Amid his continued AEW absence, speculation continues that Chris Jericho could be making a return to WWE in 2026.
With a lot of intriguing prospects for WWE stars that could potentially take on the legend should he make a return to the company, it is fun to think about what dream matches could be on the horizon.
Here are eight potential WWE return opponents for Chris Jericho.
8. Dominik Mysterio
One younger talent that would make an iconic on-screen rival for Jericho is Dominik Mysterio.
With Dirty Dom potentially holding a notable title by the time Jericho re-signs with WWE, the duo could end up going to war in some intensely physical match-ups with actual stakes.
Not only would this feud be incredibly entertaining, it also has some historical significance with Jericho having a classic bouts with Rey Mysterio in both WCW and WWE.
Able to continue to cement his status as a top heel in WWE, Mysterio could only get more entertaining tangling with the likes of Chris Jericho.
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7. Kevin Owens
After having been friends turned foes during their last interactions together in WWE – Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho were wildly entertaining together.
Possibly able to run back the entire ruse — including Kevin Owens turning on Jericho in spectacular fashion — Owens could continue to cement himself as the worst (on-screen) friend in WWE.
While Kevin Owens remains out of action due to injury, there isn’t a specific timeline regarding his potential return.
But with Jericho not likely to appear in WWE until at least January 2026 – perhaps the timing will be right for this pair to meet again in the ring.
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6. Cody Rhodes
In the off-chance that Jericho returns to WWE as a heel character, his first target could absolutely be Cody Rhodes.
Potentially being a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble 2026, Jericho could even find himself heading straight for Rhodes at WrestleMania 42.
Able to call back to a long history together both inside and outside of WWE, it could be interesting to see a very “inside baseball” program play out between the two — utilizing a fictionalized version of backstage dynamics in AEW.
While it would never need to be named, Rhodes and Jericho could make plenty of references to clue in fans who don’t know or care about AEW drama while blurring the line between fiction and reality to stir up speculation among the most die hard fans.
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5. GUNTHER
Even without holding a championship at the minute, GUNTHER remains one of WWE’s biggest heels.
Assuming that a returning Chris Jericho is heralded as a babyface upon arriving “home” in WWE – the Ring General could be waiting for him.
With John Cena rumored to face GUNTHER in his final WWE match in December 2025, perhaps GUNTHER will take on Chris Jericho in early 2026.
Potentially creating an incredible new version of the vintage ‘Legend Killer’ run from Randy Orton, GUNTHER has already toppled Goldberg, if Cena is added – Chris Jericho could be a great next target.
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4. Bron Breakker
One star that could be continuing to assert his dominance as a heel by the time Chris Jericho re-signs with WWE is Bron Breakker.
While Breakker is aligned with Seth Rollins’ The Vision faction, he continues to find his footing as a heel.
Proving himself to be a character that is able to riled up by The Visionary, Breakker could definitely be wound up to target the returning legend on behalf of Seth Rollins.
Going on to have a unique but interesting program, the feud could eventually turn into Jericho vs. Rollins.
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3. Finn Balor
One massive potential return rival for Jericho could be Finn Balor.
If Jericho is returning as a babyface, it could be that a feud with the entire Judgment Day would end up being in order.
However, even if the faction ends up being no longer together in 2026 — it would still be an iconic showdown to see Finn Balor tangle with Chris Jericho.
With the pair of veteran stars undoubtedly able to put on some legendary matches — the in-ring action might matter more than the details of a storyline for this program.
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2. El Grande Americano
Another potentially hilarious set of interactions could be between Chris Jericho and El Grande Americano.
Chris Jericho could end up being the ideal person to unmask the luchador and finally reveal his identity.
However, since there have already been Chad Gable, Ludwig Kaiser and Pete Dunne all donning the mask and singlet for the character — it might be anybody’s guess who Jericho unmasks.
It would literally not matter at all who was unmasked to be revealed as the El Grande Americano character by Jericho — there could always be more waiting to debut to keep the character moving.
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1. Chad Gable
By the time WWE is able to sign Chris Jericho, it is possible that currently injured star Chad Gable could be back into in-ring action.
With Gable having not crossed paths with Jericho in the past, the feud could be fresh and fun.
Able to lean into Jericho continually being able to get one over on Gable and the rest of American Made, there could be star making antics for the Creed Brothers as well.
Additionally, the inevitable actual match between Gable and Jericho would surely be a memorable one.
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