A Singular Identity for a Veteran Performer
Chris Jericho has stripped away the formality of his full name. Following his return to All Elite Wrestling this past April, the veteran performer is now competing simply as “Jericho.” It is a lean, deliberate rebrand for a man who spent a year away from the ring.
Prioritizing the Joy of the Craft
The shift to a one-word moniker is the outward sign of a deeper internal reset. Speaking on Close Up with Renee Paquette, the wrestler made his motivation clear: he is no longer interested in the grind if the satisfaction isn’t there. “If I’m not having fun, I don’t want to do it,” he told Paquette. For Jericho, this current run is defined entirely by that pursuit of enjoyment.
Finding Momentum Through Ricochet
The path back to the squared circle was paved by a specific test against Ricochet. Jericho credits the athletic star’s acrobatic style with helping him gauge exactly where he stands physically after his long hiatus.
“That actually worked out great because he is so athletic and he is so acrobatic, but I got in and I realized I didn’t really lose a step either,” Jericho said. The contrast in their styles served a dual purpose, offering Jericho a template to refine his own babyface persona by studying how Ricochet handled his role as a heel.
The Long Road Back to Dynamite
This return marks a stark departure from the circumstances of his exit. Jericho had been absent from AEW television since last April, when a loss to Bandido in a “Mask vs. Title” match cost him the ROH World Heavyweight Championship.
Now, he is focused on re-establishing his footprint on the roster. The next move is a grudge match against Tommaso Ciampa, scheduled for the July 9 edition of AEW Dynamite. It is the latest test in a campaign to prove that, despite the year-long layoff, he remains a force in the promotion.
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