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Theodore James Perkins (born September 3, 1984), better known by the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
T. J. Perkins (or simply TJP), is an American
professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
. He is primarily working for
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
(NJPW) as a
freelancer ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
, where he is a former three time
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on August 8, 1998, at an NJPW live event. The IWGP Junio ...
. He is a member of the
United Empire , originally , is a professional wrestling faction performing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). The group was formed in October 2020 by Will Ospreay and Great-O-Khan, when Ospreay turned on his Chaos st ...
stable, he served as the stable's second leader from 2024-2025. He is best known for his tenures in
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
and
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
(TNA). Perkins began his
professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
career in 1998. In 2001, he went to the NJPW Dojo, where he became the youngest wrestler to perform in a NJPW ring. Since then, Perkins worked in various U.S. promotions, such as
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
(ROH),
Major League Wrestling Major League Wrestling (MLW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New York. The promotion was founded in 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by former WWE writer Court Bauer. The promotion markets its product as ...
(MLW), TNA Wrestling, and WWE, as well as Japanese promotions, like NJPW and Dragon Gate. In 2013, Perkins signed a contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and worked as Manik, a masked character originally based on the
Suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
gimmick. During his time in TNA, he would win the
TNA X Division Championship The TNA X Division Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It debuted on June 19, 2002, at the taping of TNA's second then- weekly pay-per-view (PPV) event. The cur ...
. He also joined The Revolution stable. In 2016, he left TNA and participated in the
Cruiserweight Classic The Cruiserweight Classic, formerly the Global Cruiserweight Series, was a professional wrestling tournament and WWE Network event produced by WWE. All participants were billed at a weight of 205 lbs or less to determine the inaugural WWE Crui ...
tournament produced by WWE, which he won and was crowned the
inaugural In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inau ...
WWE Cruiserweight Champion. Perkins would work for WWE until his release in February 2019. He then returned to Impact Wrestling, as well as working in other companies on the side. In 2020, he won the Impact X Division Championship for a second time. He also returned to NJPW again and began making regular appearances, later becoming the
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on August 8, 1998, at an NJPW live event. The IWGP Junio ...
(with
Francesco Akira Francesco Akira Begnini (born November 12, 1999), better known by his ring name Francesco Akira, is an Italian professional wrestler working for the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a part of the Catch 2/2 tag-team alongsid ...
).


Early life

Theodore James Perkins was born on September 3, 1984, in
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
. He is of Filipino descent through his mother, who comes from
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, and learned Filipino culture growing up with his family in
Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...
. He attended St. Thomas the Apostle School and Poly High School in Riverside, California, and at the age of eighteen, began training in
boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
,
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
, and
catch wrestling Catch wrestling (also known as catch-as-catch-can) is an English wrestling style where wrestlers aim to win by Pin (sport wrestling), pinning or Submission (combat sports), submitting their opponent using any legal holds or techniques. It emph ...
.


Professional wrestling career


Early career (1998–2001)

Perkins first began his training at the age of 13, at a local
lucha libre ''Lucha libre'' (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term for the style of professional wrestling originating in Mexico. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has develope ...
school in his hometown of
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. Perkins debuted in August 1998, under a mask as promoters felt he looked too young to be wrestling. Initially, he wrestled under the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
T.J. Perkins, utilizing "Pinoy Boy" as a nickname. In order to attend shows, he had to be absent from school most Fridays. He wrestled on independent cards in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Mexico during his first two years.


