With rumors persisting that Chris Jericho’s continued absence from AEW is indicative of a future return to WWE, there could be some amazing stories yet to come.
From the most obvious return plans to much more intriguing ways for the legend to return, there are many ways that a top star like Chris Jericho could return to WWE.
Here are eight potential return plans in WWE for Chris Jericho.
8. Royal Rumble Riyadh 2026
Jericho’s AEW contract reportedly expires at the end of 2025, meaning that as soon as January 1, 2026 – Jericho could re-sign with WWE.
With the first-ever Royal Rumble taking place outside of North America set for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia set for January 2026 – it could be that Chris Jericho’s first plan back in WWE is to make a massive return.
Definitely a name that would get a huge return pop in the Royal Rumble match, Jericho is also certainly still in good in-ring shape following six years competing at a high level in AEW.
Recently posting a selfie of his impressive body transformation, it appears as though the legendary World Champion is ready for a big return in the near future.
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7. Emissary Of The Final Boss
An amazing way to transition from John Cena’s farewell to the return of Chris Jericho would be to integrate the confusing way that the Final Boss influenced Cena’s run.
Addressing the backstage politicking directly through a character detail with Chris Jericho, there could be a fascinating spin on the retirement tour that unfolds before a potential flip in the future.
With a heel return that was in the support of The Final Boss’ mission, Jericho’s return could help to bolster a whole new group of talent.
With a lot of potential stories to tell between just The Rock and Jericho – it could be an incredible way to re-introduce the future WWE Hall of Famer.
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6. Y2J25
One legendary way for Chris Jericho to return would be to replicate his original surprise debut from WCW in WWF in August 1999.
Bringing about a countdown gimmick that ultimately led to Chris Jericho emerging — the symmetry could go a step further if the countdown clock ended during an in-ring segment from The Rock.
Since fans would likely be able to guess what the countdown led to, there could be a variety of red herrings including the appearance of The Rock.
Instead for The Rock to again be interrupted by Chris Jericho’s debut could be an amazing touch that was meaningful to longtime fans but also made a new memory for those watching today.
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5. Join Forces With AJ Styles
One fun return story for Chris Jericho would be a reunion with his former Y2J tag team partner, AJ Styles.
Potentially joining forces with former tag team partner AJ Styles, the pair could make the most of their slim window of overlap back in WWE.
With Jericho not likely to appear until after the first of the year in 2026 and Styles reportedly set to see his contract expire in February 2026 — there will likely be a small overlap between the two legendary stars.
Able to join forces as a tag team and then potentially go on to have an iconic feud on the road to retirement — or the other way around, either way hopefully AJ Styles and Chris Jericho find a way to work together again.
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4. Grizzled Veteran Who Hates Everyone
In fun juxtaposition to other returning WWE stars, it would be fun to see Chris Jericho fiercely opposed to a presumably a less toxic hierarchy.
Unlike CM Punk and Cody Rhodes who have made big returns and gone on to speak glowingly about the current backstage culture in WWE – Jericho could do the exact opposite and hate it now.
Openly complaining about the lack of ability to wield authority over younger talent, Jericho could spin a hilarious take on the grizzled veteran by being vocal about demanding a return to the roots of the industry.
Being a hilarious character that calls back to the most problematic aspects of wrestling history, Jericho’s character could be entirely what the viewer makes of it.
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3. Re-Activate The Viper Randy Orton
While Randy Orton has been a babyface for a spell in WWE, it could be that the return of an old foe could be enough to bring out his dark side.
With the return of Chris Jericho potentially triggering the resurrection of The Viper iteration of Randy Orton, Orton could finally grow tired of another returning star to steal the limelight.
Whereas Orton has remained loyal to WWE throughout his career, he seemingly continues to see the addition of other “top talent,” that took the opportunity to depart and return when things in WWE had gotten more advantageous.
Using Jericho as the straw that breaks The Viper’s back in regards to graciously accepting the returns of Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk — it could be Jericho that ends Orton’s goodwill for the time being.
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2. First On-Screen Feud With Brock Lesnar
With the recent John Cena retirement tour has come fan statisticians who are able to cite individuals on the current roster who never faced Cena in a one-on-one battle as the farewell tour came together.
If there is a return from Chris Jericho, one potential bout could be that of a recent menace in WWE that could serve as a continuation of the farewell tour of John Cena — Brock Lesnar.
While the rationale for Brock Lesnar attacking John Cena after SummerSlam 2025 and squashing him in their bout at Wrestlepalooza 2025 has yet to be explained in an exposition sense, there could be motivations revealed if Lesnar went on to target Jericho.
If the Lesnar character ended up being spun into a Fellow Legend Killer, he could position himself as a fellow veteran intent on taking out his peers one at a time and with vicious precision.
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1. Reality-Bending Program With CM Punk
While there have reportedly been a fair share of wild things occurring backstage in AEW in recent years, not all of them have been monetized by the company in regards to on-screen rivalries.
However, this could actually end up being rectified under the auspices of TKO as WWE could reunite CM Punk and Chris Jericho on-screen for what could be an explosive feud.
With two legendary careers coming up against one another, there would be plenty of historical content to mine from WWE and beyond. Without ever having to name AEW, the duo could easily reference their shared time in ‘another place’ and add absolutely any detail they want to the fictionalized account of the backstage antics.
With the capacity to add fictional details to bend the line between fiction and reality —no two better storytellers could do it in 2026 than Chris Jericho and CM Punk.
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