A single line from a familiar authority figure has sent speculation into overdrive.

While promoting Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, Adam Pearce dropped a subtle but unmistakable reference that immediately caught the attention of fans. As he ran down the card for the show, Pearce posed one simple question.

“Who can break down the walls?”

The phrase is inseparable from Chris Jericho, whose iconic WWE entrance theme helped define multiple eras of his career. The timing of the comment has only added fuel to the fire, as Jericho officially became a free agent on January 1, 2026, following the expiration of his contract with All Elite Wrestling at the end of 2025.

Within the industry, there is growing belief that Jericho’s next move could bring him back to WWE. Pearce’s wording has been viewed by many as more than coincidence, especially with Monday’s Raw marking the one year anniversary of the show’s move to Netflix. Big moments and surprise appearances have become synonymous with milestone episodes, and the calendar offers another opportunity soon with the Royal Rumble later this month.

Jericho’s exit from AEW came after pointed remarks he made in November on his Talk Is Jericho podcast, where he openly critiqued AEW’s presentation. He praised TNA Wrestling and its Bound for Glory pay per view, saying it felt like the second biggest company in the world. By contrast, he took issue with an episode of AEW Dynamite filmed at the 2300 Arena, comparing it to a Tony Condello style independent taping from his early days.

Despite working for a rival promotion, Jericho never fully cut ties with WWE. He appeared via video in 2022 to congratulate John Cena on his 20th anniversary and later sat down for an episode of Broken Skull Sessions. When asked directly about his future, Jericho has kept fans guessing, recently telling viewers on a live stream, “You never know,” before adding in a radio interview that he is “pretty sure you’ll see me in a wrestling ring in 2026.”

#WWERAW GM @ScrapDaddyAP previews the FIRST Raw of 2026 🔥

A special @Stranger_Things themed episode of Raw to kick off the new year!

📺: 8e/5p on @netflix pic.twitter.com/MWCLKGl4AT

, WWE (@WWE) January 4, 2026