Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Chris Jericho is no longer under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling after his last match with Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom was the last fight on the deal.
According to sources, then-NJPW President Harold Meij wasn’t happy with Jericho’s deal due to how much Jericho was earning.
Jericho told TSN in an interview last month that he wants to return eventually. He said:
“There’s a lot of unfinished business for me in New Japan. Jay White is one. Suzuki is another one that would draw big money. Kota Ibushi and Ospreay, those four guys I’d love to work with. I’d love to do a ‘Golden Jets’ team – Kenny and Jericho – versus Okada and Ibushi or Tanahashi and Okada or Tanahashi and Ibushi. I think that’s a Tokyo Dome main event right there. So there’s a lot of stuff I’d still like to do in New Japan and as soon as we can start going over there again, I’m more than agreeable to doing more work there. I really enjoyed the six matches that I had there in 2018 and 2019 and think there’s plenty of room for more.“
Jericho reacted to the story by writing the following:
Hardly hot news….I haven’t been under contract with @njpw1972 since Jan 6, 2020. https://t.co/Dnj5mWmEfK
— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) June 4, 2021
