Chris Jericho has opened up about his decision to stay with AEW, even though he had other options on the table to continue his in-ring career.
Speaking with Beef Vegan, Jericho said he explored all of his options before putting pen to paper on a new deal. Ultimately, his direct role in building AEW from the ground up proved to be the deciding factor.
Jericho pointed to his strong relationship with Tony Khan and said he feels a different kind of connection to the company. In his view, WWE existed before he arrived and kept going after he left. AEW, on the other hand, didn’t exist before he helped launch the promotion in 2019.
Jericho also made clear that he never viewed himself as having left AEW during his extended time off television. His previous contract simply expired, and a new deal was reached shortly after.
Y2J returned to AEW TV on the January 4 Dynamite in Winnipeg after nearly a year away. The following week in Edmonton, he signed his new contract on camera. Tony Khan later confirmed it’s a multi-year deal and noted that Jericho had other options before choosing to remain with the company.
Jericho was one of AEW’s marquee signings at the promotion’s launch and became the inaugural AEW World Champion by defeating “Hangman” Adam Page at All Out 2019.
He continues to be a fixture on AEW programming. After competing at Grand Slam Mexico last Wednesday, Jericho earned a shot at the AEW TNT Championship and is set to challenge Kevin Knight for the title on the December 8 Dynamite in Las Vegas.