Swerve Strickland Addresses Chris Jericho’s Future Amid WWE Return Rumors

Chris Jericho may not have shown up at the 2026 Royal Rumble, but the speculation around his future still hasn’t cooled—and now, Swerve Strickland is weighing in.

During an interview with Adam’s Apple on February 8, 2026, Strickland was asked directly about Jericho’s next move. Strickland revealed he texted Jericho and made it clear that he’s standing by Le Champion regardless of where he ends up.

“I actually texted Chris. I congratulated him on whatever his decision is going to be. Whatever his decision is going to be, I’m supporting him no matter what.”

The comments come after tons of speculation that Jericho would return to WWE at the Royal Rumble in Riyadh. Betting odds even had him among the top favorites to enter at #30. But when the buzzer sounded, Jericho didn’t show—but there was a good reason for that.

On Fightful’s February 1 post-Rumble show, Sean Ross Sapp confirmed that Jericho is still under contract with AEW and never became a free agent.

“As of today, Chris Jericho is still listed on AEW’s roster page, which is a great indication of whether somebody is still with the company. And Chris Jericho has not left the company as of yet.”

Confusion originally stemmed from reports that his AEW contract had expired at the end of 2025, which Sapp clarified were inaccurate. Adding to the mystery is the silence around Jericho within AEW itself.

“Whether it’s because his deal got frozen or they extended it, that I don’t know. But when I saw people outright saying, ‘Oh, his deal is officially up’—no. It was not officially up. It was presumably up, and that was incorrect.

He hasn’t been discussed a lot backstage in AEW. So it’s pretty interesting. His deal isn’t up. Jericho is still under contract to AEW at this stage.”

Meanwhile, Jericho has been focusing on outside projects—including a major role in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Margo’s Got Money Troubles, releasing on April 15 and Fozzy’s “Eyes On You” tour, which kicked off this month.

So while many hoped for a shock WWE return, the current reality is far less dramatic: Jericho never left AEW—and his AEW peers like Swerve are watching and supporting, just like everyone else.

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