WWE News: Chris Jericho Will Not Be Returning To WWE On A Full-Time Basis
Chris Jericho, who is currently working a limited, non-television schedule for WWE, recently sat down with the Tampa Bay Times to talk about his career and plans moving forward. During the interview, Jericho was asked about the prospects of returning to the WWE roster on a full-time basis.
“No. I have so much other stuff going on that it would almost be a step backwards, performing-wise. The weekend shows are amazing, and I am always glad to be a part of it. But I couldn’t do it as a full-time thing again. My career as a full-time wrestler is long gone, for about the past four or five years now, really. I’ve been really fortunate, from the band (Fozzy) to the podcast, and I’m out in Hollywood working, too, so the dream has kind of taken off.”
Chris also talked about how he likes participating on the live event circuit because it is more fan interactive and less stressful. When asked about participating in any upcoming television shows, Jericho said he doesn’t believe he will be.
Jericho last appeared on WWE television during Monday Night RAW on December 15, where Chris served as the special guest host. Jericho last wrestled on WWE television at the Night Of Champions PPV in September, 2014, where he lost to Randy Orton. Jericho is currently in the midst of a 15 date house show contract that was agreed to late last year. The contract does not include any television appearances, and Jericho is scheduled to work his last show on March 1 in Buffalo, NY. Chris is then scheduled to go on tour with his band, Fozzy, on March 4 for a three week European tour.
There had been rumors in WWE that Vince McMahon was receptive to Jericho working a house-show-only schedule early this year so that he could bring Chris back for WrestleMania 31. The idea was after being off television for so long, this would lead to much more excitement when Jericho came back for a possible WrestleMania match.
Whether or not a match for Jericho is added to the biggest show of the year, WrestleMania, remains to be seen. Jericho will be just coming off the road from his tour with Fozzy, so a possible match would not receive much build. WWE is expected to have another Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania, so it’s possible Jericho could come in as a surprise or last minute entrant for that match.
WWE does have another Chris Jericho project on the horizon. The company is putting out a DVD and Blu-ray on March 10 titled The Road Is Jericho: Epic Stories & Rare Matches From Y2J. It is a three-disc set that includes 20 matches (24 on the Blu-ray) from Chris’ career, spanning the years 1996-2014.
[Photo by Simon Hofmann/Bongarts/Getty Images]
