WWE legend shares his thoughts on Chris Jericho's future amid AEW absence (Exclusive)

Nine-time World Champion Chris Jericho hasn't been seen on AEW television since April of this year, amidst growing speculation that he's leaving the promotion. The inaugural AEW World Champion was one of the first stars to join Tony Khan's promotion in 2019 and helped build All Elite Wrestling from the ground up.

He has been an integral part of the company throughout these last six years. With his contract set to expire in December of this year, speculation is growing that The Learning Tree might be headed back to WWE. Former SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long recently shared his thoughts on the matter.

On an episode of The Wrestling Time Machine on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, Long was asked what he would do if he were Jericho. The 78-year-old stated that he would stick it out with AEW if he were in Y2J's place unless WWE offers significantly higher money.

"I'd stay in AEW, because I don't think the time is right for him there now. Chris is a good hand. I mean, an excellent hand, and I don't think they're going to listen to him like we did back in the day, because Chris has great ideas and he's a guy that can really help you, you know? So if I were him, I'd stay right there in AEW. He's in good graces with the boss, so I'm pretty sure he's making good money. So, unless it may be about the money. WWE always have more money, then you got to go where more money is, you know? So we just have to wait and see what happens, but, Chris, I'd like to see him stay right where he is." Long said.

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Chris Jericho has had a successful time in the Jacksonville-based promotion, winning both the World Championship and the FTW Championship. He has been part of two of the company's most iconic stables, the Inner Circle and the Jericho Appreciation Society, and also managed to become a two-time World Champion in their sister promotion, Ring of Honor.

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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.

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Edited by Faiz Ahmed