Last night’s Dynamite started off with a bang as Chris Jericho returned home to Winnipeg (and AEW). The inaugural AEW World Champion hijacked the contract signing between MJF and Kenny Omega. Chris Jericho’s AEW return marked almost one year to the day since he was last seen on television. Since Chris Jericho’s disappearance, rumors that he was WWE-bound heated up. Now that The Ayatollah of Rock N Rollah is All Elite once more, we have the latest news on why Chris Jericho chose AEW over WWE.
Chris Jericho Returns to AEW in Winnipeg
Chris Jericho is from “Winnipeg, you idiot,” and he made it clear when he told the Canada Life Center he was home. Tony Schiavone was preparing to announce the competitors for the AEW Dynasty Main Event as they signed their contracts. However, the WCW legend kept getting cut off by what seemed like errant pyrotechnics.
The AEW crowd in Winnipeg soon learned that these shenanigans were none other than The Man of 1,004 Holds, Chris Jericho. Fozzy’s lead singer came out in a huge shock to the hometown crowd to the tune of his old theme, “Judas.”
Le Champion had a few nods to his past incarnations. As Jericho is known to do, he had a sparkly jacket, seemingly an evolution of his Y2J days. The former ROH Champion was also rocking the purple that he wore regularly during his last AEW stint in the Learning Tree.
However, The Ocho also did something reminiscent of his 2012 return. While Jericho didn’t remain silent, he kept it short and sweet. The returning AEW Superstar simply proclaimed he was home before soaking in the cheers of the Winnipegians and heading backstage.
Chris Jericho and WWE Negotiations Fell Through
Chris Jericho’s AEW contract was set to expire in December 2025. At that point, Tony Khan kept Chris Jericho off of TV for eight months. It seemed like Chris Jericho’s WWE return was imminent, especially heading into the Royal Rumble and Raw’s 1-year anniversary on Netflix. However, Chris Jericho’s WWE return never came to be.
We can confirm from multiple reports that Chris Jericho and WWE did indeed have discussions. WWE was very interested in bringing Chris Jericho in for a retirement tour.
While Chris Jericho was interested in a WWE return, the star was hesitant to do a final run after Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles essentially did the same concept. Eventually, talks with WWE cooled off, and ultimately, Chris Jericho chose AEW over WWE.
Why Did Chris Jericho Choose AEW Over WWE?
It’s being reported that Chris Jericho selected AEW over WWE for a few reasons. Insiders believe Chris Jericho was leaning toward working with WWE, but Tony Khan extended the former WWE Champion’s contract due to time off.
When WWE negotiations got colder, Chris Jericho started to rethink his situation. While most of his active years are behind him, the future Hall of Famer isn’t ready to retire yet. With creative control and an easier schedule, Chris Jericho can continue making substantial money while remaining an active Main Eventer for AEW.
There Were Never Plans for Chris Jericho at Royal Rumble
While there were rumors that Chris Jericho was set for a WWE return in January, these turned out to be false. WWE had been conducting ongoing talks with Chris Jericho since late 2025. That said, there were never any plans in place for his return.
Chris Jericho was never expected to be in the Royal Rumble, on Netflix, or on the TNA on AMC premiere. However, the conglomerate allowed the public to believe this to generate organic buzz around these cornerstone events.
What Are AEW’s Plans for Chris Jericho?
Chris Jericho didn’t have much to say, but his appearance on AEW said a lot. The multi-time World Champion chose AEW over WWE at a point where the company is trying to turn things around.
It’s unknown whether Chris Jericho will be a heel or babyface, but his return in Winnipeg was strategic. Since Winnipeg is Chris Jericho’s hometown, the TV audience saw him as a returning hero. Plus, he’s coming out once again to “Judas,” which is a song the crowd loves to sing along to. All of these signs point to Chris Jericho returning as a babyface.
Even though he might be positioned as a babyface, he’s still the cocky Chris Jericho fans know (and love/hate). As the first AEW Champion, it seems like the king of copyright is leaning into his lasting persona in Tony Khan’s company. Chris Jericho recently filed to trademark “The Cornerstone.”