"Definite necessity for that company" - Bill Apter claims 6-time WWE World Champion is a huge asset for AEW (Exclusive)

Many former WWE Champions can be found on the current AEW roster. Jon Moxley, Adam Copeland, and Bryan Danielson are just a few of the names that achieved huge success in the Stamford-based promotion and continue to excel in All Elite Wrestling as well.

However, former six-time WWE World Champion Chris Jericho, who is one of the most tenured members on the roster, hasn't been seen on AEW television since April of this year. The Learning Tree's contract is expected to expire later this year, and he could be on his way back to WWE.

During a chat with Bill Apter on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge's The Wrestling Time Machine, the veteran journalist claimed that Jericho is a necessity for Tony Khan if he wants to combat WWE's WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, he said that Khan should do whatever it takes to retain Y2J, beyond his current AEW contract.

"If Tony Khan plays his cards right, and going back to the beginning of our show here, and is going to run big shows in the United States, like when WWE is going to be running WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia, Chris Jericho is a definite necessity for that company. Think Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho, and some of the veterans that are there to help guide that business. Tony Khan, no matter what he has to do, needs to keep Chris Jericho," Apter said.

Triple H dislikes these WWE stars - Who are they?

Rumors are circulating that Chris Jericho is edging closer to a WWE return, especially after he didn't make an appearance at AEW's All Out 2025. With his contract due to expire in December of this year, Jericho might be available to make his return at next year's Royal Rumble.

Triple H would like to have some surprises for the event, considering it's taking place in Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, Jericho's last in-ring appearance for WWE was also in Saudi Arabia, when he was revealed as the final entrant in the Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah.

Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the YouTube video if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

Know More

Worst WWE World Champions ranked - Check the list!

Edited by Faiz Ahmed