"They just made that guy a lot of money" - Major speculation on Chris Jericho after WWE namedrops him at Crown Jewel 2025

Chris Jericho was surprisingly referenced during a high-profile match at WWE Crown Jewel. Wrestling personality Bryan Alvarez has shared his thoughts on how the promotion's allusion to the inaugural AEW World Champion could prove to be quite beneficial to the latter.

The seventh edition of the Stamford-based company's Crown Jewel PLE took place this past Saturday at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, and featured a major singles match between AJ Styles and John Cena. This match likely marks the last one-on-one bout between The Phenomenal One and The Cenation leader, as the latter will be hanging up his boots by the end of this year.

Throughout their showdown, both Styles and Cena borrowed move-sets from the playbooks of some of their most iconic rivals. At one point, in fact, the "Greatest of All Time" had the former Bullet Club member locked in a Boston Crab, also known as the Walls of Jericho, which is AEW star Chris Jericho's submission finisher. The homage comes at a very interesting time, as The Learning Tree has found himself at the center of rumors speculating on the potential end of his All Elite Wrestling run and a possible WWE return.

Speaking about the sports entertainment juggernaut, not only alluding to Jericho but even allowing commentary to namedrop him at Crown Jewel, Bryan Alvarez conjectured on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE doing so may have financially benefited Y2J. The Triple H-led company generally avoids referencing even its own former talent, especially if they are employed by rival brands like AEW.

"They sure [mentioned Chris Jericho’s name at Crown Jewel: Perth]. They for sure talked about–they called it the Walls of Jericho, they said Jericho’s name–that was the one person they had no problem talking about. Chris Jericho. They just made that guy a lot of money." [H/T - ITR Wrestling]

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In his match at Crown Jewel against AJ Styles, John Cena successfully used:​- The Miz’s Skull Crushing Finale- Chris Jericho’s Walls of Jericho- Rusev’s The Accolade- Bray Wyatt’s Sister Abigail- Randy Orton’s RKO- Undertaker’s Tombstone Piledriver

Alvarez's comments could indicate that being brought up at Crown Jewel has raised Jericho's current stock in the industry, which could grant him some leverage while negotiating with Tony Khan when his All Elite Wrestling contract expires.

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AEW's Chris Jericho comments on his future amidst WWE rumors

Chris Jericho has not been featured on AEW programming since this past April. His continued absence from several important shows and pay-per-views has fueled speculation about his potential All Elite Wrestling exit and eventual WWE return.

Appearing on a recent edition of Busted Open Radio amidst his hiatus, The Nueve addressed his pro wrestling future. Without providing any specific answers as to his status and the possibility of his jumping ship to his old stomping ground, Jericho said:

"We don’t know, right? We’ll just have to see," he stated.

It remains to be seen whether Chris Jericho will ever appear on AEW television again.