As 2025 came to a close, it seemed it was a matter of when, not if, regarding Chris Jericho leaving AEW and rejoining WWE. But for the first three months of 2026, that seemed to be delayed, as reports emerged that Jericho’s contract with AEW was potentially frozen, while WWE sources claimed there were no immediate plans for him. And now a new twist to the story suggests that the situation may have completely changed.

Fightful Select reports, in the wake of Jericho trademarking “The Cornerstone,” that there’s a growing belief within AEW that Jericho will, in fact, be returning to the promotion instead of going to WWE. That belief may turn into reality sooner than expected, as an update to the original report stated that Jericho was expected to travel to his hometown of Winnipeg tonight, where “AEW Dynamite” will be taking place. No details were given regarding what Jericho would be doing if his AEW return does come to pass.

There was no reason given regarding the sudden shift in Jericho’s plans, though it was noted that Jericho and AEW had been engaging in talks regarding his return to TV for “the last couple of months.” While this would suggest that the rumors of Jericho jumping to WWE were unfounded, it was confirmed that there were talks between WWE and Jericho during that same time.

At the same time, those within WWE have claimed that there were never concrete plans for Jericho to debut at the first “Raw” of the year, Royal Rumble, or Elimination Chamber, despite rumors he could appear. It was also noted that there had been no buzz about a Jericho return to WWE over the last several weeks.

Over the past few years, more wrestlers have started to speak out about being harassed in public, specifically WWE and AEW stars who are travelling from show-to-show on a weekly basis. Whether it’s CM Punk asking for fans to respect wrestler boundaries, or Rhea Ripley requesting that people stop sending mail to her house, sometimes talent choose to create awareness around the issue by voicing their frustrations on social media, and Stephanie Vaquer unfortunately had to address an inconsiderate fan on Tuesday. 

In a post on X, the Women’s World Champion responded to a fan complaining that she denied to sign an autograph, explaining that the individual would not take no for an answer and didn’t respect her privacy given that it was her birthday.

“I always stop and I’m very kind to my fans. Yesterday was my birthday and I was honestly having a really bad day. Even so, I politely asked for understanding, and many people respected that. But you followed me for a long time, saying hurtful things and making me feel uncomfortable. I told you no multiple times, and you kept following me and recording. And now you’re posting this on social media. It’s sad to see people like you call themselves fans….”

I always stop and I’m very kind to my fans. Yesterday was my birthday and I was honestly having a really bad day. Even so, I politely asked for understanding, and many people respected that. But you followed me for a long time, saying hurtful things and making me feel… https://t.co/dVEzGmijhK

— Stephanie Vaquer (@Steph_Vaquer) March 31, 2026

The fan who called out Vaquer online has since deleted their post, but Vaquer’s response has garnered over 1.3 million views on X after just 24 hours. In three weeks, Vaquer will defend her Women’s World Championship against Liv Morgan at WrestleMania 42.

It was an eventful Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning for one Willie Mack, as the often absent AEW star unloaded some of his grievances with the promotion in a series of tweets. While the tweets illustrated Mack’s unhappiness with his current placement in AEW, it also led to renewed questions regarding his contractual status with the promotion, something that has surrounded Mack ever since he first began wrestling matches for AEW and Ring of Honor in 2023.

Now some clarity has been added to the situation. Fightful Select reports that Mack is still under AEW contract with what is described as a “tier zero” deal. This means that Mack is not under salary with AEW, but is instead paid per appearance. With Mack hardly making any appearances for AEW/ROH in 2025, and none so far in 2026, this would suggest he’s yet to earn an AEW paycheck this year under this tier zero agreement.

It was further clarified that Mack first joined AEW under a tier zero deal three years ago, but was later signed to a full-time contract within the last two years. No reason was given for why AEW made the decision to switch Mack to a tier zero deal. As for communication between the two sides, AEW sources have said that the promotion has been in touch with Mack, but no context was given regarding whether this was before or after his tweets.

Mack’s AEW status doesn’t prevent Mack from working independent dates; as noted previously, he remains a mainstay in Juggalo Championship Wrestling as one-half of the JCW Tag Team Champions with 2 Tuff Tony. Mack has also picked up bookings for WrestleMania weekend, most notably taking part in Dragon Gate’s “The Gate of Sin City” event on April 15.