John Cena chose a long goodbye instead of a sudden exit, and that decision has given WWE an entire year to celebrate a once-in-a-generation draw. The company has now put a date on its last dance. Cena’s final match is officially set for Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, 2025, a curtain call that gives the farewell tour a clear destination and a powerful hook for every stop.
That endpoint invites one irresistible question that fans and industry people toss around. What would happen if Chris Jericho returned to WWE at some point before that final bell rings? The answer is simple. It would make Cena’s farewell feel even bigger and give WWE storytelling fuel that lasts for the rest of the year. The idea is not a fantasy pulled from thin air, either. Reporting over the last week has tied fresh speculation about Jericho’s future to a string of WWE-controlled nostalgia clips and to the calendar of his current deal.
Farewell tours live and die on historic moments in the building, and travel easily on social media the next morning. WWE has already mapped major beats. Cena is committed to dozens of appearances through 2025, with marquee stops across the United States and Europe, and the finale now locked for mid-December. That structure builds anticipation and gives a creative a steady runway to pay off a career that spans two decades.
A Jericho appearance at any point on that road would spike interest. The two men share real history that WWE can replay in video packages and revisit in the ring without a long-winded setup. Their rivalry in the late Ruthless Aggression era delivered strong television and premium show matches, and Jericho’s character reinventions have always meshed with Cena’s never-give-up ethos. Bringing that dynamic back, even for a short arc, adds the emotional punctuation a retirement year thrives on. The tour does not need weekly nostalgia to work. It does benefit from carefully placed legacy encounters that feel like encore chapters rather than reruns.
The talk around Jericho is louder than the usual rumor mill churn for a reason. His AEW contract status sits at the heart of it. Multiple outlets have reported that he is signed with AEW through the end of 2025. That timing complicates an immediate jump, yet it does not stop discussions about what happens next or memorable cameos once obligations end. It also explains why WWE-related teases land with extra weight when official channels start uploading old Jericho losses and exit angles at conspicuous moments.
There is more. Over the past week, several reports indicated interest inside WWE in exploring a Jericho return when it becomes viable, with speculation ranging from an on-screen authority figure to a short in-ring run. None of that equals a signed agreement or a creative outline. It confirms that the conversation is active across the industry and that many in WWE would welcome a mainstream comeback once the legal path is clear. Treat it as directional smoke rather than an announced fire.
Jericho’s line of work has always been twofold. He can wrestle high-level matches and generate angles that feel modern without abandoning history. Dropping him into Cena’s orbit gives WWE three obvious plays.
First, the instant classic route. A television main event or a premium live singles match is a turnkey attraction. Cena and Jericho would not need a thirteen-week build. A face-to-face with archival footage and a sharp promo exchange would sell the bout. It gives Cena a legacy match that fits neatly alongside whatever new era rivalries he is closing this fall.
Second, the tag team twist. A respect-based pairing against current champions or a top heel duo creates stakes without asking either legend to carry a long singles program. That route also lets WWE spotlight younger wrestlers who benefit from standing opposite two all-timers. Cena’s retirement framing ensures the match feels important even if no title changes hands.
Third, the mentor foil. Jericho’s most recent character work placed him as a self-styled teacher who loves to test and reshape proteges. Leaning into that persona against Cena’s never quit identity writes itself. A modern star could sit in the middle, pulled between a peacocking Jericho lecture and a steel-jawed Cena rebuttal. The result is a segment pushing today’s roster while honoring yesterday’s giants.
Any of these choices accelerates WWE’s business in a month that needs a spark. They create buzz for a house show loop, juice a streaming card that could use a legend segment to broaden casual appeal, and give the farewell tour one more headline that looks good on posters and the opening video.
WWE already has a strong story to tell. Cena is nearing the end of a historic run with a date-stamped farewell. A Jericho return would not replace that narrative. It would amplify it. The program would mix real history with present-day stakes, create fresh merchandise possibilities, and provide an easy marketing message for a global audience that remembers their chemistry. Even limited participation would make a memorable tour into a start-to-finish event season.
Today’s safest read is that the door is open in theory, and the clock is ticking in practice. If Jericho cannot walk through it until his contract obligations are clear, WWE will still benefit from the speculation and nostalgia the teases have already produced. If the door opens sooner or right as the finale approaches, the company has a ready-made moment to elevate the sendoff. Either way, the mere possibility has added energy to the countdown.
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