Chris Jericho returns on AEW Dynamite after year-long absence: ‘I’m home’
After months of speculation as to whether a return to WWE was in his future, inaugural AEW World Champion Chris Jericho has returned to AEW.
Clad in a sparkly purple jacket and black jeans, Jericho made a surprise appearance to open Wednesday’s Dynamite in his hometown of Winnipeg. After taking in the crowd cheers for several minutes, Jericho said “Winnipeg…I’m home.”
And that was that, at least for the time being.
Jericho has been away from the company since April 2025 when he departed in an on-screen huff with Bryan Keith and Big Bill as The Learning Tree faction fell apart.
He had said in previous interviews that his contract was coming up in December 2025, leading many to believe he was returning to WWE for a final run. However, AEW head Tony Khan said he wanted Jericho to return when asked many times about his situation over the last year. A report came out during that period that his contract was frozen due to his absence.
Last week, Jericho filed a trademark for “The Cornerstone” and then earlier on Wednesday, both our Dave Meltzer and Fightful reported that Jericho wasn’t expected back in WWE after all.
The 55-year-old has not hinted at retirement, instead saying the opposite when asked about if an end run is near.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.