Retirement tours are all the rage in professional wrestling. John Cena’s is winding down. AJ Styles is talking about his retirement in 2026. Samoa Joe recently opened up about retiring at the end of his current AEW contract. There’s a new name to add to the watch list, and that is Chris Jericho. There are bubbling rumors that Jericho may be in line for a WWE return, which will include a Hall of Fame entry. While the latter is certainly deserved and warranted, WWE does not need Jericho to return for an in-ring run in any capacity.
The buzz about Chris Jericho has rumbled for the last few months. Fightful Select provided an update on the situation back in August, pointing toward items such as Bryan Keith and Big Bill no longer listed as a part of the “Learning Tree.” According to that same report, Jericho is signed through 2025, but there weren’t any creative plans for Jericho at the time.
Speculation picked up once again as news broke about the seventh Chris Jericho Cruise. In recent years, this event has featured performers from All Elite Wrestling, but that is not the case for the 2026 edition of the cruise. Now, it is worth pointing out that in the past, any AEW performers who were on the show were added a few months before departure. The 2026 cruise is more than a year away, so there’s still a lot of time for that to change. But that hasn’t stopped any of the speculation that Jericho is positioning himself for a WWE return.
Returning to WWE in 2026 would make sense. Jericho hasn’t appeared in All Elite Wrestling since AEW Dynasty on April 6, when he lost to Bandido in a Title versus Mask match. No one is really complaining about the absence; however, as the Chris Jericho vortex was certainly too powerful. The impact was felt far and wide, as some individuals are still trying to work their way out of its wake.
This is why a return to WWE isn’t needed. WWE already has an issue with its aging men’s division. Too many of the top names are well past their prime, and at 54 years old, Jericho would be the oldest. Fans know he would immediately take time away from younger, surging performers like Ilja Dragunov, or names who fans want to see gain momentum like Carmelo Hayes. Chris Jericho in NXT? Only if he gets squashed by Oba Femi in 5 seconds. Jericho doesn’t need to have another in-ring return at this point in his career.
The Hall of Fame entry makes perfect sense, however. Chris Jericho has impacted wrestling in an exceptional way throughout his 35-year career. Everything from his run as a WCW Cruiserweight, time in ECW, his transition to WWE, jumping to NJPW, and helping build AEW into what it is today – all of those accolades deserve recognition. Any Hall of Fame that recognizes contributions to professional wrestling should be interested in adding Jericho to its annals. His career deserves it and is one that will never be replicated.
Chris Jericho is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s one of the best of his generation, even if he’s overstayed his welcome as a main event talent. Seeing him get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame should be on the horizon, but he does not need to return as an in-ring performer.