With Chris Jericho’s AEW contract reportedly set to expire at the end of 2025, speculation continues to swirl about his next move.
On the latest episode of Busted Open After Dark, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray gave his strong opinion on what Jericho should do — return to WWE for a final run.
Bully opened the discussion by asking listeners whether Jericho should stay in AEW. While some suggested that Jericho should retire and take on an executive role, Bully dismissed the idea. “You just want Chris Jericho to retire because he’s going to be 55 and work behind the scenes. I’m sorry. I just don’t,” Bully said.
He then declared that even one match would be worth a WWE comeback. “I would bring Chris Jericho back to the WWE just to work with LA Knight. If you told me that that was the only thing he was going to do for one year, that’s good enough a reason alone.”
Bully went on to highlight the power of nostalgia as a major factor in Jericho’s potential return. “The beauty about going back to the WWE is Chris Jericho could show up at the WWE at the Royal Rumble with the same exact entrance that he made his debut in the WWE with… and that place would go f—ing bananas. Some people do nostalgia really well… and it does work for certain wrestling acts.”
By contrast, Bully expressed doubts about how AEW fans would respond if Jericho re-signed there. “Do I think that Chris Jericho could do something different in AEW? Yes, I do. Do I think the fans will be willing to accept it? No. I think Chris will be swimming upstream in AEW.”
Ultimately, Bully Ray believes Jericho’s best move is to close his in-ring career with WWE, where he became one of the most decorated stars in wrestling history. “Lean into it or go do what you should do, ride off into the sunset in the WWE,” Bully concluded.
