Chris Jericho ‘pretty sure’ he’ll be wrestling somewhere in 2026
Chris Jericho says he’s still figuring out his next move, but he sounds certain that he’ll be wrestling somewhere in 2026.
A Jericho WWE return has been rumored for months now. His AEW contract is set to expire at the end of this year, potentially paving the way for Jericho to return to WWE in time for Royal Rumble and WrestleMania season. Still, neither Jericho nor Tony Khan have closed the door publicly on him remaining with AEW.
Jericho addressed his future while appearing on the Tim Weisberg Show in New Bedford, Massachusetts this week. He was asked if he plans on wrestling in 2026.
“Well, you never know, man. That’s the thing is — I’m not done yet,” Jericho responded. “So, still figuring out everything and we’ll see where I end up. But I’m pretty sure you’ll see me in 2026 in a wrestling ring somewhere.”
The radio show interview was to promote the concert that Jericho’s KISS cover band Kuarantine is playing in New Bedford this Thursday. Jericho said his schedule is always busy with different things, but he loves being able to live out his dreams and have cool experiences.
“There’s always things going on that kind of come across my plate. And it’s always cool to see — obviously there’s always wrestling stuff and there’s music stuff and there’s podcast stuff,” Jericho said. “But when you get some of these other opportunities, like we said, to host a pilot about the cursed Bridgewater Triangle up in your area, that was fun as well, too.
“So you never know what’s going to be coming up for me, but it’s always busy. And, you know, even this week, the Kuarantine shows were going to be kind of the end of the year for me. And then another gig came up for me the following week to film some stuff for a show. So, it never ends and things happen. And when they happen, they happen quickly. So you just have to be ready to go.
“But the most important thing is I enjoy all of the stuff that I do. I love all the stuff that I do. And it’s always an honor to get a chance to live out these dreams and have these experiences.”
If the 55-year-old Jericho were to return to WWE, it would likely be for a retirement storyline. He has not competed in a WWE ring since 2018. Jericho joined AEW when the promotion launched and was its inaugural World Champion. This year, he took a break from AEW programming in April and has been away since.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.