Chris Jericho’s Decision to Decline WWE Offer

Chris Jericho, a prominent figure in AEW, recently shared the story of turning down an offer from WWE in the mid-1990s. During the Horror, Rock & Wrestle Fest 2025 event, Jericho revealed that Jim Cornette, a WWE employee at the time, approached him with the opportunity. Jericho declined the offer due to his reluctance to portray a hockey player-inspired character, similar to The Goon, Salvatore Sincere, and TL Hopper. He expressed his disinterest in being associated with such gimmicks, leading him to reject the offer, despite it being his first chance with a major North American promotion.

A Career-Changing Opportunity

Following his decision to decline WWE’s offer, Jericho received a call from WCW’s Kevin Sullivan, inviting him for a try-out. Jericho’s impressive performance during the try-out earned him a full-time contract with WCW in 1996. Unlike the proposed hockey-inspired gimmick by WWE, WCW did not require Jericho to adopt a specific character like “The Goon.” His time in WCW’s Cruiserweight division paved the way for his eventual transition to WWE in 1999, where he established himself as one of the industry’s most significant stars.

Learning from Wrestling Veteran Chris Jericho

AEW star Bryan Keith recently praised his experience working with Chris Jericho, emphasizing Jericho’s extensive wrestling background. Keith described the opportunity to work with Jericho as “amazing,” attributing it to Jericho’s wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry. Keith acknowledged that he absorbed Jericho’s advice eagerly, likening his learning process to soaking up information like a sponge. This collaboration highlighted the valuable mentorship and guidance provided by Jericho to emerging talents in the wrestling world.

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