Tony Khan believes AEW’s success might not have been possible without Chris Jericho.
In 2019, Chris Jericho shocked the wrestling world when he became the first major former WWE name to sign with All Elite Wrestling. The Demo God went on to become the promotion’s first World Champion that August and was a big part of AEW for the following six years.
However, in April 2025, Jericho made his last appearance in the company to date. After losing the ROH World Title at Dynasty, he placed the blame on his Learning Tree allies, Big Bill and Bryan Keith, before telling them he was leaving until they made a change.
In recent months, speculation has been running rampant that Jericho is leaving AEW and returning to WWE after an eight-year absence.
Tony Khan Is “Really Grateful” For Chris Jericho’s Role In AEW’s History
During an appearance on Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez, Tony Khan was asked about Chris Jericho’s AEW status, noting that The Nueve is still listed on the AEW website’s roster page.
Khan did not directly answer the question, instead praising Jericho for his part in making AEW a success.
“First of all, I’m really grateful — when I talk about people that have been here since the beginning and talk about that first show in Las Vegas — none of it would be possible without Chris Jericho, who has been instrumental in AEW from the very beginning.”
Khan added that Jericho is “always a big part of AEW” and instrumental in its accomplishments.
“I love Chris very much. And I would say that Chris is always a big part of AEW, and I think this promotion is here to stay.
“Chris Jericho’s a huge part of our history. And we’re really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish, and Chris is an instrumental part of it.”
Ahead of WWE Raw’s one-year Netflix anniversary show, Adam Pearce seemed to tease an appearance from Chris Jericho. However, the star was nowhere to be seen. It has now been reported that Jericho was never planned for the event, and was in Los Angeles at the time.
H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the above transcription.
