Chris Jericho’s absence from AEW television since April has had fans whispering about everything from creative burnout to a WWE return. Now, we finally have an update on why he’s been missing—and why it could still lead to him walking away from AEW.
According to Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select’s October 19, 2025 Q&A, the reason Jericho hasn’t been on AEW programming is pretty simple—for now.
“Chris Jericho has simply been off TV. That’s it. His contract isn’t up for a number of months, and it was time for him to be off television for a while, and that’s what happened. Tony Khan still loves Jericho and would like to see him back.”
But that doesn’t shut the door on a possible exit—because all signs around Jericho’s next major project point in the opposite direction.
The 2026 edition of Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea was recently announced for November 7–11. What stood out immediately? No AEW branding. No AEW wrestlers. No mention of the company anywhere in the promotional materials. That hasn’t gone unnoticed. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez called it out bluntly:
“Jericho Cruise has been announced for 2026. Nobody from AEW on the boat. No references to AEW.”
Dave Meltzer added that WWE sources believe Jericho is on his way back to WWE—and said it’s no coincidence he hasn’t been on AEW TV for months.
“He’s been ready for a couple months… And then nothing happened. After about a month after the tour ended and he didn’t come back, I started thinking: Tony’s probably not bringing him back and probably figures he’s going to WWE.”
Back in October 2022, Jericho signed a new three-year AEW deal, as reported by Variety. That contract is set to expire between November and December 2025—just weeks before the cruise sets sail. If Jericho isn’t already preparing for a return to WWE, he’s doing a great job looking like he is.
Adding even more fuel, Jericho hasn’t been reviewing AEW matches on his podcast and appears to be shifting focus away from the company. He’s staying vague by design. When asked recently on Busted Open Radio what comes next, he teased the unknown:
“We don’t know, right? We’ll just have to see.”
At this point, the cruise feels like a stage being set for something different—and with his AEW contract winding down, Jericho may be charting his exit behind the scenes.
What do you think Chris Jericho’s next move should be? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
