According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, pro wrestling legend Chris Jericho may be planning to return to WWE, or he wants people to believe he will. The report mentioned that WWE fans played a part in this speculation during the Crown Jewel event, as they chanted Jericho's name after John Cena put AJ Styles in the Walls of Jericho. Meltzer also stated that the creative team at WWE believes Jericho is poised to return, likely to embark on a retirement tour and receive a Hall of Fame induction.
This news follows the announcement that Jericho's upcoming cruise, titled "Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea: Seventh Cruise of a Seventh Cruise," will take place from November 7 to 11, 2026, sailing from Miami to the Bahamas. Notably, there are no AEW names listed for the cruise, which has led to further speculation that Jericho might be leaving AEW to join WWE. Additionally, Jericho shared a throwback video of his return to WWE in 2012. However, Meltzer pointed out that during the last cruise, Jericho didn’t announce names from AEW until a couple of months later, and that there are currently no WWE names advertised for this event.
The first-ever cruise occurred before AEW existed, when Jericho was on a non-exclusive contract with WWE and was turned down by the company when he sought its talent. Ultimately, he decided to book several talents from Ring of Honor and the independent circuit, including The Young Bucks, The Briscoes, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Beer City Bruiser, Scorpio Sky, Marty Scurll, Matt Taven, Dalton Castle, Adam Page, Santana, Ortiz, and Konnan.
As of now, the featured names for the upcoming cruise include Jeff Hardy, Saraya, The Great Muta, Elayna Black, Shotzi Blackheart, and "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase.
