Chris Jericho Update After WWE Royal Rumble 2026 Non-Appearance (WWE News)
The latest on Chris Jericho's status.
With the Royal Rumble post-show seeing Triple H serenaded by, amongst other things, chants of "Y2J!" by disgruntled fans, there's now an update on Chris Jericho and his potential return to WWE.
Despite plenty of rumours and rumblings, Jericho did not make an appearance at the Royal Rumble, leaving some expectant fans frustrated at a men's Rumble match that didn't quite live up to the hype, particularly as Triple H had promised a PLE full of surprises, surprises, and more surprises.
On the Jericho topic, Fightful Select reports that the inaugural AEW Champion had not been factored into any WWE plans, be that the one-year anniversary of Raw on Netflix, or this past weekend's Royal Rumble. While there would be interest in Chris Jericho were he to be available, the outlet notes that the veteran remains on AEW's roster page and is still under contract with Tony Khan's promotion. Contract-wise, Jericho signed an extension in 2022 that was understood to take him through until 2025, though further details are unknown right now.
In terms of Royal Rumble surprises, the most notable were the WWE debut of Royce Keys, the former Powerhouse Hobbs, and the return to the ring of Brie Bella. For the women's Rumble, there were appearances from NXT's Sol Ruca, Lola Vice, Kelani Jordan, and Jacy Jayne, plus the return from injury of Tiffany Stratton. As for the men's Rumble, there were zero NXT stars in that bout, though fans did get to see AAA's Mr. Iguana and La Parka, and the return of Chad Gable's El Grande Americano.
Following the Royal Rumble, the post-show had Triple H on the receiving end of various chants from unhappy fans, including the aforementioned "Y2J!" chants and calls of "You F**ked Up!" and "We Want Vince!"