WWE Rumors on Chris Jericho, Seth Rollins on CM Punk Backstage Heat, Cody Rhodes Talks Heel Turn

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Latest on Jericho's AEW Contract, Potential WWE Move

Despite speculation among fans, it is reportedly not likely that the Elimination Chamber crate storyline is leading to Chris Jericho's WWE return.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), Jericho is still "firmly under contract" with AEW, and sources around Jericho and AEW believe his contract was frozen when he took time off last year.

While sources indicated to Fightful that Jericho has expressed interest in returning to WWE in the future, it isn't yet known when his AEW contract is set to expire.

During Monday night's episode of Raw, general manager Adam Pearce was asked to sign for a large crate with instructions that it could not be opened until Feb. 28, which is the date of the Elimination Chamber premium live event in Chicago.

Over the years, it has been a somewhat common occurrence in wrestling for wrestlers to pop out of crates or boxes as part of a big reveal.

Fans immediately began speculating that the crate was related to Jericho, especially since his initial WWE debut occurred in Chicago in 1999, which is the same host city for Elimination Chamber.

However, current indications suggest that there is still time left on Jericho's AEW deal, casting doubt on when or if he will resurface in WWE.

Jericho has been part of AEW since its launch in 2019, but he remains primarily synonymous with WWE as a six-time world champion in the company, and there is little doubt that the 55-year-old veteran returning to WWE would make some waves in the wrestling world.

Rollins Talks Real-Life Issues with Punk

Seth Rollins confirmed this week that there is still bad blood between him and CM Punk.

During an appearance on Club Shay Shay with Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Rollins was blunt when asked if he and Punk are on good terms.

"No, I wouldn't say so," Punk said. "There is obviously some sort of working relationship, otherwise we wouldn't be able to go out there and have matches, but it is so complex."

During Punk's decade-long absence from WWE, which stretched from 2014 until 2023, Rollins was outspoken at times about Punk, calling him a "jerk" and a "cancer."

In January 2025, Rollins appeared on Insight with Chris Van Vliet (h/t WrestleZone.com's Hamish Woodward) and provided some additional insight into how things went sour between him and Punk.

Rollins noted that he and Punk were friends and had a "mentor-mentee kind of relationship" before Punk left WWE in 2014. However, Rollins claimed that Punk simply didn't return his calls after leaving WWE, which led to the breakdown of their friendship.

In speaking to Sharpe, Rollins suggested that while he doesn't expect to make up with Punk any time soon, there is perhaps hope for it happening at some time down the line when they are no longer active wrestlers.

"Maybe, once we're both away from the business or retired, there might be an opportunity for a reconciliation there," Rollins said. "It's just so hard for me to separate the CM Punk that there is now from the CM Punk that was a really rotten friend to me 10 years ago.

"Those wounds take time to heal. Whether or not he cares to make the effort to do that, and I care to care if he makes the effort to do that, I don't know. Neither of us have the time for it at the moment."

Since Punk's return to WWE in November 2023, Rollins has had no problem speaking his mind and letting everyone know about his feelings on Punk, and Punk has often reciprocated.

Despite that, Rollins and Punk have worked together many times since then, and they combined for arguably one of the best rivalries and some of the best matches in wrestling over the past two-plus years.

That underscores the professionalism that both Rollins and Punk possess, as they haven't allowed their personal differences to negatively impact their performance.

Rhodes Gives Thoughts on Possible Heel Turn

For every big-time babyface, there comes a time when fans debate the viability of a heel turn, and Cody Rhodes is no exception.

Since returning to WWE in surprising fashion at WrestleMania 38 in 2022, Rhodes has been beloved and arguably the top babyface on the roster. That carried him to three consecutive WrestleMania main events, and a WWE Championship win over Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40.

However, since Rhodes has been WWE champion for most of the past two years, it has inevitably led to some fans losing interest in calling for a character change.

During a conversation this week on his What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast (h/t Carrier), Rhodes acknowledged that there are desirable aspects about being heel, but he also noted that he enjoyed the difficulties of being a face.

"I feel right now I like the challenge of being a babyface because it seems almost impossible some nights," Rhodes said. "It's easier to be cooler. I really admire Logan Paul's situation. He could fall flat on his face and it's no big deal. He can be mad at the crowd."

The American Nightmare also pointed out that there is value in having a strong babyface in this day and age, even if it is a much tougher job than being a villain.

"I think sometimes there are elements of being a heel that are a lot of fun, whereas being a white-meat babyface—where you're trying to be virtuous and make the right choices—that's not always the most appealing thing by modern entertainment standards," Rhodes said. "But when you look at our ticket-buying audience—kids and families—there's room for it."

Rhodes has displayed an edge at times that has allowed him to depart from the typical presentation of a babyface, particularly during his rivalry with John Cena, and now during his program with both Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu.

Since dropping the WWE Championship to McIntyre last month due to interference from Fatu, Cody has had both Superstars in his crosshairs, and he hasn't been shy about getting physical and taking the fight to them, even when it flies in the face of authority.

The evolution of Rhodes' character suggests he may have it in him to be an effective heel when the time is right, and Cody admitted that there may come a time when it makes sense for him to turn.

"I think if we ever transition and the heel comes back out, that might be something I need in my life and don't realize it," Rhodes said. "Just from the sheer, 'Let's go out there and have fun.' I feel there's a lot of pressure in the babyface spot. But as a heel, it's more like, 'Let's just go have some fun.' We'll get it when we get it. You can dictate the pace."

For now, Rhodes is still clearly a babyface as he chases McIntyre and the WWE Championship, and all signs point toward him having the opportunity to win the title back at WrestleMania 42.