‘Dark Match’ Trailer Stars Pro-Wrestler Chris Jericho as Sinister Cult Leader

Professional wrestling is already pretty intense, with brutal take-downs happening left and right, but what happens when pro-wrestlers actually try to kill each other? Shudder is bringing that disturbing hypothetical to life in an upcoming wrestling horror film called Dark Match, starring pro-wrestler and Terrifier actor Chris Jericho. The recently released trailer shows off the moves – and gore – of the high-stakes wrestling matches in the wild new film set to release on Shudder on January 31.

Jericho is the perfect AWE wrestler to spearhead this violent wrestling film, with one of his signature wrestling personas being “The Painmaker,” a spooky combination of a serial killer and a wrestler. Dark Match has everything wrestling and horror fans want: There’s blood, broken bones, fire, glass-shard fists, and a mysterious dark lord. The violence in the trailer is about as absurd as the catchphrases. Besides the intense levels of violence in the ring, the trailer hints at another layer of darkness in the matches.

The movie, written and directed by Lowell Dean, centers on a small wrestling company that takes a high-paying gig in a sketchy town where they learn a little too late that the town’s cult leader, played by Jericho, has more sinister plans for their matches. Jericho sets up the gory matches as “sacrifices” and “offerings,” so it seems like a classic cult narrative, yet made even better by being set in the wacky world of pro-wrestling. With pro-wrestling being an increasingly timely topic, wrestling movies are only broadening the fan base, and what better way to capitalize on the overlap of horror and wrestling fans? Check out the trailer below.

Shudder’s January Line-up is Packed With All Kinds of Frights

The leading horror movie streamer, Shudder has a diverse line-up for its January releases that is sure to please every type of horror fan. Hits like The Thing and The Wolf Man were added on the first of the month, but fans have much more to look forward to. The exciting DIY body-horror film Grafted will be added to the streaming platform on January 24, following the immense success of The Substance. Finally, to close out the first month of 2025, Dark Match will be released at the end of the month.

With a packed cast including Ayisha Issa, Steven Ogg, Sara Canning, Michael Eklund, and Jonathan Cherry alongside Jericho, Dark Match is sure to be a unique horror experience not for the faint of heart. Dark Match is set to stream exclusively on Shudder starting on January 31.

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Dark Match

Release Date

January 31, 2025

Director

Lowell Dean

Runtime

94 Minutes

Cast

Chris Irvine
, Sara Canning
, Michael Eklund
, Ayisha Issa
, Jonathan Cherry
, Dianne Wulf
, Stephanie Wolfe
, Steven Ogg

Main Genre

Horror