WWE fans everywhere are eagerly awaiting the eventual return of longtime legend Chris Jericho. His AEW contract expired at the end of 2025, and since then, it seems inevitable that he will return to WWE.
Now, we saw the hint given over the weekend by Raw General Manager Adam Pearce. He previewed the first RAW of 2026 by asking a question 'who can break down the walls?'
Pearce was referring to breaking down the walls and claiming championship gold, but the hint stuck out like a sore thumb. It was obviously a reference to Jericho's iconic entrance song, right?
Even if Jericho does return on Monday night, fans may have noticed a hint that lies somewhere in the more distant future.
Chris Jericho is unavailable for WWE action for most of February
Chris Jericho's band Fozzy, of which he is the lead vocalist, is touring the UK for the main chunk of February. From February 6 to February 21, Fozzy are touring the main cities of England, Scotland and Wales.
No tentpole events are happening in WWE during this time period, but routine WWE events are happening throughout the United States.
Perhaps it's a coincidence, but WWE has four events happening in the UK just a few weeks prior to Fozzy's UK tour starting. Friday Night SmackDown heads to London on January 16, Monday Night RAW is in Belfast on January 19, and there are two Road to Royal Rumble events in Newcastle and Nottingham on January 15 and January 18, respectively.
Full list of WWE events while Fozzy is touring
Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
SmackDown | Friday 6 February | Charlotte, NC |
RAW | Monday 9 February | Cleveland, OH |
SmackDown | Friday 13 February | Dallas, TX |
Road to Wrestlemania | Saturday 14 February | Lubbock, TX |
RAW | Monday 16 February | Memphis, TN |
SmackDown | Friday 21 February | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
The February period, in which Chris Jericho and his bandmates tour the UK, is the interim between the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber.
Chris Jericho can take part in this year's Royal Rumble. In fact, many would predict him to be involved before he heads out to the UK.
Chris Jericho has never won the Royal Rumble. He has entered the Rumble 11 times, but never been the last man standing.
2026 would be a strange time for WWE to hand Chris Jericho his first-ever Royal Rumble win, but stranger things have happened. There are plenty of storylines brewing in WWE right now, so it's one of the hardest years in recent times to predict a winner. A case could be made for most superstars.
Thinking even further ahead, Chris Jericho could also enter the Elimination Chamber. As far as we know, his calendar is also free then.
Unlike in the Rumble, Chris Jericho has tasted Elimination Chamber glory. He beat The Undertaker back in 2010 to lift the World Heavyweight Champion belt. 16 years on, he might get another opportunity to taste steel.
The odds are certainly more in Jericho's favor to enter the Royal Rumble. However, given that the Fozzy tour only takes up February, which is a relatively quiet month for WWE, there's every chance he could feature in both the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber.