamwrestling.net.
- Tick the box next to Slam Wrestling.
Adding SLAM as a Preferred Source helps you see more of our news, features, and exclusive coverage in Google search.
