Chris Jericho introduced his Painmaker gimmick for his NJPW Dominion match with then-IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada back in 2019. This was a darker persona for him as Okada called himself The Rainmaker.
During an interview with MovieWeb, Jericho, who is set to be featured in the slasher film, “The Terrifier 2”, was asked if he could hold his own against the film’s killer clown, Art the Clown. Jericho revealed what influenced The Painmaker gimmick.
“I don’t know if Jericho could but The Painmaker might be able to,” Jericho said. “The Painmaker was conceived as what a serial killer would look like if he was a pro wrestler… There’s your crossover, The Painmaker versus Art the Clown, a graphic novel waiting to happen.”