Jericho says his history helping build AEW ultimately kept him with the company
Summary
– Chris Jericho said helping launch AEW was the biggest reason he chose to stay instead of returning to WWE
– Jericho considered his options after time away from television but felt a stronger personal connection to AEW
– Jericho said he and Tony Khan worked through a few issues before he committed to continuing with the company
Chris Jericho had several options when deciding the next stage of his wrestling career, including a possible return to WWE, but his history with AEW ultimately made the difference.
During Wrestling Observer Radio, Jericho explained that time away from television allowed him to focus on other projects and think carefully about his future. Once he began considering a return to wrestling, he weighed several possibilities before deciding to remain with AEW.
Jericho said his personal connection to AEW separated the company from every other option. He pointed to his role during AEW’s launch and said he feels invested because he helped build the promotion from its earliest days.
Jericho believes his involvement played an important part in AEW becoming a major wrestling company. While WWE, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and CMLL all existed before he arrived, Jericho views AEW differently because he was there from the beginning.
The former AEW World Champion also revealed that he and Tony Khan had some matters to work through before reaching an agreement. Jericho described those conversations as straightforward and said he continues to enjoy working with Khan.
Jericho traced part of AEW’s origins back to his 2018 match against Kenny Omega at the Tokyo Dome. He believes that the match helped change the wrestling landscape and opened doors that eventually contributed to AEW’s creation.
Signing with AEW from the beginning was a major risk for Jericho. He recalled wondering whether the company would succeed and even contacting Omega before AEW’s first press conference to make sure he was committed to the project.
That gamble has become an important part of Jericho’s legacy. He said that helping to establish a new national wrestling promotion benefited wrestlers, fans, and the industry as a whole.
Jericho also made it clear that his decision was not meant as criticism of WWE. He said he loved his time there, but his connection to AEW is different because of what he helped create.
Jericho now wants to remain involved as AEW continues to grow and see how far the company can go before his wrestling career eventually comes to an end.
