Chris Jericho Explains Why He Doesn’t Want A Retirement Tour

The pro wrestling world is always changing, and we’ve witnessed legends like Ric Flair and Sting retire in recent memory. John Cena is now set to embark on his retirement tour, which was a surprising addition to WWE’s Money in the Bank event in Toronto. But when it comes to stepping out of the spotlight, that’s not something Chris Jericho is considering.

Chris Jericho is still competing at a high level in AEW, while many of his contemporaries have long since retired or are nearing that point. He did give John Cena his flowers for that retirement tour. Despite this, Jericho isn’t concerned with anyone’s journey but his own.

During an interview with TV Insider, Chris Jericho was asked if Sting’s recent retirement, John Cena’s upcoming retirement tour in 2025, or Brian Danielson’s impending retirement has made him reflect on his own career and what he plans to do when he finally hangs up his wrestling boots for good.

“It doesn’t change my perspective at all because Bryan was out for nine years. He couldn’t work. John hasn’t worked regularly at about the same time. Bryan has been incredible since he came back from his injuries. He is one of the greatest wrestlers in the world and of all time. If he wants to step back, he’ll do that.

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“John is the same thing. One of the greatest of all time. He went to Hollywood and became a huge success and wants to come back and put an exclamation point on his career. To me, I don’t see the point for me. That’s just me. I remember a few years ago The Scorpions had a big farewell tour and then decided they were having too much fun and came back and played. Same with Judas Priest. The Who retired in 1982 and still playing. Why put the pressure on a retirement and a timeline? For me, I’m just happy to just be still doing it at a high level.”

“When that time comes, I don’t want a retirement tour, I think. I don’t need a big retirement match. I’ll just stop,” Jericho said. “Maybe I’ll feel differently when it comes to that, but I also have other things. I have Fozzy where I get the live element form as well. I have the podcast, cruise, acting. I have other stuff going on and have walked away from wrestling a couple of times. We’ll see what happens.“

“Sting’s retirement was one of the greatest moments of all time. I think Cena doing a farewell tour is awesome and people know these are the dates to see him. John is very driven that way. He’ll be done when he says he is done and never come back. Bryan already said he would never retire. You won’t see him as a full-time wrestler, but you’ll see him in a ring for a long time. Everyone is different. For me, I just live in the moment and enjoy going to work every week and doing cool shit. As long as I feel that way, I will continue doing so.”

Although it might not be typical, Chris Jericho making this decision about his retirement serves a few purposes. He can never say that anything is “final” regarding making a one-off return later on, because John Cena shut down that idea for himself. Also, fans can treat every outing like it may be the last at this point, and he’s racked up a huge amount of accolades in the process.

Chris Jericho’s next task will be to battle Hook at AEW All In on August 25. Wembley Stadium will host their clash, where Hook can never challenge for the For The World Title again if he loses against the veteran Wizard on Sunday.

We will have to see what happens with Chris Jericho’s retirement. Tony Khan made a huge deal and dedicated an entire episode of AEW Dynamite to Jericho when he celebrated his 30th anniversary in the business. Only time will tell how Khan may handle The Learning Tree’s retirement from in-ring action.

What’s your take on Chris Jericho’s opinion about his own retirement? Do you think that he deserves a long farewell? Let us know what you think in the comments.