Tony Khan has confirmed that Chris Jericho was a free agent before making his surprise return to AEW on the April 1 Dynamite in Winnipeg — and that the specific date of his comeback had been circled as far back as last year. Speaking on The Coach and Bro Show, Khan addressed both how close Jericho may have come to signing with WWE and how the return ultimately came together.
When asked directly how close Jericho was to going to WWE, Khan was honest about the limits of what he could say with certainty while making the key fact clear. “I can’t say with any certainty — I do know Chris had a choice, and he wanted to be in AEW. He would be the best person to ask.” Khan confirmed that Jericho communicated his desire to return well in advance and was specific about where and when he wanted to make his comeback. “He definitely told me he wanted to be at AEW, and very specifically, he told me he wanted to be in Winnipeg on that date. We’ve had that circled for a long time going back to last year.”
Tony Khan Says Chris Jericho’s AEW Return Was a Choice He Made as a Free Agent Who Could Have Gone Anywhere
The confirmation that Jericho was a free agent during the months of speculation about his future adds significant context to what his return actually means. Multiple reports had confirmed talks between Jericho and WWE took place during his absence from AEW television, though no creative plans were ever established for him there. Khan’s version of events frames Jericho’s return as a genuine decision made by someone who had real options — not a foregone conclusion. “It was a choice that Chris made, that he’d rather be in AEW than wrestling anywhere else. I think that’s awesome. I’m glad that he chose to be here in AEW. That’s a choice that he made, because he was a free agent.” Jericho is expected to address his return live on tonight’s Dynamite, the go-home show for AEW Dynasty on April 12 in Vancouver.
