Chris Jericho Says Past Gimmick Will Return For First-Ever Match

By Robert Gunier

Tonight's episode of AEW "Dynamite" included a lengthy in-ring promo delivered by the leader of the Jericho Appreciation Society, Chris Jericho. He dished out some harsh words for Eddie Kingston, his ongoing rival, pointing out that the people close to Kingston have been cursed "worse than anything Danhausen could conjure up". He listed Ortiz and his shaved head, Santana and Bryan Danielson with the injuries suffered throughout the ongoing rivalry, and Ruby Soho, who got her arm smashed in a car door last week, as examples showing how friendship with Kingston turns to mold.

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He addresses the challenge Kingston made for the first-ever "barbed wire everywhere" match that is taking place on next Wednesday's AEW "Dynamite". He says that he accepts the match and will be there, but it won't be the typical Chris Jericho showing up for the match. This time around, he will show up as 'The Painmaker', the character he originated in New Japan Pro Wrestling and a persona that is undefeated in AEW competition.

Jericho explains that this is the final fight between the two men and once he beats Kingston, Eddie can crawl back into his hole with "his drinking, and drugging, and depression, and mind problems, and mental issues, and every other excuse [he has] to cover the fact that deep down, [he] will never be at Chris Jericho's level, ever."

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Kingston would have a short backstage segment to respond to Jericho while Ruby Soho and Ortiz stood close to him in the camera frame. He promised Jericho that he was going to hurt him and enjoy it next week, and that he would pay in blood for everything he's done to his friends.

It's interesting that the match was inexplicably changed from the previously announced "barbed wire deathmatch" during last Friday's "Rampage". The original match was going to be the company's second-ever barbed wire deathmatch stipulation with members of the Jericho Appreciation Society would be suspended above the ring in a shark cage. Now, the "barbed wire everywhere" match will take its place. It was revealed later in the episode that the JAS will still be suspended in a shark cage above the ring during the bout so that they cannot interfere.

Stay tuned to our live coverage of AEW "Dynamite" at this link!

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