Jericho Reveals He Met With TNA Before 2007 WWE Return to Leverage Better Deal

Chris Jericho has opened up about the business maneuvering that took place behind the scenes before his high-profile return to WWE in 2007, revealing that he held a meeting with TNA as a deliberate tactic to push Vince McMahon into offering him more money.

Jericho’s comeback to WWE that year was one of the more memorable returns of the era. He came back with significant fanfare and was immediately thrust into a program with Randy Orton, who was carrying the WWE Championship at the time — a sign of just how seriously the company viewed his value upon his return.

But the deal wasn’t a foregone conclusion. According to Jericho, the meeting with TNA wasn’t necessarily driven by a genuine desire to sign with the company — it was a negotiating move, a way to put real competitive pressure on WWE and signal that there was a market for his services elsewhere. It’s a classic leverage play in professional wrestling free agency, and by Jericho’s own account, it worked in getting McMahon to put a better offer on the table.

The story offers a revealing look at how top-tier talent navigates contract negotiations in the wrestling business. Even a performer who ultimately had no intention of jumping ship can benefit enormously from simply making the other side believe they might. For Jericho, who would go on to become one of the most decorated performers in WWE history during that run — and later a cornerstone of AEW — it was clearly a lesson he learned early and applied well.