Top Feuds For Chris Jericho Amid WWE Return Rumors and Why AEW Should Be Thrilled

Chris Jericho's seven-year stint in AEW may be almost over if recent rumors and reports are to be believed—and everyone will be better off for it.

Per Fightful, his current contract runs through the end of 2025, fueling fan speculation that a return to WWE could be in the cards. As he enters the twilight of his decorated career at the age of 54, one last run in the company he called home for nearly two decades would make the most sense.

Jericho was the first truly big get for All Elite Wrestling upon its launch at the onset of 2019. He already had an established name that AEW founder and president Tony Khan was surely able to use as leverage and land a lucrative television deal with WarnerMedia, leading to the flagship show Dynamite airing in prime time on Wednesday nights starting that October.

As the inaugural AEW world champion, Jericho played a pivotal role in the promotion's early success. He was still at the top of his game physically and creatively, working with a slew of fresh faces from Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy to Scorpio Sky and Sammy Guevara.

However, AEW has outgrown Jericho, and there is nothing to be gained from him sticking around beyond 2025.

Jericho's Possible Departure from AEW Is Mutually Beneficial

Jericho leaving AEW for WWE is a logical move for a multitude of reasons, chief among them being he has little left to offer from an on-air standpoint at this stage.

He's worked as both a babyface and a heel many times over. He's wrestled a vast majority of the roster. He's even held the now-defunct FTW Championship and the ROH World Championship twice in addition to the AEW World Championship for a six-month period.

Khan's stance on keeping Jericho around in any capacity is unknown, but it's realistic to assume he won't want to let him go so easily, despite knowing he's done all he can do there and AEW now has more than enough people to fill any void Jericho would leave behind.

If it comes down to dollars and cents, AEW could make a big play to retain the veteran's services, which wouldn't be necessary. There's no need for him to be a full-time competitor anymore, and the promotion has plenty of aging veterans on its roster right now.

That isn't to say WWE doesn't have aging veterans of its own, but it's the much more appealing environment for Jericho if he doesn't intend to hang up his boots just yet.

Le Champion's first few feuds in AEW were enjoyable and did big business, specifically when he and Kenny Omega had their Wrestle Kingdom rematch in the main event of the first-ever installment of Double or Nothing in 2019.

That hasn't been the case in quite some time.

His stint as The Learning Tree was critically panned and did not accomplish much. His second run with the ROH World Championship was a waste as it didn't achieve its goal of getting Ring of Honor a television deal, his rivalry with Hook hardly elevated the young up-and-comer, and Big Bill and Bryan Keith are very much in the same spot they were a year ago.

If anything, Jericho has done more to hinder AEW's product than help it, and in his absence, several stars have stepped up and seized the opportunity to get over with the audience. Dynamite and Collision have been far more bearable without Jericho and his cast of cronies being overexposed on them.

AEW loses practically nothing from allowing Jericho's deal to expire so he can go back to WWE, though Jericho returning to AEW TV for one last stretch simply so he can put over Big Bill on his way out would be ideal.

Most Intriguing Opponents for Jericho in WWE

Great Chris Jericho matches in recent years have been few and far between, but with the right opponent, he can bring his best and hold his own.

Although he's been away from WWE since 2018, he's shared the squared circle with most of the top talent on today's active roster. That includes Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, AJ Styles and Cody Rhodes, among others.

Having him run it back with any of those familiar foes wouldn't amount to much. Jericho serving as a stop on John Cena's retirement tour would be fun considering their history dating back to 2002, but unless Jericho works out an early release from AEW, that won't be possible.

Aside from nostalgia and the merchandise money that comes with it, the real value in Jericho in WWE is having him elevate the next generation, specifically Superstars he'd gel well with in the ring and on the mic.

In many ways, LA Knight is a modern-day version of Y2J, at least in terms of his vibrant personality and entertaining promos. A bout between the two wouldn't be a five-star mat classic by any means, but it would produce some memorable segments and a WrestleMania-worthy matchup.

The Megastar will be challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship as part of a Fatal 4-Way at Clash in Paris on Sunday, but he remains on the cusp of breaking through to that next level. A program with Jericho could cement his place toward the top of the card.

Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images

Dominik Mysterio has also made a major impact while Jericho's been gone, going from a generic babyface failing to follow in his father's footsteps to reinventing himself as a heel and becoming more comfortable as a character.

With how much Mysterio channels Eddie Guerrero, Jericho would undoubtedly jump at the chance to work with him. Putting his Intercontinental Championship—a title Jericho has held a record nine times—on the line would sweeten the pot.

Jericho has never crossed paths with the likes of Damian Priest, Jacob Fatu, Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes or Gunther, but none of those stand out as special storylines. He should be beaten by all of them with relative ease if any of those matches came to fruition.

He never faced Aleister Black or Penta while they were all in AEW, but those aren't marquee matches, either.

Jericho has a tendency to latch onto whatever and whoever is popular at any given time, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him target the beloved Jey Uso eventually. Drew McIntyre has also reached main event stardom these past several years and would be a fine foil for a legend of Jericho's stature.

Jericho has wrestled both men in tag team matches before but never in one-on-one scenarios.

Taking the less-is-more approach will be the key to a successful final run for Jericho in WWE. A Royal Rumble return followed by a few compelling programs, a WrestleMania match, limited premium live event appearances, international tours and an inevitable Hall of Fame induction are all that's needed before he calls it a career.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.