Subhojeet Mukherjee on January 21, 2026
Chris Jericho is the top favorite to make a surprise return at the 2026 Royal Rumble — but fans shouldn’t expect to see him on WWE programming before the big event.
According to DuelBits Predicts on January 21, Jericho has a 71.43% implied chance of showing up at the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia on January 31 — the highest odds among all former or current WWE Superstars not currently under contract.
“Chris Jericho heads the betting here with a 71 percent chance of appearing in the Royal Rumble,” a spokesperson for DuelBits explained. “He is out of contract with AEW, so there’s a very realistic chance he makes a comeback at the Saudi event.”
Other names rumored for a Rumble returns include Matt Cardona (66.67%), Brock Lesnar (36.36%), and Sheamus (30.77%), but Jericho leads the pack. Here are the full top odds:
| Rank | Wrestler | Odds | Implied Chance (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Jericho | -250 | 71.43 |
| 2 | Matt Cardona | -200 | 66.67 |
| 3 | Brock Lesnar | +175 | 36.36 |
| 4 | Sheamus | +225 | 30.77 |
| 5 | CM Punk | +450 | 18.18 |
| 6 | Dolph Ziggler | +450 | 18.18 |
| 7 | The Rock | +900 | 10.00 |
| 8 | Big E | +1200 | 7.69 |
| 9 | Kane | +1400 | 6.67 |
| 10 | The Big Show | +1600 | 5.88 |
| 11 | The Great Khali | +1600 | 5.88 |
| 12 | The Boogeyman | +1800 | 5.26 |
| 13 | Goldberg | +2000 | 4.76 |
| 14 | Christian Cage | +2000 | 4.76 |
| 15 | Edge | +2000 | 4.76 |
| 16 | Andrade | +2000 | 4.76 |
| 17 | Kurt Angle | +2500 | 3.85 |
| 18 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | +2500 | 3.85 |
| 19 | Daniel Bryan | +5000 | 1.96 |
While speculation around Jericho has ramped up due to his free-agent status following the reported end of his AEW contract on December 31, 2025, don’t count on a pre-Rumble teaser.
PWInsider confirmed that Jericho will not be at SmackDown or Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend, despite online chatter suggesting a possible Montreal appearance due to his Canadian ties.
“Jericho is advertised to perform this Friday 1/23 at The Anaheim Arena at JAMM Night,” PWInsider reported. “We are told Jericho is expected to be at NAMM for the remainder of the weekend, so unless there's a last second change, he'll be in the Los Angeles area, not at SmackDown or SNME.”
Between his full Fozzy schedule, NAMM commitments, and no official WWE booking, Jericho is laying low until the end of the month — but that doesn’t mean he won’t walk through the curtain in Saudi Arabia.
Do you think Jericho should return at the Royal Rumble? Or is his wrestling career best left behind the mic stand? Drop your predictions below!
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