Chris Jericho has directly addressed mounting speculation about a potential WWE return, offering his most intriguing response yet during a live YouTube stream on Saturday.
When a fan referenced his legendary 1999 WWE debut and asked about returning to the company, Jericho responded with a tantalizing "You never know. You never know" during his revived "Christmas Dinner With The Winnipeggers" show.
The comment came as Jericho scheduled the YouTube broadcast to air at 9 PM EST on December 27—directly conflicting with AEW's Worlds End pay-per-view, which began at 7 PM EST the same evening.
Contract Status Fuels Speculation
Jericho's AEW contract is set to expire at the end of December 2025 after signing a three-year deal in October 2022. The 55-year-old hasn't appeared on AEW television since April 2025, when he lost the ROH World Championship to Bandido at AEW Dynasty and subsequently walked out on Bryan Keith and Big Bill.
According to sources we’ve spoken to in both companies, AEW is not factoring Jericho into any creative plans, while WWE remains ready, willing and able to make a strong offer to welcome Le Champion back into the fold for a retirement run and a Hall of Fame induction.
Jericho has made it crystal clear that we haven’t seen his final act. "I'm not done yet… I'm pretty sure you'll see me in 2026 in a wrestling ring somewhere."
Speculation has centered on the Royal Rumble 2026 in Saudi Arabia on January 31 or WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas as potential return dates. Notably, Jericho's band Fozzy has no concerts scheduled for the Royal Rumble date.
AEW President Tony Khan has publicly stated Jericho remains "always welcome" in AEW, acknowledging his role as the company's inaugural World Champion and founding star.
