Chris Jericho‘s potential return to WWE is the talk of the pro wrestling business right now, and one of his former rivals can see it happening.
WWE Hall of Famer on Chris Jericho Returning
Chris Jericho’s contract is reportedly set to expire either at the end of this year or in early 2026, fuelling talk of a possible return at the Royal Rumble in January. He hasn’t featured on AEW TV since April amid commitments away from the ring, including touring with his band, Fozzy.
The 54-year-old’s last appearance in WWE came in 2018 as a participant in the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia. He signed with AEW in January 2019 as the biggest name to jump ship, and he became the inaugural AEW World Champion.
Booker T, who previously worked with Jericho in WCW and WWE, has given his verdict on a possible return once Y2J’s AEW deal is up. The current NXT commentator said on his Hall of Fame podcast:
“People were talking about it, people talking about Jericho coming back, you know. Does Jericho fit into WWE right now? Yeah, I mean, look, to me, it’s like Chris Jericho he’s like Edge or Christian. They’ll always fit in. He’s an original, he’s an OG, you know what I mean? So yeah, I could definitely see Chris Jericho coming back.”
Jericho has teased his return with his recent social media activity, liking a post that talked up a possible reunion with WWE. He also posted a “throwback” clip of a previous return at the 2013 Royal Rumble, which could foreshadow another Rumble return next January.
WWE also pounced on the hype regarding a potential Jericho return by posting said video on WWE.com on Tuesday (August 19). This could indicate that concrete discussions are taking place ahead of his AEW contract expiring.
Which Chris Jericho Returns?
Chris Jericho has been one of the most celebrated in-ring performers in pro wrestling history, putting on classics throughout his career. He stole the show with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIX, which is just one of a lengthy list of his phenomenal matches.
The first-ever Undisputed WWE champion is also extremely creative and often tries out different gimmicks to continue entertaining fans in each passing era. Whether it’s using the Lionheart, Le Champion, or The Painmaker moniker, he continuously manages to connect with the audience.
Jericho in Triple H’s WWE is an interesting prospect as it opens the door to a variety of different ideas he may look to use should he return. It’s fair to say that his latter spell in the company was lacking in inspiration, but he’s been back to his innovative best in AEW.
One could expect to see him continue to tease a return on social media, and perhaps it won’t be too long until we start seeing barcodes reappear on WWE TV. A Royal Rumble appearance seems most plausible if he does indeed rejoin the Stamford-based promotion, and he’s, interestingly, never won the Rumble.
