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Chris Jericho Makes His Return to AEW Wednesday Night on Dynamite

As reported earlier in the day, Chris Jericho made his return to AEW on Wednesday night's episode of Dynamite.
Rick Ucchino|
Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho | Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

It had been nearly a year since Chris Jericho had appeared on AEW programming, but he ended his hiatus on Wednesday night's edition of Dynamite in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

The nine-time World Champion kicked off the show by interrupting Tony Schiavone, who was in the ring for a scheduled contract signing for the upcoming AEW World Championship Match at AEW Dynasty between MJF and Kenny Omega.

Jericho soaked in the reception he received from the crowd inside the Canada Life Centre for several moments before he grabbed a mic and simply declared that he was back home.

Chris Jericho is back in All Elite Wrestling

This was Jericho's first appearance since April 2025, when he destroyed his TV Time set and walked out on his Learning Tree members Big Bill and Bryan Keith. On that night he promised that he would not come back until his former protégés could prove themselves to be winners.

All due respect to Bill and Keith, but that hasn't exactly happened. They don't book their matches, so it's not their fault, but why is Jericho back? No storyline explanation was offered Wednesday night, but his presence on Dynamite does end a months-long guessing game about his future in professional wrestling.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select had reported earlier in the day on Wednesday that Jericho's return to All Elite Wrestling was imminent, saying discussions about bringing him back to television had picked up in recent months.

Rumors had been swirling for much of the winter that Jericho was heading back to WWE after a successful seven-year run with AEW. His contract with the company was reportedly up at the end of 2025, but the belief was that it was frozen before he could hit free agency.

Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho | Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

Conversations between Jericho and WWE did take place at one point, according to Ross Sapp, but creative plans were never put in place for his re-debut with the company.

"He was never planned for the WWE Raw on Netflix anniversary, Royal Rumble, or Elimination Chamber," Ross Sapp said in his report Wednesday afternoon.

WWE was said to be interested in bringing Chris Jericho back for retirement run in 2026, but AEW President Tony Khan remained steadfast in his desire to hang on to his inaugural World Champion.

Khan certainly appears to have won this battle with WWE, but it's unclear whether Jericho is back working under his old contract or if he's signed a new long-term deal with AEW. We'll provide an update just as soon as more information becomes available.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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