When news broke that Becky Lynch was mere days away from becoming a free agent, it got fans buzzing all over the professional wrestling world.

Could “The Man” actually leave the promotion that made her into one of the biggest stars in the world today, a truly transcendent performer who has parlayed her wrestling abilities into becoming a New York Times Best Seller and a budding actress? Or is this all a way to maximize her earning potential in WWE, using the threat of leaving for AEW as a way to make even more money in WWE? Either way, Chris Jericho believes the threat of AEW will allow Lynch to cash in one way or another, as in an interview with TMZ, he noted that competition always benefits the workers.

“It's very important. The best thing that ever happened to pro wrestling, in the modern era, was AEW existing. My dad played in the NHL for ten years. He was playing for the New York Rangers in 1972 when Bobby Hull signed with the WHA. A million dollar to jump from the NHL. What did that do? It raised everyone's salaries. He went from 35 grand to 135 grand just so they wouldn't go to the WHA. That's what happened when All Elite Wrestling started, and Chris Jericho signed there. Suddenly, everyone is getting these huge raises in WWE to not come to AEW. Tony Khan owns the Jaguars. They have a lot of money in the family. He can play that game all day long. That's why we brought in Will Ospreay, Mercedes Mone, Kazuchika Okada,” Chris Jericho told TMZ via Fightful.

“You mentioned Becky Lynch. Five years ago, Becky would have no option. Not saying she's coming, but there is an option. Who knows what could happen? No one thought that Jericho would come to AEW or Moxley or Bryan Danielson or Adam Cole, or any of these guys. It's exciting for the fans and for the talent. Now, suddenly, there's a bidding war that benefits us. It's very important. That was one of the things with the Attitude Era. You never knew who was going to show up. When someone new came from one side or the other, it made things more exciting. So many more matches and possibilities that you never thought about. It's a really exciting time in wrestling. The speculation of it is the best part. Whether it happens or doesn't happen, it doesn't matter, the buzz about it is there. The possibility is there. We've done a great job of bringing in some really huge names to our roster.”

Will Lynch sign with AEW, going on an absolute tear against some of the best stars the promotion and the indies have to offer as a member of Tony Khan's company? Or will she instead never step foot outside of the WWE Universe, signing with the promotion at the 11th hour on the sort of contract number she feels she's earned? Either way, both options will soon be on the table, which is very good news for “The Man.”

Tony Khan can't comment on Becky Lynch, even if she's a “great star.”

While Chris Jericho is beyond excited by the prospects of AEW landing a top-tier performer like Becky Lynch, one person who doesn't want to comment on the situation is Tony Khan, the man who would actually sign her checks should she sign with the promotion.

Stopping by The Rich Eisen Show to finally drop off his NFL Draft neckbrace, Tony Khan was asked about Lynch's free agency but let it be known that, while he believes she's a “great star,” he doesn't want to tamper with a performer who is still under contract, as he wants to be a fair businessman in an industry that is typically anything but.

“I don't want to try to tamper and do those things,” Tony Khan told Rich Eisen via Fightful. “I try to keep it classy, and I really have a reputation for honesty, and I really want to be a fair businessman. The wrestling business is a really cutthroat business.”

Honestly, good on Khan for being straight with Eisen on this particular situation, as he could have easily ripped off a standard, lengthy TK answer fans are used to from his AEW media scrums using a ton of generic, complementary language to put over Lynch while remaining just vague enough to maintain plausible deniability. Considering Becky Lynch is, well, Becky Lynch, it's safe to say she knows that AEW would make her the highest-paid female wrestler of all time if she jumped ship, so any comments from Khan feel rather unnecessary, right?