Chris Jericho Says Retirement Isn’t On His Mind: I Still Enjoy Doing It
AEW’s Chris Jericho has no plans to step away from wrestling anytime soon.
Jericho holds an important place in AEW history. He was one of the company’s first marquee signings before it had even held an event, went on to become its inaugural World Champion, and helped create one of the promotion’s most memorable matches during the pandemic when The Inner Circle faced The Elite in the original Stadium Stampede. At the same time, now aged 55, his AEW run has featured both major highs and notable lows, leading many fans to wonder how much longer he plans to wrestle.
That question recently came up during an interview with Beef Vegan, where Jericho discussed when he believes the time to retire might finally come.
“I don’t really put a timeline on it. Did I ever think I’d be doing it at 55? No, but do I not think of doing it? It just seems like, ‘Yeah, 55, 25, 35.’ You look at the match we had on Sunday, as crazy it was, it’s still a great match. And it was probably one of the best matches on the show from a standpoint of the fan reaction. So why would I want to step away from that? I still enjoy doing it and still can do it at a level that’s still show-stealing possibilities. It could be another week, it could be another two years or three years. I don’t want to do it forever, but as long as I feel I’m still happy with the work that I’m doing and not second-guessing myself, then I’ll continue to do it.”
-Chris Jericho
The match Jericho was referring to was his No Holds Barred bout against Tommaso Ciampa at AEW Redemption on July 26. Despite plenty of fan scepticism heading into the contest, particularly over the return of his “Painmaker” persona, it ended up being widely regarded as one of the standout matches on the card.
Coupled with his acclaimed matches against Ricochet at AEW Dynasty, in the latest Stadium Stampede, and even his first encounter with Ciampa at this year’s Beach Break, Jericho has continued to prove that he is still capable of delivering high-quality performances.
While it remains unclear what Jericho’s immediate future in AEW looks like following his victory at AEW Redemption on Sunday, one thing appears certain: retirement is not on his mind just yet. If his recent performances are anything to go by, the former AEW World Champion still believes he has plenty left to offer and has no plans on slowing down anytime soon.
You can find more on the latest AEW news here.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on Chris Jericho’s future as soon as we hear more.
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