Chris Jericho’s future just got very interesting — and the wrestling world is bracing for what could be his most jaw-dropping move in over a decade.
According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, serious buzz is building behind the scenes that Jericho’s AEW contract, set to expire at the end of 2025, may mark the final chapter of his All Elite run. And where could he be headed next?
WWE.
Yes, the same company Jericho once shocked by walking away from in 2018 — the same WWE that helped solidify his legacy as one of the most versatile, influential performers in pro wrestling history — may be preparing to welcome him back in early 2026, with insiders whispering about a Royal Rumble return.
“There are those in AEW who believe that he’s not going to be back,” Meltzer reported. “And will start in WWE as a Royal Rumble surprise.”
This isn’t just idle speculation. Multiple WWE sources, according to Meltzer, are expecting Jericho’s return — though, as he cautions, wrestling negotiations are notoriously murky. WWE has been “sure” before and come up short.
Still, there’s real momentum behind the scenes — and it’s not hard to see why.
Jericho, who turns 55 next year, has already accomplished nearly everything in AEW. He was the company’s first World Champion, a pillar of its early identity, and one of the key names that gave AEW instant legitimacy in 2019. But times have changed. The lighter AEW schedule that once appealed to veterans like Jericho isn’t the unique selling point it used to be.
“WWE adapts,” Meltzer noted. “And no doubt would use him for fewer dates… like Punk, who rarely wrestles television matches and only for something big.”
That kind of arrangement could sweeten the pot
If the WWE is smart, they’ll make his return a blockbuster. Imagine that countdown clock hitting “0” at the 2026 Royal Rumble… and the arena exploding for one more “Break the Walls Down!”
A return to WWE — on his terms — would be one more evolution in a Hall of Fame career that has never been afraid to zig when others zag.
For now, neither Jericho nor AEW has confirmed anything.
