Multiple-time WWE Champion Chris Jericho shocked the professional wrestling world when he left WWE and signed with AEW in 2019. Y2J would go on to become a mainstay in the company, but in recent years, he's frequently fallen out of favour with fans for seemingly prioritising himself over the younger talent he shares the ring with.
Throughout that time, Jericho remained fiercely loyal to AEW and Tony Khan, which isn't hugely surprising when he's widely believed to be among the highest-paid stars in the company.
In 2019, a longtime WWE Superstar signing with AEW was a big deal, and even now, Jericho is arguably the company's biggest mainstream star.
As we write this, Jericho's AEW deal is reportedly days away from ending. After being written off television this past April, he made headlines for liking a social media post speculating about what a possible WWE return could look like. Despite previously being dismissive of the idea of a WWE return in interviews, his tune has changed this year.
Khan often benches those who have expressed a desire to leave the company, and many believe that's the case with Jericho. Now, we have an update from @WrestleVotes, suggesting that Jericho's WWE return is imminent.
"People in WWE have expected Jericho to come back once he was finished with AEW since last August," the insider account confirmed, suggesting that we can expect to see the WWE veteran back in the squared circle any week now.
WWE has a few options. Jericho's return would be a headline-grabbing moment for the upcoming January 6 edition of RAW, while a comeback at the Royal Rumble in January also appears likely. Either way, it's been widely reported that WWE has a retirement storyline planned for the former WCW star, likely culminating in a WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2027 or 2028.
During a live stream on his YouTube channel earlier this week, Jericho responded to a fan question about the possibility of a WWE return. "You never know. You never know," he teased. It was earlier this year when he was quoted as saying, "I'm pretty sure you’ll see me in 2026 in a wrestling ring somewhere." It being a WWE ring now seems like a sure thing.
While a surprise AEW comeback isn't impossible, WWE must hold a certain appeal to Jericho. The company is drawing considerably more interest than AEW, and a WWE Hall of Fame induction would be a fitting way to end his career.