When Chris Jericho started working with New Japan, I think we all assumed he’d be back in WWE with no hard feeling before too long. In fact, that happened briefly when he appeared on Raw 25 last year. But then he joined some of his new New Japan friends in All Elite Wrestling, a new American company that has a major budget with a TV deal probably to come soon, and that changed. In fact, that was when we all noticed he disappeared from the logo montage that precedes WWE programming. Now, in a new interview with the Jim Norton and Sam Roberts Show, he said he’s “banned” from the company.
Asked about the status of his relationship with Vince McMahon, this is what Jericho said:
I’ve talked with him a couple of times, but I’m kind of public enemy number one there now. I’ve been kind of removed from the annals of history. I asked the other day if I could have a couple of their guys on my podcast to promote Mania and I was told, “No, it’s not appropriate because you’re in AEW.” I am banned from WWE.
I think my stuff is still on [the Network]. I haven’t been disgraced. But as far as I know, they had to take some videos down from UpUpDownDown of me playing. Took that off. They edited some stuff from the Edge and Christian show that had my name on it.
Wrestling is a strange business, and McMahon’s practices are famously some of the strangest. So in the long term, it won’t be too surprising when/if he’s welcomed back into the fold eventually, just as guys like Jeff Jarrett have been. For now, though, it’s kind of cool to seem him doing his own thing and trying out new stuff.
