AEW Rumors: Chris Jericho possibly suffers multiple injuries at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom

AEW Champion Chris Jericho may have suffered an injury in his match with Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom. Where does this leave the fate of his title?

NJPW’s equivalent to WrestleMania, Wrestle Kingdom, has come and gone after this past weekend and has been critically praised by the majority of viewers. Several moments and matches captivated fans around the globe, especially the match that saw AEW World Champion Chris Jericho return for one night only to take on the Ace of NJPW, Hiroshi Tanahashi.

The stipulation was that if the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion could beat Jericho, then he’ll get a future shot at the AEW World Championship. However, the stip proved to be for naught as Jericho defeated Tanahashi, but the fate of the title may be in jeopardy if it turns out The Painmaker is injured.

Jim Valley of The Wrestling Observer (h/t Wrestlingnews.co) said that he spoke to Jericho after the show and the champion told the reporter that “his jaw was dislocated. He also said that his knee was swollen and he’s going to get it looked at. He thought that some of the dragon screws did that, according to Jericho.”

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It’s worth saying that this was before Jericho went through an actual medical evaluation, so he could go to the doctor and learn he’s actually cleared to compete. It’s also worth noting that when Jericho’s in character mode, it’s hard to tell if he’s talking in or out of kayfabe.

However, if it does turn out that he’s legitimately injured, then hopefully it’s nothing long term or too serious. If it is, one has to wonder where this would leave the championship.

As most fans know, WWE has a policy – albeit a loose one (looking at you, Lesnar) where if a title is not defended within 30 days, then the title is vacated. AEW has yet to have dealt with a title vacancy yet as they’re still new, so there’s no telling if they have a similar policy.

So if Jericho has to rest up for 30 days and keep his title, then there’s nothing to worry about, but if AEW does decide to abide by a similar policy or even if Jericho needs to take more time off, be it for the knee or for the jaw, would he have to vacate the belt?

Only time will tell, but we’ll keep you updated as updates present themselves.