New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2001–2005)

In 2001, Perkins began training at
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
(NJPW)'s Inoki Dojo in Los Angeles along with
Ricky Reyes Reyes Nunez (born August 21, 1978), better known by the ring name Ricky Reyes, is a Cuban-American retired professional wrestler. He is known for his appearances in Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, World Wrestling Council, Lucha Undergrou ...
,
Rocky Romero John Raymond Rivera (born October 28, 1982), better known by his ring name Rocky Romero (ロッキー・ロメロ, ''Rokkī Romero''), is a Cuban-American professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and All Elite Wrest ...
, and
Bryan Danielson Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs on a part time basis. He is also known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under t ...
. They all made their debut in NJPW on the same
Korakuen Hall is a sports arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted boxing, professional wrestling, kickboxing, mixed martial arts and Lethwei matches. History On April 16, 1962, the Korakuen Hall was officially opened with a capacity of approximat ...
card in October 2002, with Perkins debuting as the maskless "Pinoy Boy" T.J. Perkins. At the age of 18 in 2003, following his third tour with NJPW, he was given the
gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand out ...
(character) of Puma, a masked character with similarities to
Tiger Mask is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's ''Bokura Magazine'' from 1968 to 1970 and was later published in ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 1970 to ...
, and he began teaming with
Tiger Mask IV is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for being the fourth man to portray . He primarily works for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) where he is a former 6-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and 2-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team ...
. Perkins stated the character was created due to perceived similarities between himself and the original Tiger Mask,
Satoru Sayama (born November 27, 1957) is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, writer, and mixed martial arts (MMA) and wrestling promoter, best known as the original Tiger Mask. He has wrestled under his real name as well as the names ...
, and the idea was that he would be the American version of Tiger Mask.


Independent circuit (2003–2016)

