Chris Jericho Still Under WWE Contract Despite Upcoming NJPW Match
Vince McMahon reportedly allowed Jericho's appearance to go ahead.
Nov 9, 2017
Chris Jericho is still under WWE contract despite his recent appearance at NJPW Power Struggle, according to a report citing Tokyo Sports by
PWInsider.
This is very surprising news, considering Jericho's challenge to IWGP US Champion Kenny Omega, and the subsequently agreed-upon match at Wrestle Kingdom on 4 January 2018.
There are two conflicting stories out there - one claiming that Tokyo Sports learned this information from Kenny Omega himself, the other citing not Omega, but a 'related official'.
Regardless, both stories seem to indicate that Jericho is indeed under WWE contract, and that Vince McMahon himself allowed everything to go ahead.
This has immediately kickstarted speculation that WWE are doubling-up in their efforts to attract Omega, and that the Jericho match is part of a larger deal.
Further evidence of continued goodwill between WWE and Y2J comes in the form of a post from Vince McMahon's Twitter account, wishing Jericho a happy birthday.
https://twitter.com/VinceMcMahon/status/928645897378033665
As things stand, the Wrestle Kingdom clash between Jericho and Omega looks to be going ahead, and will be the main attraction to less familiar fans of NJPW's product. It could well bring a lot of new attention to the promotion, which much be considered WWE's biggest global competitor. This makes Vince's role in the story even more surprising, as he seems to be doing a big favour to his main rivals.
If this is indeed the case, it reveals a lot about just how highly WWE value Omega as a potential incoming star. It could be a result of the success of two recent NJPW defectors, Shinsuke Nakamura and current WWE Champion AJ Styles, who jumped between promotions in January 2016.
In the mid-2000s, Omega spent some time in Deep South Wrestling, WWE's then-developmental territory, and has been publicly critical of his time there. He has since, of course, elevated himself into one of the most popular and sought-after non-WWE wrestlers in the world.
