All Elite Wrestling is in an interesting place. The company is surging with momentum and has been since All In 2025. While all this goodwill is headed the promotion’s way, one person has been greatly absent. That is none other than multiple-time champion Chris Jericho. There’s growing speculation that Jericho’s time with AEW is coming to an end, and at this point, AEW no longer needs him.
Chris Jericho’s last match was at AEW Dynasty on April 6. He lost the Ring of Honor World Championship to Bandido in what was a well-received match by fans, even though it was full of shenanigans from start to finish. That was the last fans had seen of the “Jericho Vortex,” that space where AEW wrestlers would find themselves trapped, devoid of all the momentum they had acquired leading into an angle with Jericho.
Think of all the men who were in strong positions, before stepping into an angle with Chris Jericho and having their momentum stolen. Daniel Garcia, HOOK, Ricky Starks, and the majority of the Ring of Honor men’s division. There are so many examples to choose from.
AEW is in a better place without Jericho on television each week. This roster is stacked with several of the best wrestlers in the world. Jericho’s segments and matches typically took up large amounts of time that could have easily been dedicated to better spotlighting the women’s division or others on the roster. Are there ways that AEW could continue to improve how it uses its hours of television each week? Yes, and not having Jericho on television each week goes a long way to reaching that goal.
Another angle to look at this point is Chris Jericho’s age. Jericho is nearing his 55th birthday. AEW does not need someone that old taking up space on the roster where there are so many young performers looking to break through. So many men and women have more in-ring to offer than Jericho, and they do so at a cheaper rate as well, which is a big deal on the business side of the industry.
Chris Jericho was an important acquisition for All Elite Wrestling back in 2019. He helped draw in fans who recognized his name from his time in WCW and WWE. That’s why it made sense to make him the company’s first champion. However, recent years have shown that much of the fan base has turned away from Jericho, and rightfully so. If his tenure with AEW is coming to an end, this is the right time for it to happen, as the company no longer needs him.