In 2019, Chris Jericho was one of AEW's biggest acquisitions, and he's remained a top star in the company ever since. Unfortunately, even after becoming the first-ever AEW World Champion, Jericho's star has never risen quite as high as when he was in WWE.
He spent most of his career there and the expectation has long been that he'll eventually return...then again, with AEW President Tony Khan throwing his father's considerable fortune into his pro wrestling company, it could be Jericho sticks around the for long haul.
During a recent appearance on Gabby AF, Y2J was asked if he's given any thought to returning to WWE.
"I had a great 20 years there, but I’ve had a great going on five years here in AEW; I love working here, like I love working with Tony Khan," Jericho said. "And WWE is [a] completely different animal now than it was when I left in 2017. So it’s not something that I really thought about."
Last December, Jericho shrugged off the WWE Hall of Fame and seemed to suggest he has little interest in ever being inducted. Of course, he's gained something of a reputation in AEW for gravitating towards younger stars who are over to keep himself relevant.
Responding to criticisms that he doesn't elevate other wrestlers, Jericho claimed the likes of Orange Cassidy, Daniel Garcia, and Konosuke Takeshita have all benefited greatly from stepping into the ring with him:
"That’s kind of what my mission in AEW has been since day one; do the best I can to elevate the younger guys. Contrary to popular belief, it usually works. Most of the time, when people work with me, they end up on a higher platform than they were prior."
"If you look at Orange Cassidy, Darby Allin, MJF, Hobbs [Will Hobbs], Takeshita [Konosuke Takeshita], guys in the Inner Circle, the Jericho Appreciation Society. Look at Daniel Garcia now compared to where he was a year ago. HOOK is another guy we’ve done a lot with, I think we can do some more with, add some depth to him, and give him a little more experience."
"You’re only as good as the guys you’re in the ring with. If you look at HOOK vs. Samoa Joe, that’s probably the best match he’s ever had because Joe has such experience. With the experience that I have, working with HOOK, and his persona is so unique, I think he’s lighting in a bottle and something we can really get to the next level and that’s what my idea is for this story."
With WWE now an incredibly hot profit and AEW ratings still on the decline, we'd be shocked if Jericho isn't mulling over jumping ship to take advantage of that.
For now, though, it appears he'll remain "All Elite."