AEW President Tony Khan has directly addressed the ongoing absence of Chris Jericho, making it clear he wants the inaugural world champion back in the company. Jericho has not appeared on AEW television since April.
In an interview with The Sportster, Khan emphasized Jericho’s historical significance to the promotion. He highlighted Jericho’s status as the first-ever AEW World Champion and described him as one of the foundational stars who was crucial from the very beginning of the company.
Khan’s full statement left little room for ambiguity about his position on a potential return.
“Yeah, I think Chris is certainly one of the most important stars ever in AEW. He’s the first-ever AEW World Champion. And for me, I think Chris is one of the very foundational stars from the very beginning of the company. If possible, I’d love to have Chris back as soon as possible. We’ll see when Chris returns, but I think Chris is someone we always love having in AEW, and the door is always open for his return. He’s been a big star for us, and he also has a lot of things going on outside of pro wrestling. Whether it’s acting or his music career, he’s doing a lot of great things. But when he’s in AEW, he’s always been a key piece and a multiple-time world champion across multiple promotions, including AEW. So definitely always thinking the best of Chris, and uh, would be excited to get his return.”
These comments arrive at a critical time, with Jericho’s AEW contract rumored to expire at the end of the year. The uncertainty surrounding his status has fueled significant fan speculation about a potential return to WWE, making Khan’s public welcome a notable development.
Even during his time away from the screen, Jericho’s influence within the AEW locker room has been apparent. Jack Perry recently revealed that his entire “Scapegoat” persona was born from a private text conversation with Jericho. During an appearance on the Battlegrounds podcast, Perry explained that Jericho reached out to him following the incident at All In and used that exact term, which directly inspired the gimmick change that marked Perry’s first run as a heel.