AEW President Tony Khan has been emphatic about his respect for Chris Jericho and his desire to see the inaugural champion return to the company. However, new allegations from Jericho’s longtime associate Jake Hager paint a far more chaotic picture behind the curtain.
Speaking on Unscripted with Sportskeeda, Hager claimed that the AEW boss would go weeks without responding to messages from one of his cornerstone stars. “Even Chris, he would tell me that Tony would not respond to his messages for like two weeks,” Hager stated, adding that it created the impression the company was no longer a priority for its founder.
Hager’s comments pointed to broader disorganization, which he claims set in after Cody Rhodes departed for WWE. “They stopped doing production meetings. They stopped doing anything to make the show timely,” he said. According to Hager, this lack of structure often left talent in the dark about their roles until just hours before airtime. “We would be waiting around till like 5:00 p.m. to find out what we’re doing that day. And like—what live television show does that? Only one—only one with money behind it.”
These claims contrast sharply with Khan’s recent public remarks. In an interview on The Torg and Elliott Show, the AEW President praised the veteran. “Chris Jericho’s been here since the very beginning. And I have so much great respect for Chris Jericho… We absolutely want Chris Jericho back in AEW, and hopefully soon,” Khan said.
Jericho’s future remains uncertain. He has been absent from AEW programming for roughly five months and recently told the Daily Mail he “wouldn’t be opposed” to a WWE return. While Khan encouraged fans to “stay tuned to the show” for potential comebacks, Hager’s allegations suggest the issues surrounding a possible Jericho return may be more complicated than they appear.