During this past Wednesday's episode of AEW Dynamite, Chris Jericho made his surprise return to the company after months of rumours about a WWE return.
PWInsider.com has since reported that Jericho has come to terms on a new deal with the company, meaning he isn't back to see out the remainder of his contract. Apparently, the former AEW World Champion wasn't present backstage until moments before the show went on the air, all so his surprise return in Winnipeg, Manitoba, could be kept under wraps.
After being driven directly to the venue a couple of minutes before AEW Dynamite began, Jericho made his in-ring appearance and proceeded to film new content for the company before participating in a photoshoot. He also met with members of the roster he hadn't previously crossed paths with.
Why did Jericho choose to return to AEW instead of signing with WWE? Dave Meltzer has weighed in with a full explanation:
"From the WWE standpoint, and I don’t know what they told him. I know I was told that they wanted him for a retirement tour. And maybe that’s not what he wanted, but I don’t know. With AEW, perhaps he was gonna get more longevity. There are a lot of advantages for AEW, and there’s always money. He may have been offered more money in AEW. His money situation is probably pretty great, I would think. He made a lot of money in these years in AEW."
"I think that at this point, especially at the age he’s at, he’s gonna want to do what’s creatively fulfilling and fun. AEW’s a little bit of a risk in the sense of... He’ll probably have more input into what he’s gonna do in AEW than he would in WWE, but he’d have a better audience in WWE, I think for sure. The better audience, that is certainly part of the deal, but money is part of the deal."
"Creative freedom is part of the deal. What each side’s plans are is part of the deal. There are a lot of other factors involved. I think there’s less risk in WWE in the sense that the crowd is not gonna be as difficult for him in WWE. But this was his decision. His decision was AEW, and I’m sure that he considered every one of these points and many other points when making this decision."
WWE isn't as hot as it was last year, and certainly not riding as high as the year before that. Plus, given the disappointment surrounding the retirements of Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles, it isn't hugely surprising that Jericho had some reservations about ending his career there now.
That's not to say a WWE Hall of Fame induction is off the table somewhere down the line, but for now, it's apparent that Jericho's immediate future is in AEW.