Update Regarding Chris Jericho’s Possible WWE Return On Raw

The WWE return of Chris Jericho may be on hold for at least a few weeks.

Chris Jericho has been All Elite since the company launched in January 2019, but his last appearance on AEW television was in April 2025. After going home in storylines, there were rumors that the former 6-time WWE World Champion Jericho could be returning “home” to WWE in 2026.

It has been widely reported that Jericho’s AEW contract was set to expire at the end of 2025, meaning he would be a free agent afterward and eligible to sign with any wrestling company he wanted.

Regarding when Jericho may show up on WWE television again, there have been rumors that Y2J could be back as soon as tonight’s January 5th Raw episode in Brooklyn.

However, former WWE announcer/on-screen performer Jonathan Coachman claimed that Jericho would not be back in WWE on the first Raw of the year. Coachman predicted that Jericho’s return would be at the Royal Rumble on January 31st in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Prior to signing with AEW in January 2019, Chris Jericho was a WWE guy from his debut in August 1999 and for nearly 20 years after that, although he did take several breaks throughout that run.

Chris Jericho’s WWE Return May Not Be On Brooklyn Raw

Adding fuel to the fire, WWE Raw GM Adam Pearce posted a video on social media where he spoke about three title matches and asked: “Who can break down the walls and claim the gold?” The “break the walls down” part of that phrase got a lot of attention because that is Jericho’s WWE theme song. Clearly, Pearce knew what he was doing and wanted to create a buzz.

If you are expecting Jericho on the January 5th Raw, it appears as though it’s not happening, according to PWInsider. In their report, it was bluntly stated: “We have heard from no one in WWE who believes Chris Jericho will be there tonight live in NYC as of this writing.”

As of this writing, Chris Jericho also remains on AEW’s roster page. If he were no longer under contract, he would not be there, most likely.

It’s also possible that WWE could choose to keep Jericho’s return private by hiding him on a bus or in a private room in the building and keeping it from the talent. It has happened in the past for other big returns, like for CM Punk and even Ronda Rousey many years ago.