WWE: Is Chris Jericho finished with pro-wrestling?

Chris Jericho

Any time Chris Jericho makes his return to WWE, fans immediately begin debating on how long Jericho will last before taking a hiatus again, if he comes back at all.

Right now, Jericho is at a point in his career where he could safely walk away from the ring, and based on his recent comments over Twitter, there is a chance he may be ready to “ride off into the sunset”, so-to-speak.

Jericho wrapped up the current tour he’s scheduled for with WWE, and he will once again be going on-tour with his metal band, Fozzy. As of right now, his last televised match was this past Friday night on Smackdown, where he lost in a bid to become a 10-time Intercontinental Champion against Curtis Axel. Regarding the match, Jericho tweeted the following:

Now, he simply could mean it was the last chapter with Axel, as it was their third match in a row. Afterwards, Ryback assaulted Jericho, which will likely lead to WWE announcing Jericho is injured in order to remove him from television during his music tour.

However, Jericho has not stopped there. Over Instagram, Jericho posted a photo from the very first time he cut a promo for a wrestling company in 1991, with a caption that said, “Cutting a promo in the summer of ’91…the first of my career! Will the summer of ’13 be my last?…”

At this point, it’s really hard to say for sure what Jericho’s future holds. We’ve seen this kind of behavior from Jericho before, and it’s a well-known fact that he enjoys teasing the fans and getting them talking about what his next move will be.

A few years ago, on his website, he even posted a picture of himself posing in front of the logo of TNA, WWE’s top rival in the US, hinting that he was signing with the fledgling promotion. However, it was simply a joke on Jericho’s part, and he has never once appeared in a TNA ring.

That’s just the kind of guy Jericho is: he wants to get people talking and get the rumours flying, so, whenever he does come back to the ring, it’s treated like a big deal.

Much like Sting in TNA, Jericho seems to always contemplate retirement, but always manages to change his mind and come back for another run (unlike Sting, however, Jericho is still very healthy and can put on top-quality matches on a regular basis. Plus, he’s several years Sting’s junior). If he does decide this is it, things will be okay.

Jericho has been very wise with his money and planned thoroughly for a life after wrestling. He honestly doesn’t need to wrestle now, as he’s set financially; he continues to do it to help some of the younger stars become established, as well as the fact that he simply loves his job.

At this point, Jericho’s legacy is safe. He is a certified future Hall of Famer, and there is very little in the ring he hasn’t done. The man is a former 9-time Intercontinental Champion (a record that still stands), a 6-time WWE/World Champion, a former Tag, WCW TV and Cruiserweight Champion, not to mention one of the most decorated champions in WWE history overall. The man has nothing left to prove to anyone, and he knows it. Now, it’s just a matter of when he’s ready to call it quits.

Jericho has always said that when he retires, he plans to do it very quietly because he wants to disappear from wrestling. Although he’s talking right now, it’s still very quiet, and not done on a large stage like a television taping or PPV. I am not certain if Jericho is done (I’d say there’s maybe one run left in him), but I do believe he’s getting close to the end of his run.

Make sure to check out “Jericho vs Axel-The Final Chapter” NOW on #SmackDown!! That’s all for now folks… @wwe @RealCurtisAxel @ryback22

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) July 20, 2013