The real reason Chris Jericho didn’t return to WWE on RAW

Many expected former WWE star Chris Jericho, who was most recently seen in AEW, to return during the Jan. 5, 2026, edition of Monday Night RAW, but that did not happen.

PWInsider reports that Jericho was “never slated for the show.” In fact, he is in Los Angeles, California, the other side of the country from where the Jan. 5 edition of RAW took place.

Before the show, RAW general manager Adam Pearce teased the card, seemingly referencing Jericho’s entrance music by saying, “Do not forget, [there are] three humongous championship matches. Who can break down the walls and claim the gold?”

However, PWInsider chalks that up to being a Stranger Things reference, not one to Jericho. According to the outlet, “no one” within the promotion was expecting Jericho at this show.

“For those who were incorrectly piecing Adam Pearce making a reference to breaking walls down on a social media video over the weekend, given tonight was a Stranger Things crossover-themed episode, that was obviously a smartly played reference to that series having the wall into the Upside Down dimension,” the report read. “Unfortunately, others took hold of it and made it into something beyond what it appeared meant to be. If nothing else, Pearce built some buzz for the show.”

When will Chris Jericho return to WWE?

Fans will have to continue to wait on Jericho’s return. The Royal Rumble is coming up. WWE usually uses the annual battle royal for debuts and returns. Perhaps he will be a surprise entrant.

Speculation over Jericho’s return has ramped up in recent months. His contract reportedly ended, and now he is a free agent. He has spent a lot of his career with WWE, and perhaps he will end his career with them. His last match in AEW took place on Apr. 6, 2025, when he lost the Ring of Honor World Championship to Bandido.

He hasn’t been in WWE since 2018. Jericho did make a one-off cameo in 2022 via a video message sent to John Cena. He joined AEW in 2019, becoming their first world champion. He has remained there since.

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