Ric Flair has shared his thoughts on the possibility of Chris Jericho returning to WWE once his AEW contract expires later this year, and he does not believe Jericho would receive the type of farewell tour currently being given to John Cena.

In an interview with Escapist Magazine, Flair praised Jericho’s impact on wrestling and his character but was doubtful WWE would put him on the same platform as Cena for a sendoff run.

“Well, of course I do because Chris has meant a lot to the business,” Flair said when asked if Jericho deserves a final WWE run. “But I do not think he’ll get it. I’m sure he’ll go to the Hall of Fame. I mean, he’s been a Hall of Fame athlete, human being, wrestler, everything. But I would doubt very seriously if he’d get the kind of deal that John Cena got. I could be wrong. I would enjoy it. But John had a level of popularity very similar to The Rock’s. He was huge. Everyone loved him. It might be a bit of a stretch to see him back in there, but you never know.”

Flair and Jericho share a long history, having worked together in WCW, WWE, and AEW. Flair remains under AEW contract, though his appearances have been limited since he was part of Sting’s retirement storyline earlier this year.

If Jericho does return, it would be his first time back in WWE in over seven years. He has been with AEW since its inception in 2019, where he became the company’s inaugural World Champion. However, Jericho has been absent from AEW programming since April, stepping away after receiving negative crowd reactions.

AEW President Tony Khan recently commented that Jericho remains highly regarded within the company, stating that Jericho is “always in the highest of standing in AEW or ROH” and that he would welcome him back when the timing is right.

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