There is heavy speculation backstage about when and where Chris Jericho could make his WWE return.
The Learning Tree last wrestled at AEW Dynasty pay-per-view on April 6, where he lost the ROH World Championship to Bandido in a Mask vs. Title Match. Jericho then appeared on the April 9 episode of Dynamite, where he berated his proteges, Bryan Keith and Big Bill, and said he would not return until he saw some change.
Amid his hiatus, fans have been speculating about his status within the Jacksonville-based company, and Jericho added fuel to the fire by liking a post on Instagram that spoke about his contract status and how he was open to returning to WWE.
This post was “Liked” by Chris Jericho. WWE return in a few months? pic.twitter.com/KW308esgWs
— Wrestling News (@WrestlingNewsCo) August 17, 2025
However, as per Dave Meltzer, the speculation isn’t unfounded, as there have seemingly been many conversations within the Stamford-based promotion about his potential return.
Dave Meltzer Reports That There’s A Lot Of Talk Backstage About Chris Jericho’s WWE Return
Speaking on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer spoke about the news of Jericho’s contract reportedly ending in December, along with the fact that the 54-year-old had been a big topic of conversation in World Wrestling Entertainment.
He added that while there was no official word on it, sources believe that Jericho could make his return at the Royal Rumble next year. Meltzer shared his viewpoint, saying that all things considered, this would be the right move for the veteran. He said:
[Chris] Jericho’s actually a really big story. You know, his contract is up at the end of the year, or late in the year, and there has certainly been lots of talk about WWE. I know from the WWE standpoint that there is lots of talk there about Jericho, you know, people speculating Royal Rumble. Nobody has officially said anything, nor will anyone officially say anything. But, all things being equal, from Jericho’s standpoint, I would say it’s time to go to WWE.”
He justified his viewpoint by stating that anyone jumping from AEW to WWE usually becomes a big deal, and given Jericho’s need to constantly revitalize his character, this would be the right move, as he has been getting negative responses at his current promotion:
The stuff that has been plaguing him, you know, which is like fan response. A guy from AEW who goes to WWE is going to be over like crazy. You know, it’s new again. So, from that standpoint, especially for a guy looking to revitalize his career, it’s the move.”
Meltzer also stated that there could always be the possibility of Tony Khan offering Chris Jericho more money to stay, stating that the Jacksonville-based promotion had recently come out of the fallout of the CM Punk situation and been receiving positive reactions after a long time. Along with this, the wrestling insider said that AEW would not want to lose Jericho, as it would just reinforce the perception that they are the junior leagues:
Now, could he get money from AEW? Does Tony Khan want to lose him? There is a perception issue from the AEW standpoint of losing another guy to WWE, especially right now. I think that it took them a long time to get out of that Punk thing. I think that Punk thing really plagued them for years, and I think that they finally, in the last, whatever it’s been, the last few months, I think that they have finally gotten out of that, and they are being received very positively.
It’s hard to say, but losing a top guy like that does reinforce the idea that, you know what, you are going up, but you are still junior leagues, or whatever. It’s probably an unfair thing to say it like that, because they are not the biggest company, they are never going to be. WWE is always going to be the biggest company. But it’s a very interesting thing to watch.”
He continued that money wasn’t a major factor, as Jericho was financially secure and would make good money in either promotion, and unless he wanted to stay loyal to Tony Khan and the Jacksonville-based promotion, as they had treated him well, the jump was bound to happen.
Meltzer added that even though Jericho won’t get as much freedom at the Stamford-based promotion, they would listen to him, given his veteran status. He also said that World Wrestling Entertainment would probably have him work less, along with the prospect of having new matches with talent:
I think he is a guy who is going to be wanting to, essentially, have fun. Now, he won’t have as much free rein to do his own angles in WWE, but they’ll probably listen to him because he is a veteran.
One thing about WWE now, compared to even a year or two ago: they’ll bring him in on a schedule that he can do. It’s not like they are going to force him to do four shows a week. If that was the case, then I would say he probably should stay in AEW, but it’s not the case, and it’s all new matches and things like that. So, that’s a big story to watch for at the end of the year.”
Meltzer concluded by saying that while currently there was only chatter backstage, the belief was strong that he would inevitably return to the Stamford-based promotion.