Chris Jericho has pulled back the curtain on one of wrestling’s slickest contract plays: he manufactured TNA interest, planted the story with the wrestling dirt sheets, and pushed Vince McMahon to blow past his own salary ceiling in just two days ahead of his 2007 WWE return.
Speaking during a Dark Side of the Ring Q&A in New York, Jericho was asked whether he ever seriously considered signing with TNA. His answer was a step-by-step breakdown of how he used the promotion as leverage.
Jericho’s Cheesecake Factory Meeting
Jericho explained that he had been away from WWE for a couple of years when talks about a return began. At that point, he said, McMahon had a firm cap on what any performer could earn as a base salary, and the initial offer was not close.
We met at the Cheesecake Cafe in Tampa, Florida. Sorry, Cheesecake Factory,” Jericho recalled.
So I was talking about going back to WWE had been off for a couple of years. I think this was like 2007, and this was at a time when Vince had the magic number of a salary. He had the magic number. I won’t say what that is. But it’s the highest that you could get no matter who you were.
To move the number, Jericho set up a sit-down with Jeff Jarrett, known as Double J, to open a conversation with TNA.
The Dirt Sheet Setup
The real trick, per Jericho, was making sure the meeting got noticed. He brought his cousin along and pointed him toward wrestling media.
So this is a real behind-the-scenes storyline thing. So my cousin was in town at the time, and I said, ‘just go sit over there and just comment on what you see,’ and here’s an email address of someone in the wrestling dirt sheet area that might be interested in Chris Jericho,” Jericho said.
So I’m not saying I wasn’t entertaining the idea, but two days later, guess who came back with the magic number?
Jericho returned to WWE on the November 19, 2007 episode of Raw, immediately launching a program with then-WWE Champion Randy Orton. He previously detailed the TNA talks in his book “Undisputed,” describing them as leverage rather than a near-signing.
Jericho, now a veteran All Elite Wrestling star, has offered plenty of insight into McMahon’s business habits over the years, including his look at WWE’s no-settlement lawsuit policy.
