Despite rampant speculation and a pointed tease from management, Chris Jericho did not make his return to WWE on the first “Monday Night Raw” of 2026. The atmosphere inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was electric.
Fans broke out into “Y2J” chants throughout the night. It was fueled by Raw General Manager Adam Pearce’s earlier reference to “breaking down the walls.”
However, the six-time World Champion was nowhere to be found. According to a report from PWInsider, Jericho was never scheduled to appear on the show.
In fact, the report states that the wrestling legend was on the other side of the country. His location was confirmed as Los Angeles.
The reason for his presence on the West Coast remains unknown. I effectively debunked any last-minute hope that he was hiding backstage in Brooklyn.
The situation has left many fans feeling as though the tease was a calculated business move. PWInsider noted a “massive line for the box office” when the venue opened on Monday.
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This suggests that Pearce’s social media hint successfully drove last-minute ticket sales for the Netflix premiere. The confusion extends to Jericho’s contract status.
While the expectation has been that he would leave All Elite Wrestling upon the expiration of his contract at the end of 2025, his actual departure is now “up in the air.” The 55-year-old is still listed on the official AEW roster page.
Furthermore, Fightful Select reports that no internal memo has been distributed within AEW regarding Jericho’s exit, nor has his name been brought up in WWE creative circles as of yet.
With Jericho’s status in limbo, all eyes now turn to the “Road to WrestleMania.” WWE’s next major stop is the “Royal Rumble.” That event is scheduled to take place on January 31, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
If Jericho is indeed destined for a WWE return, a surprise entry in the 30-man Rumble match would be the next logical opportunity to make a splash. Until then, his allegiance remains one of the industry’s biggest unanswered questions.
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