Tony Khan Says Chris Jericho AEW Return Is What They Both Wanted

AEW

Tony Khan has addressed Chris Jericho’s surprise return and re-signing with the company, revealed on the April 1 Dynamite episode.

After almost a year away from AEW TV, Chris Jericho made his return in front of his hometown crowd in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Following this surprise Dynamite appearance, it was reported that the belief backstage was that Jericho had signed a new deal with AEW, following previous reports that his contract was set to expire on December 31, 2025.

Speaking on Ringer Wrestling’s The Masked Man Show, Tony Khan stated that he had always wanted Chris Jericho to remain with AEW.

Discussing the importance of Jericho’s return run, Khan said:

“I thought it was a great moment and I’m really happy for Chris, because that’s what he wanted and I wanted.

“Chris has been a huge part of AEW since the idea of starting the company, since the very first show. He’s the first AEW World Champion, and when Chris was coming up as a free agent, I’ve always wanted Chris to stay and be part of AEW.

“I think it was so great that we were able to announce Chris is signing with AEW and is extending his time here in Winnipeg, his hometown, and that he’s having this run in Canada.

“It meant a lot to him to be able to go to Winnipeg and then to Edmonton, which is just miles away from where he debuted in wrestling, and then wrestle on pay-per-view for the first time in one year in Vancouver.”

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Chris Jericho’s match against Ricochet at AEW Dynasty will be his first match since the April 2025 iteration of the event, which saw him drop the ROH World Title to Bandido.

Interestingly, the inaugural AEW World Champion was only introduced as “Jericho” on the April 8 Dynamite episode, seemingly revealing a ring-name change.

It will be interesting to see what’s next for Jericho post-Dynasty, and if the US and international AEW crowds will give him the same reactions he has been receiving in his home country.

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• AEW
• chris jericho
• tony khan
• Return

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