Chris Jericho Says AEW Return Was Months In The Making

After nearly a year off television, Chris Jericho returned to AEW on the April 1 episode of Dynamite.

His contract reportedly expired at the end of 2025, but he ended up signing a multi-year deal to remain with the company.

Speaking to Renee Paquette on Close Up, Jericho detailed his AEW return.

“It was months in the making. I flew in a private jet the night before because I didn’t want anybody to see me. I basically sat in my room for 24 hours. I didn’t see any of my friends. One of my best friends flew in from Vegas for the show, and he didn’t even know I was going to be there. It was a really cool moment, and nobody knew. Tony knew and a few other people, but even when I got picked up at the hotel, the driver was like, ‘I can’t believe it’s you.’ We waited outside on the street and I didn’t even take the elevator to the lobby because if it got stuck…I ran down the stairs. I wasn’t leaving anything to chance. We drove down to the basement behind Gorilla, waited in the car until 30 seconds before, got out of the car, and walked right out,” he said.

Jericho made his return in Winnipeg and said, “I’m home.”

“It was something I learned in WWE where sometimes you don’t have to say a lot; that’s why that promo was two words. It’s a Pat Patterson thing, ‘Why throw everything out at once?’ You got the initial pop of being back on the show, let’s leave it and then explain more the following week. It was great too because the Winnipeg reaction was great, but it got better in Edmonton and better in Vancouver. It kept getting better and better. It was a reset and kind of threw a proverbial cup of cold water in everybody’s faces because nobody knew what was going on, and then it was done,” he said.

Jericho’s first feud upon returning was against Ricochet.

He is set to face Tommaso Ciampa at AEW Beach Break.

If you use any of the quotes above, please credit and link to the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.