A WWE veteran has shared their two cents on why Chris Jericho returned to AEW instead of rejoining the Stamford-based promotion.

Chris Jericho returned to AEW on the April 1 edition of Dynamite, following nearly a yearlong absence from the Jacksonville-based promotion. Y2J’s comeback became a hot topic of discussion, given the heavy speculation about him moving to WWE during his hiatus. That said, Le Champion has put to rest any rumors linking him to the Stamford-based promotion. Meanwhile, many wrestling insiders have been discussing the potential reasons Jericho could have decided against going to WWE, including veteran Dutch Mantell.

Speaking on his Story Time podcast, the former WWE manager shared his two cents on the matter, saying that Jericho didn’t want to do the retirement run angle that the Stamford-based promotion would have pitched to him; instead, he wanted to do regular storyline work. Mantell noted that WWE may not have been in favor of Jericho doing that.

“I don’t think he wanted to go to WWE when they laid out that they were gonna have him do the retirement deal (tour). I don’t think he really wanted to do that. I think he wanted to be figured in; he wanted to do angles (storylines); he wanted to do the same things he did 30 years ago. But, they (WWE) didn’t see it that way, and he (Jericho) didn’t like it, ” Mantell said (34:37 – 35:04)

Check out Mantell’s comments in the video below:

Dutch Mantell hates Lio Rush’s character transformation in AEW

At AEW Revolution 2026, Lio Rush debuted an old indie gimmick of his called “Blackeart,” a demonic character that had once put the 31-year-old star over with fans for its eerie, eccentric presentation. That said, the character has not been welcomed by everyone, including WWE veteran Dutch Mantell.

Mantell addressed the character change in a separate edition of Story Time and called it a sucky gimmick. He also noted that his high-flying, athletic wrestling style did not match that persona.

“I think it sucks. I really do. That is a sucky gimmick, it really is. He’s got these big shiny blue eyes, and he looks like he does some good moves in the ring. Is he a heel? I think if they made him a babyface, he’ll probably get over better, because he’ll be over with the kids. As a heel, it will be hard for him to get over,” Mantell said (0:34 – 1:09)

It will be interesting to see whether Lio Rush will continue this gimmick in AEW for the rest of 2026.

Please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you take quotes from this article.