As Chris Jericho's contract with AEW nears its end, the veteran is facing new possibilities next year. Y2J has had a very diverse career, and it will be interesting to see whether he will stay in AEW by renewing his contract, or take his talents and stardom to new frontiers.
Chris Jericho's run in the AEW has been met with widespread acclaim. Will he be staying with Tony Khan's Promotion, or seeking new opportunities after his contract expires?
Here are 3 reasons why he should not leave AEW, and 2 reasons why it might not be a bad idea to seek prospects elsewhere.
#3 Why Chris Jericho should stay: He is still a major figure in AEW
With AEW emerging as a serious competitor to WWE, Chris Jericho has helped Tony Khan's organization achieve solid popularity. Even now, Jericho's Inner Circle is one of the more prominent stables in AEW, also serving as a gateway team for young talent.
Furthermore, his skills with the mic are also very suited to commentary. He has sat down with Jim Ross and Excalibur to commentate during AEW matches, and it has been well-received by the fans.
While Chris Jericho may leave active in-ring competition, his skills in other aspects are still suited to AEW. It would be a loss to see him depart from Tony Khan's promotion when it is very clear that there is still much potential left in him.
#2 Why Chris Jericho should leave: His Star Power is is overshadowing the younger performers in Inner Circle
Chris Jericho's The Inner Circle has had a decent backstory with a number of twists and turns. The storyline of MJF and the coup was also a very entertaining arc to watch. Although MJF has gained popularity, the other current members of the Inner Circle are still overshadowed by the legendary stardom of Y2J.
Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz have all shown potential as future superstars of AEW. The promotion is already oversaturated with stables, and with Malakai Black's House of Black slowly being formed, the Inner Circle will probably no longer be on the frontline.
Guevara is already the TNT champion, and is also starting to feature in the main events on Dynamite. It's only natural that they be allowed to follow their own paths outside the limitations of their stable.
Chris Jericho can also go out with a bang, since he's such a huge part of the show. A credible storyline with a young heel against Y2J would set up a formidable villain in AEW if Jericho retires as part of the story. Someone like MJF could fulfill that role very effectively.
#2 Why Chris Jericho should stay: He has plenty of dream matches left in AEW
While Chris Jericho has tussled with MJF and even had a match with Darby Allin, there are a lot of major AEW stars that are yet to lock horns with him. A full-scale feud between Y2J and other talented wrestlers like Eddie Kingston or Bryan Danielson would draw widespread attention from the wrestling community. This would benefit Tony Khan's organization to possibly gain even more mainstream popularity than WWE.
Although Chris Jericho is not young anymore, he is still a great wrestler capable of holding his own in the ring. His departure would be a great loss since he still has so many wrestlers to interact with in AEW.
#1 Why Chris Jericho should leave: He deserves to wrestle his final match at WrestleMania
Chris Jericho is considered by many to be one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. His long and illustrious career led to him to his stardom today, and it seems only fair to let him end his in-ring presence back where he accomplished his greatest feats.
When AEW started, Tony Khan desperately needed a massively popular face to legitimize his promotion. Now, Jericho has filled that role very efficiently, allowing for AEW to home grow its own roster of talented wrestlers. Jericho can now focus on his own goals, and a Wrestlemania match might just be what would close out his distinguished career.
#1 Why Chris Jericho should stay: He can transition to a mentor role similar to Sting
Everyone can agree that Chris Jericho is much more than just a fighting wrestler. His talent at speaking, commentary and swaying the audience with his words have all earned him his stardom. In AEW, he has been at the commentor's table frequently with great results.
His potential in AEW is still filled with possibilities. Just as Sting is a mentor to Darby Allin, Y2J can also follow the same path to help youngsters with his vast experience. Any fresh talent in AEW would benefit greatly from being pushed by such a prominent veteran as Jericho.