Jericho's AEW deal ends in 2025 amid WWE return chatter

Chris Jericho’s future in professional wrestling is at the center of intensified speculation as his current contract with All Elite Wrestling is set to expire at the end of 2025. Jericho has been absent from AEW television since April, and recent social media activity, backstage chatter and industry reporting have combined to fuel expectations that the veteran may be poised for a return to WWE once he is legally free to sign elsewhere.

Jericho’s absence from AEW dates to a self imposed break in April that he said followed negative crowd reactions at some appearances. Since then he has toured with his band, Fozzy, and has intermittently teased fans online, liking posts about a WWE comeback and posting a recent photograph of himself on a plane captioned "Contemplation." Those actions have been interpreted by many in the wrestling world as signaling a serious interest in exploring options outside AEW.

Backstage reaction is mixed. Within WWE there appears to be significant enthusiasm, including from active roster members, about the possibility of Jericho returning. Several people inside the Stamford based company are reportedly hopeful a deal can be completed once his AEW contract...