AEW's Next Big Free Agent Is... Chris Jericho (AEW News)

Chris Jericho's existing AEW deal is up later this year...

by Andrew Pollard
AEW Dynasty HOOK Chris Jericho
AEW

When looking at which AEW names could be next on the free agent list, Chris Jericho is someone whose future could well become a discussion point in the coming months.

On the latest edition of his weekly Q&A podcast, Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp was asked who AEW's next big free agent is after Private Party and Danhausen. For that question, SRS noted that Chris Jericho re-signed with AEW shortly after All Out 2022 in a deal that's due to run until the end of 2025.

Sapp added that he's not sure whether that contract has been frozen at all due to any time off, with the inaugural AEW World Champion currently on hiatus from the company right now. If no time is tacked on, though, as of now, it looks as if Chris Jericho's existing deal will be up later this year.

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Tony Khan Chris Jericho
AEW

Of course, it could always be that Jericho and Tony Khan come to an agreement for the one-time Le Champion to remain with AEW, but if not, should the veteran become a free agent - either by his own choosing or by Khan deciding against offering a new deal - that certainly poses plenty of questions.

Throughout his six years with AEW, Jericho has never particularly talked badly about WWE, often praising his time there and being open to possibly returning in some capacity down the line. Whether WWE would have interest in the four-time WWE World Champion remains to be seen, but one has to imagine there would at least be a conversation between the parties should Jericho wind up on the free agent market at some point. Added to that, there's also always promotions like TNA, another New Japan run, or simply working select dates on the independent scene. The point being, there will be plenty of demand and plenty of options for Chris Jericho if he leaves AEW. Again, though, there are still at least several months left on his existing AEW deal, and it might well end up being that he re-signs with the promotion.

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As alluded to, recent reports suggest that Danhausen and the Private Party tandem of Marq Queen and Isiah Kassidy's AEW deals are up imminently, and that WWE has interest in all three.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.