The web didn’t think about it — WWE meant to stir the pot with that Chris Jericho reference. And now we all know precisely why.
Throughout a promo hyping the January 5, 2026 version of Monday Evening RAW — the present’s one-year anniversary streaming on Netflix — Basic Supervisor Adam Pearce slipped in a line that longtime followers immediately linked to Jericho’s WWE legacy.
“There are additionally three huge championship matches on the cardboard. Who will break down the partitions and stroll out with gold?”
The phrase “break down the partitions” is iconic to Jericho’s WWE entrance theme — and now Dave Meltzer confirms that Pearce mentioned it on objective. Within the Wrestling Observer Each day Replace, Meltzer defined WWE’s motive:
“They’re undoubtedly pushing for an enormous walk-up as a result of Adam Pearce talked about breaking down the partitions, on objective, which fuels the concept Chris Jericho is returning.”
The technique is obvious: create buzz, spike ticket gross sales, and stir hypothesis round Jericho’s rumored WWE return — even when it doesn’t occur that night time. Meltzer added, “We don’t have it confirmed however many consider that’s the case, if not tomorrow, by the tip of the month.”
The January 5 RAW isn’t brief on star energy. CM Punk will defend the World Title towards Bron Breakker, Becky Lynch takes on Maxxine Dupri for the Intercontinental Championship, and the Kabuki Warriors face Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley for the tag belts. Themed round Stranger Issues, WWE goes all-out — and now they’re dangling Jericho because the attainable cherry on high.
Jericho hasn’t appeared in AEW since April 2025, when he walked out on Massive Invoice and Bryan Keith. On December 31, his AEW contract expired. The identical night time AEW ran its Worlds Finish pay-per-view, Jericho was livestreaming on YouTube as a substitute — making it clear the place his head was at.
On a Christmas livestream with The Winnipeggers, followers requested him a few WWE return. Jericho didn’t affirm or deny it, merely smirking and saying, “You by no means know. You by no means know.” And now, with WWE overtly teasing his legacy and trying to pop last-minute ticket gross sales, the motivation behind Pearce’s promo is something however delicate.
Do you assume WWE is taking part in followers simply to promote tickets — or is Jericho about to interrupt down the partitions another time? Pontificate within the feedback under.
