Painmaker's Vengeance
Chris Jericho's Painmaker Returns, Securing Brutal No Holds Barred Victory Over Tommaso Ciampa in Montreal
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Key Points
1
The match was No Holds Barred with no rope breaks, which allowed finishers and weapon-based sequences to continue without interruption and affected the submission dynamics.
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Ciampa executed a piledriver off the apron through a table, delivering a high-risk spot that underscored the match's brutal layout.
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Early in the bout, Jericho sprayed Ciampa with a fire extinguisher and used sand to impair him, contributing to the shift in momentum.
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Jericho continued the Painmaker sequence by using a tack-studded elbow pad to deliver the Judas Effect, a finishing touch that helped secure the win.
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The Montreal crowd reacted to Ciampa's Bruins jersey and Youppi plushie, with Jericho later striking the Youppi plushie with a hockey stick as part of the chaotic visual.
Chris Jericho defeated Tommaso Ciampa in one of the most violent matches in recent AEW history at Redemption in Montreal on Sunday, July 26. Jericho, embracing his 'Painmaker' persona, used a power drill on Ciampa's head to force a submission and exact revenge after losing to Ciampa at Dynamite Beach Break. AOL and ITR Wrestling both called it one of the most disturbing finishes on recent AEW television.
The No Holds Barred match at the Bell Centre featured chairs, barbed wire, a fire extinguisher, sand, tack-studded elbow pads, mirrors, and hockey pucks. The chaotic bout underscored what Jericho's Painmaker character brings to a special-stipulation setting.
Painmaker Persona Returns With Brutal Arsenal
Jericho entered the match carrying a barbed wire baseball bat, making his Painmaker identity clear from the start. According to TJR Wrestling, Jericho used sand early in the bout to impair Ciampa's vision. He then sprayed Ciampa with a fire extinguisher to slow him down and shift momentum in his favor.
Jericho later pulled out a tack-studded elbow pad to deliver his signature Judas Effect finishing strike. The tacks added a deathmatch edge to a move fans already know well. Wrestling Inc noted that both men also grabbed chairs and swung at the same time, crashing into each other in a chaotic spot.
Ciampa's Bruins Jersey Draws Heat From Montreal Crowd
Ciampa leaned into crowd manipulation before and during the match. He wore a Boston Bruins hockey jersey and brought a Youppi plushie — a nod to the Montreal Canadiens mascot — to provoke the Montreal fans. The Bell Centre crowd responded with heavy heat, exactly as intended.
Jericho fired back with a visual of his own. He grabbed a hockey stick and hit the Youppi plushie, drawing a pop from the crowd. The moment summed up the match's mix of violence and sports theater. It also reflected Jericho's long history of working Montreal crowds as a Canadian performer.
Ciampa's Apron Piledriver Highlights High-Risk Layout
Ciampa did not go down without inflicting serious punishment. He executed a piledriver off the ring apron through a table, one of the most dangerous spots in wrestling. The move landed with full impact and gave Ciampa a window to control the match. According to AOL, Ciampa hit Jericho in the head with a chair in one of the earlier exchanges.
The No Holds Barred stipulation meant no rope breaks, which kept every submission attempt live and every weapon shot consequential. Sequences that would normally be stopped continued without pause. That rule change shaped the entire structure of the match and made the drill finish feel earned.
Drill Finish Closes Out Jericho's Revenge Win
The match ended when Jericho pressed a power drill to Ciampa's head, forcing him to submit. Wrestling Noticias described it as one of the most violent moments at AEW Redemption. The finish was designed to shock and it succeeded, giving Jericho a decisive win after his earlier loss to Ciampa.
The win raises immediate questions about what comes next for both men. Jericho has now re-established the Painmaker character in a high-profile PPV context. Ciampa, a former WWE champion, will need a strong next program to recover from the loss. TJR Wrestling framed the result as Jericho brutally destroying a top-level opponent to reset his standing in AEW.
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