Chris Jericho hasn’t been seen on WWE television since losing the United States championship to Kevin Owens on SmackDown Live three weeks ago, and the three-time world heavyweight champion says it will be a while before he is back.
In an interview with Dan Gelston of the Associated Press (via the Washington Post), Jericho hinted his WWE career may be over.
“It’ll be a long time before I go back,” he said. “If I ever do go back, if I never go back, it’s fine. If I never wrestle another match, it wouldn’t bother me.”
Jericho was written off WWE television in storyline after Owens attacked him and sent him out on a stretcher following their match on May 2.
The future WWE Hall of Famer is currently on a 24-city tour with his band, Fozzy, that runs through June 24.
It is worth noting Jericho has a history of taking sabbaticals from WWE. He left the company after his contract expired in August 2005 before returning in November 2007 and took another long hiatus from September 2010-January 2012.
At 46 years old, with more than 27 years of experience in pro wrestling, Jericho’s interests away from the ring could prevent him from making a comeback. It could also be the latest work by one of the best performers in WWE history.