Chris Jericho hasn’t appeared on AEW programming since April 2025, and there was talk about his contract expiring at the end of the year. That led to reports and rumors about his widely expected return to WWE. However, the Royal Rumble event just went by in January, and he was nowhere to be seen as one of WWE’s big surprises in Saudi Arabia. The latest speculation is that Jericho is probably still under contract with AEW because he’s listed on the official roster page.
With the Rumble date gone by,
Jericho’s schedule is now busy for a couple weeks with his rock band Fozzy’s tour of the United Kingdom, which begins this weekend. While doing media to promote the tour, Chris told Loaded Magazine that he now has the acting bug and hopes to pursue it further:
“I’d like to do more acting. If you can make it to a high level in wrestling- and I think I have- and you’re playing a character, that’s acting. I have about four acting projects in the can, waiting to go at the moment.”
The 55-year-old star said his longevity in show business is partially related to the fact that he’s always interested in trying new things:
“It’s about branching out into doing anything you feel you can do. That’s what I’m proud of. It’s not just wrestling or music. There’s the acting, the podcast, and the cruise. I’d like to write more books. They’re all creatively fulfilling, but not easy to do. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.”
When Jericho was asked to name his proudest moment from his career in entertainment, his answer included examples from both WWE and AEW.
“It’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment. I think the thing I’m most proud of is being able to do this for 35 years. Getting to tour the world and do what I love the most. Making money is great, but getting to do it is the dream. If I had to pinpoint anything…headlining the Tokyo Dome with Kenny Omega, starting AEW and seeing it become such a success, stealing the show with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XIX and drawing 1,000 tickets for the first time in Nottingham.”
Do you think Chris Jericho is too busy with all of his outside projects to return to pro wrestling this year, or is it just a matter of weeks and/or months until he’s back on national television for WWE or AEW? Give me your best guesses about the timing of Jericho’s return in the comments below, Cagesiders.
