Chris Jericho update: ‘Lots of talk’ about WWE return
With his AEW contract coming up at the end of this year, a return to WWE is looking like a realistic possibility for Chris Jericho.
Speculation that Jericho could be headed back to WWE in 2026 ramped up over the past couple of days after Jericho liked an Instagram post about the possibility. Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that there has been “lots of talk” about Jericho in WWE.
“Jericho’s actually a really big story. You know, his contract is up at the end of the year, or late in the year. And there’s certainly been lots and lots of talk about WWE,” Meltzer said. “I know from a WWE standpoint that there is lots of talk there about Jericho. You know, people speculating Royal Rumble. Nobody has officially said anything, nor will anyone officially say anything.”
In Meltzer’s opinion, if all things were equal, a WWE return could be the right move for Jericho at this point given the negative crowd reactions he had been getting in AEW. It’s been four months since Jericho was last on AEW TV, with him taking time off in April due to feeling like it was the right time for a break.
Jericho has been with AEW since 2019 and was the promotion’s inaugural World Champion. If he does return to WWE in 2026, it would be his first time competing for the promotion in nearly eight years.
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.