Chris Jericho has never been one to follow the traditional path, and when it comes to retirement, he’s making it clear he won’t be taking a page out of John Cena’s playbook. During his recent conversation with Chris Van Vliet for Insight, Jericho took a subtle jab at Cena’s farewell tour, questioning the need for such a spectacle.
“I do not have the ego that would demand an official retirement tour or retirement match,” Jericho stated.
He compared it to rock bands that announce farewell tours, only to return later. “Why put that sort of stamp on it? This is the retirement tour, and then you decide to come back?”
Jericho, 53, acknowledged that he doesn’t plan to wrestle forever, but he also isn’t setting a definitive end date. “I will not be wrestling at 81 years old… I might not want to wrestle tomorrow, but right now I enjoy it,” he explained. His decision-making process is simple: as long as he believes he’s putting on great matches and compelling storylines, he’ll keep going.
While Cena’s retirement tour has been a major WWE storyline, Jericho prefers a more low-key approach. He admires the unpredictability of simply wrestling one last match without making it a grand farewell. “I’ve always liked being the opposite of what people expect,” he said, referencing rock legends like the Sex Pistols and Axl Rose, who famously rejected their Hall of Fame inductions.
This philosophy extends to his stance on the WWE Hall of Fame. Unlike many legends who view induction as a crowning career achievement, Jericho remains indifferent. Instead, he joked about starting his own version.
In my mind, I\'m already in the Hall of Fame. What do I need the plaque for?” he mused. “Maybe I\'ll have my own Chris Jericho Hall of Fame and put myself in it.
While Cena’s farewell is being celebrated on WWE’s biggest stage, Jericho seems content defining his legacy on his own terms—without the pomp and circumstance.
