WWE Allegedly Dropped Major Hint About Chris Jericho’s Return

A wrestling veteran believes that Chris Jericho could be coming “home” to WWE.

At the WWE Crown Jewel PLE, John Cena faced AJ Styles for what is likely the final time in a match that many people praised as one of the best WWE matches.

It was an incredible performance by Cena, who is retiring from wrestling in December of this year, and Styles, who plans to retire from wrestling in 2026.

During the match, Cena and Styles performed moves from some of the wrestlers they faced throughout their 20+ years in wrestling. When Cena busted out of the Walls of Jericho submission on Styles, announcer Michael Cole mentioned Jericho by name, which may not have happened in past years since Jericho has worked for AEW since 2019.

Even though Jericho remains under contract with AEW, he has been off television since April, and it has been reported that Jericho could be plotting a WWE return in 2026 when his AEW deal expires at the end of this year.

In his WWE career, Chris Jericho was 6-time WWE World Champion who worked for the company from August 1999 until the late 2010s, although he did have extended absences during his 20-year association with the company.

Why WWE Saying Chris Jericho’s Name Matters

Former wrestler, wrestling manager, and longtime creative team member Dutch Mantell mentioned on his Story Time With Dutch Mantell podcast that WWE’s mention of Jericho by name could undoubtedly lead to his return to WWE.

“I would think just by [Michael Cole] saying the name Chris Jericho, he’s not long off from coming back into the company. Now, if Vince [McMahon] would still hold a grudge against him for leaving, which that has been known to happen, I don’t think Michael Cole would have said his name.

And I don’t think Michael Cole would have said his name unless he was given a free access to say his name or he may have even been told to mention his name. Doing that, because it’s a prelude to him coming in, which starts talk like we’re talking right now, and now the people since his name comes up now.”

A WWE return for Chris Jericho has also been speculated on by people since “Y2J” recently posted a photo with WWE’s Kevin Owens, who is a former ally and rival of Jericho’s from his last WWE run in the mid-2010s.

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