Jericho is nearing the end of his career, and a WWE return would likely have meant one final run before retirement. However, recent booking decisions may have discouraged him. Gunther retired both AJ Styles and John Cena within weeks, and neither farewell was handled with grandeur.
Cena’s goodbye lacked a major pay‑per‑view send‑off, while Styles followed quickly after, leaving fans underwhelmed. Jericho may have looked at these examples and decided WWE would not give him the retirement story he deserved. AEW, on the other hand, offered him control and respect, making it the safer choice for his closing chapter.