With Chris Jericho’s AEW contract winding down at the end of 2025, the wrestling world has been buzzing about a potential return to WWE. However, his former colleague Eric Bischoff has a different take: what if the whole situation is a masterclass in negotiation aimed at securing one last big payday from Tony Khan?
Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer speculated that Jericho’s current absence from television is a strategic move. Bischoff pointed to Jericho’s pride and competitive nature, suggesting he’s using the time off to get into peak physical condition to increase his bargaining power with AEW.
“Chris [Jericho] was looking a little pudgy the last time I saw him on camera. Pudgy won’t fly in WWE. Not like that. Chris has so much pride and competition in him. He is a competitive person. […] I know what Chris is going to do. He is of TV because he is going to come back looking shredded,” Bischoff stated. “Now, I didn’t think about him getting shredded and going to WWE, because I was in paying attention to when his contract was up. But there is a reason he is off TV. There’s a very good reason. If I am Chris, and if I am getting shredded, and Tony’s excited about getting me back, and my contract’s coming up in 4-5 months, I am going to make sure that contract is as fat as I can make it.”
The speculation isn’t happening in a vacuum. Jericho hasn’t been on AEW television since April 2025, following a loss at Dynasty and walking out on his Learning Tree stable. This absence fits a known pattern for AEW, which has kept talent off programming during the final months of their contracts in the past.
The WWE rumors gained traction in late August, with reports suggesting Jericho may have made “overtures” to gauge interest in a return. While his name has reportedly been discussed among WWE talent and executives, sources noted back on August 20 that he hadn’t been mentioned in creative discussions yet. One higher-up described their relationship with Jericho as being on “good terms,” though another source called the idea of a return “far too early to tell.”
Adding another perspective to the conversation, fellow legend Ric Flair weighed in earlier today, September 2. Flair, who has worked with Jericho across several decades, expressed doubt that WWE would give Jericho the same kind of celebratory final run that John Cena is currently enjoying, even if he were to return.
Despite his theory about Jericho leveraging AEW, when Bischoff was asked where the 54-year-old veteran should retire, he ultimately chose WWE, citing it as the biggest stage to end a career.