Chris Jericho is bringing back one of the most famous characters of his career. During the July 15 episode of AEW Dynamite, he confirmed that The Painmaker will return for his rematch against Tommaso Ciampa at AEW Redemption on July 26.
The announcement comes just a week after Ciampa defeated Jericho at Beach Break. Jericho said he enjoyed the fight and promised to come back even more dangerous at Redemption.
Chris Jericho brings back The Painmaker
During this week’s Dynamite, Jericho appeared in a pre-recorded promo wearing The Painmaker’s signature hat and face paint, suggesting that his darker side is back.
Looking back at his loss to Ciampa, Jericho said he didn’t mind getting beaten up and wanted another fight.
“Last week on Dynamite, you left me bloodied and battered. And I liked it. So let’s do it again. July 26 at Redemption. But let’s raise the stakes, shall we? You bring the pain, and I’ll bring the Painmaker. Hell is coming for you,” Jericho said.
This is the first time since 2023 that Jericho has officially announced the return of The Painmaker.
Ciampa answered the challenge. He said Redemption would finally answer who is better- The Painmaker or The Psycho Killer. Ciampa also announced that he will wrestle on this week’s AEW Collision in his hometown of Boston. He invited anyone who wants to make a name for themselves to step up.
Since returning to AEW, Jericho has mixed parts of several old characters into his act. Most of those versions have been either funny heel characters or fan-friendly babyfaces. But The Painmaker is completely different.
Jericho first created the character during his 2019 run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling before facing Kazuchika Okada. The name was a play on Okada’s famous nickname, The Rainmaker.
The character features black face paint, a black hat, a spiked leather jacket, and a much more aggressive attitude.
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