Chris Jericho is officially back in AEW.
And all signs point to this being more than just a short-term return.
“The Ocho” made his return on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite, emanating from his longtime hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, marking his first appearance in nearly a year. The comeback immediately sparked speculation about his future, particularly with ongoing chatter in recent months about a potential jump to WWE.
According to Dave Meltzer in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter at F4WOnline.com, that speculation can likely be put to rest.
Meltzer reports that the belief within the industry is Jericho is back with AEW for the long haul, and any possibility of him heading to WWE is “now dead.” Jericho’s deal reportedly expired at the end of 2025, but Tony Khan extended the contract due to time Jericho missed for outside commitments, including acting work.
“We had been told that WWE only wanted to bring (Jericho) in for a retirement tour and farewell,” Meltzer wrote. “At one time, we were told that the 2026 year would be built around retirements for AJ Styles, Brock Lesnar, and presumably Jericho. But even though there were teases by Pearce and another by CM Punk, we had been told repeatedly that you should not believe any of the stories going around involving WWE and Jericho.”
That seems to settle it.
For now.
Meltzer continued, “There are more questions than answers right now as nobody is talking about the details. The belief is that him going to WWE is now dead and he’s back in AEW for the long term. What he’ll be doing and how the crowd will react to what he’s been doing will be a lot more clear in two weeks when they are out of Canada.”
Jericho is already scheduled to speak next week, as he will address fans live on AEW Dynamite from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Three words. That’s all he gave fans, and it was enough to get people talking.
Interestingly, during the on-air announcement on AEW Collision, he was referred to simply as “Jericho,” adding another layer of intrigue following his brief, buzzworthy appearance in Winnipeg.
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com every Wednesday night at 8/7c for live AEW Dynamite Results coverage.
IT’S WEDNESDAY, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!
Dynamite is LIVE from Winnipeg!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS + HBO Max pic.twitter.com/VbiFt11AMO
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 2, 2026
Welcome home to Winnipeg … @IamJericho!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS + HBO Max pic.twitter.com/SRlCUP7vOk
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 2, 2026
Welcome back, @IAmJericho!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS + HBO Max pic.twitter.com/gG9lFxZl81
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 2, 2026
"Winnipeg! I'm home" – @IAmJericho
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS + HBO Max pic.twitter.com/jtznXvEbtL
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 2, 2026