In 2003, Perkins spent time in Mexico with Rocky Romero and Bobby Quance, where the trio trained with and wrestled for
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as (EMLL) (''Mexican Wrestling Enterprise''). Founded in 1933, it is the oldest profe ...
. In January 2004, the masked Puma wrestled on two
Major League Wrestling Major League Wrestling (MLW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New York. The promotion was founded in 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by former WWE writer Court Bauer. The promotion markets its product as ...
television tapings, teaming with Bobby Quance in a loss to The Stampede Bulldogs ( Harry Smith and TJ Wilson). The following night, Puma lost a four-way match featuring Jack Evans, Chasyn Rance and MLW Junior Heavyweight Champion Sonjay Dutt. In December 2004, Puma won the
All Pro Wrestling All Pro Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion and training school, based in Hayward, California. The company was founded by Roland Alexander and managed by him until his death on November 5, 2013. It is located 45 miles so ...
(APW) Worldwide Internet Championship by defeating J.J. Perez. He held the championship until July 2005, when he lost it to Perez. In January 2005, Perkins as Puma debuted in
Full Impact Pro Full Impact Pro (FIP) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is currently part of the World Wrestling Network (WWN) along with Shine Wrestling. Sal Hamaoui founded the company and serves as the president, while Trevin Adams is the ...
(FIP) by defeating Azrieal. At ''Unfinished Business'', Puma was attacked by Azrieal and his ally
CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand. Regarded as ...
, and at the following show Puma lost a singles match to Punk. On February 12, Puma won a
four-way match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
against Azrieal, Jerrelle Clark, and Eddie Vegas. Four years later, he returned to FIP as T.J. Perkins, in a loss to Davey Richards on March 28, 2009. He developed a winning streak, defeating Jay Bradley, Nigel McGuinness, and
Sal Rinauro Salvatore Rinauro (born September 12, 1982) is an American professional wrestler, performing for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He is best known for his work in Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro and National Wrestling Alliance in addition to ...
. In November 2009, Perkins entered the
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup The Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup was an annual professional wrestling memorial show produced by Full Impact Pro (FIP) promotion, typically between October and December. The event was established to honor the memory of independent wrestler "All A ...
, defeating
Arik Cannon Arik Cannon (born December 23, 1981) is an American professional wrestler known for competing in companies such as Chikara, Dragon Gate USA, IWA Mid-South, All American Wrestling and Wrestling Society X. He owns and operates the Minneapolis-bas ...
and Shane Hollister en route to the semi-finals, where he lost to Richards. In April 2010 at ''Southern Stampede'', he returned to FIP using the ring name TJP, where he participated in a battle royal before he defeated Chasyn Rance. Puma wrestled in the 2005 edition of the
East Coast Wrestling Association East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA) is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 1967 by promoter Jim Kettner. It is home to the annual Super 8 Tournament, one of the longest-running independent wrestling tournaments in the co ...
'a
Super 8 tournament The Super 8 Tournament is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by the East Coast Wrestling Association. The tournament is contested by eight wrestlers in a one-night single-elimination format. History The ECWA Super 8 Tournament was ...
and made it to the final by defeating Eric Matlock and J.J. Perez, before losing to Petey Williams. He also competed in
Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling (ECCW) (formerly known as NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling and Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling) was a Canada-based professional wrestling promotion and a former member of the National Wre ...
's
Pacific Cup The Pacific Cup was a rugby league football competition, inaugurated in 1974, as a development competition for national teams from the Pacific region outside of Australia and New Zealand. The tournament ceased in 2009. In 2019, a similar com ...
in 2005, where he faced Aaron Idol and Bryan Danielson in a three-way match in the final, which was won by Idol. In August 2005, Perkins debuted in UWA Hardcore Wrestling as Puma, in a loss to Ricky Reyes. In May 2006, Puma defeated M-Dogg 20 to win the UWA Canadian Championship. He successfully defended the championship against Petey Williams the following month, before losing the championship to M-Dogg 20 in July. In October, Puma participated in UWA's Grand Prix Tournament, where he defeated
Kazuchika Okada (born November 8, 1987) is a Japanese professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he is a member of the Don Callis Family stable and is the current AEW Continental Champion in his first reign. Known as the , he is b ...
and Dan Paysan en route to the final, where he lost to Sonjay Dutt. He continued wrestling for UWA throughout 2007, competing against wrestlers including
Último Dragón , better known by his ring name , is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler signed to Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate, where he acts as an in-ring talent, trainer and senior advisor. In addition to having trained in Japan, ...
and Daisuke Hanaoka. Perkins debuted in the
Empire Wrestling Federation The Empire Wrestling Federation (EWF) is an professional wrestling promotion, independent wrestling promotion based in Covina, California. It is owned and operated by Jesse Hernandez. The EWF is also tied to Hernandez's wrestling school, ''The Scho ...
(EWF) on September 22, 2005, at ''Chaos'', teaming with Dan Kobrick to defeat Big Ugly and Vinnie Massaro. On December 23, at EWF's ''Holiday Fear'' Perkins challenged EWF Cruiserweight Champion Joey Harder in a Triple Threat Championship match, which also involved Rocky Romero and was won by the defending champion Harder. Perkins continued to challenge Harder for the Cruiserweight Championship. In a match on February 12, 2006, Harder defeated Perkins by submission. On September 8, Perkins faced EWF World Champion Bino Gambino, defeating him by countout. When the match was restarted, they wrestled to a draw. On November 21, Perkins again failed to win the EWF Cruiserweight Championship, when he was defeated by new champion Ryan Taylor. In November 2006, Perkins entered the EWF's Inland Title Series Tournament. His first match against Harder ended in a draw, before he defeated Hook Bomberry in the second round and Jason King in the third round. He faced Harder in the final on January 5, 2007, but lost via submission. On June 27, 2008, at ''Knockdown Dragout 2'', the team of Perkins and Liger Rivera (collectively known as Famous For Fearless) challenged La Ola Del Mal for the EWF Tag Team Championship, and were successful. In 2006, Puma wrestled as part of
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
's inaugural television taping for the
Wrestling Society X Wrestling Society X (WSX) was an American professional wrestling promotion owned by Big Vision Entertainment. ''Wrestling Society X'' (''WSX'') also refers to the promotion's short-lived television series produced in 2007 by Big Vision Entertain ...
(WSX) promotion, participating in a battle royal but being eliminated by
Vampiro Ian Richard Hodgkinson (born May 31, 1967), better known by his ring name Vampiro, is a Canadian retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He currently works for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He also worked for Lucha Underground ...
and competing in dark matches against Altar Boy Luke and
Human Tornado Craig Williams (born May 1, 1983), better known by his Stage name, ring name, Human Tornado, is an American semi-retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. His Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, character was that of a ...
. In a 2009 interview, Perkins stated he asked to be released from his contract with WSX, calling the promotion "terrible". Over the next two years, Perkins competed for several different
National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...
promotions, and on June 1, 2008, at Mach One Wrestling's debut show, he won a battle royal to become the NWA Heritage Champion. He began working for
Dragon Gate USA Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA) is an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2009 as an international expansion of the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. Gabe Sapolsky, former head booker of Ring of Honor, served as the promotion's Vice Presi ...
and Evolve in 2010 as TJP. On Evolve's first show he faced
Munenori Sawa is a Japanese professional wrestler. Sawa was trained by and spent his entire career in the Battlarts promotion, adopting the promotion's "Bati Bati" wrestling style, known for its stiff strikes and submission-based shoot wrestling, but would o ...
in a losing effort, before defeating Kyle O'Reilly at ''Evolve 3''. In Dragon Gate USA, he defeated
Gran Akuma Gran Akuma (born December 20, 1974) is an American retired professional wrestler, best known for his work in Chikara. He has also worked for Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), Dragon Gate USA and Full Impact Pro (FIP). In Chikara, he was a member of ...
at the DGUSA Fearless pay-per-view. In March 2010, Perkins made his debut for
Westside Xtreme Wrestling Westside Xtreme Wrestling, commonly shortened to wXw, is a German professional wrestling promotion based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. wXw has been one of the leading professional wrestling promotions in Germany, and most of its event ...
at their debut show in the United States, losing to
Zack Sabre Jr. Lucas James Uggles Eatwell (born 24 July 1987), known by his ring name and its abbreviated form ZSJ, is an English-born professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). In NJPW, he is the second and current leader of the ...
He also travelled to
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
to wrestle for the promotion in July 2010.


Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2003–2015)

Perkins first began competing in the
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
promotion
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. As of 2024, it is on an extended hiatus. It was created by pro wrestlers Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super ...
(PWG) in 2003 as "Pinoy Boy" T.J. Perkins, appearing at ''Are You Adequately Prepared To Rock?!'' where he pinned
Vito Thomaselli The Thomaselli Brothers are the professional wrestling stable that consists of real life brothers Pauly Thomaselli (Brandon Thomas), Vito Thomaselli (Kent Thomas), and storyline brother Sal Thomaselli (Sal Takavoli). Kent Thomas and Sal Takavoli ...
and ''An Inch Longer Than Average'' where he was on the losing end of a
six-man tag team match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder m ...
. After changing his ring name to Puma in December 2003, he entered the Tango and Cash Invitational Tournament to determine the inaugural
PWG World Tag Team Champions The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned and copyrighted by the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion; it is contested for in their tag team division. The championship was created and d ...
with
Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
as his partner. The pair made it to the second round before being eliminated. Throughout the remainder of 2004, Puma competed regularly in singles matches, defeating competitors including Ricky Reyes,
Tony Kozina Tony Kozina (born October 23, 1970) is an American professional wrestler who is best known for his work in the Pacific Northwest especially in Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling and National Wrestling Alliance. He has also made appearances ...
, Brad Bradley, and The UK Kid. In the first half of the following year, he competed sporadically in PWG, mainly in elimination matches. In July 2005, he changed his ring name to TJ Perkins, and defeated
Davey Richards Wesley David Richards (born March 1, 1983), best known under the ring name Davey Richards, is a retired American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Best known for his time in Impact Wrestling, TNA Wrestling and Ring of Honor, and for ...
and Hardkore Kidd in successive singles matches, but Perkins and
Alex Shelley Patrick Kenneth Martin (born May 23, 1983), better known by the ring name Alex Shelley, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. He is widely known for his tenure ...
subsequently lost a tag team match to the duo. Perkins went on to lose a singles match to Shelley at ''After School Special''. Perkins finished out the year in tag team matches with various partners, and began 2006 the same way. He transitioned back into singles competition at ''Beyond The Thunderdome'' in March 2006, defeating Mr. Excitement, before embarking on a losing streak that lasted until June, when he defeated
Excalibur Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...
. His losing streak included a loss to Rocky Romero in singles competition and alongside him in a tag team match. The duo faced off again at ''Self-Titled'' in October, which Perkins won, but he lost a rematch that same month. He later developed a
feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
with Bino Gambino, facing him in several six-man tag team matches in early 2007. In May, Perkins defeated Gambino in a singles match, before they returned to being on opposite sides in tag team matches in mid-2007. In January 2008 Perkins formed a regular tag team with Hook Bomberry, and the pairing competed in the
Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament The Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament (''DDT4'') was an annual professional wrestling tag team tournament produced by Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) between 2007 and 2015. The inaugural tournament was contested for the vacant PWG World ...
round robin qualifier series. At ''Pearl Habra'' the team defeated
The Young Bucks The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Matthew Massie and Nicholas Massie, who perform under the ring names Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson. , they are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), whe ...
(Nick and Matt Jackson), but lost their next match to Los Luchas (Phoenix Star and Zokre) at ''¡Dia de los Dangerous!''. At ''Scared Straight'' they defeated
Scorpio Sky Schuyler Andrews (born April 2, 1983), better known by the ring name Scorpio Sky, is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former two-time AEW TNT Champion and ...
and Ronin by disqualification, and later in the night Perkins and Bomberry interrupted the match between the Young Bucks and Los Luchas, causing a
no contest ''Nolo contendere'' () is a type of legal plea used in some jurisdictions in the United States. It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. It is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an ...
. This led to a four-way elimination tag team match taking place at ''1.21 Gigawatts'', which was won by Los Luchas. After the qualifier series Perkins and Bomberry got one last chance to enter the DDT4, facing Scorpio Sky and Ronin once again at ''It's a Gift.... and a Curse'', in a losing effort. Perkins went on to defeat Charles Mercury and
Mikey Nicholls Michael Nicholls (born 20 August 1985), better known by his ring name Mikey Nicholls, is an Australian professional wrestler. He works for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is a member of The Mighty Don't Kneel (TMDK). He is best known for his ...
and Mark Davis and Ash Riot in tag team matches, before Perkins returned to singles competition. In November, Perkins participated in PWG's
Battle of Los Angeles The Battle of Los Angeles, also known as the Great Los Angeles Air Raid, is the name given by contemporary sources to a rumored attack on the continental United States by Imperial Japan and the subsequent anti-aircraft artillery barrage which ...
for the first time. He defeated Chuck Taylor in the first round, but was eliminated from the tournament after losing to Bryan Danielson in the second. In January and February 2009, Perkins lost singles matches to both
Austin Aries Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, where he is a t ...
and
B-Boy A b-boy is a person devoted to breaking or break dancing. B Boy may also refer to: Music * "B-Boy", a song by Tech N9ne featuring Big Scoob, Bumpy Knuckles, Kutt Calhoun, and Skatterman from the album '' K.O.D.'', 2009 * "B Boy" (song) by Meek ...
. After moving to Florida in early 2009, Perkins stopped appearing for PWG. Following a hiatus lasting longer than eighteen months, Perkins returned to PWG at ''The Perils of Rock N' Roll Decadence'' in September 2011, losing to Eddie Edwards. He competed regularly for the promotion in 2012 with mixed results. In September, he entered the 2012 Battle of Los Angeles, defeating Joey Ryan in the first round before losing to
Sami Callihan Samuel Alton Johnston (born September 1, 1987), better known by the ring name Sami Callihan, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter. He is signed to Major League Wrestling (MLW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestlin ...
in the quarter-finals.


Ring of Honor (2003–2012)

Perkins debuted in
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
(ROH) in December 2003, using the name Puma, and lost to Josh Daniels. Puma returned to ROH in February 2005, losing to
Homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...
and James Gibson in successive singles matches. His next appearances were in August 2005, where he was on the losing end of a tag team match alongside
Jimmy Rave James Michael Guffey (December 8, 1982 – December 12, 2021), better known by the ring name Jimmy Rave, was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with Ring of Honor (ROH) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). E ...
and a singles match against Ricky Reyes. In his next appearance at ROH's ''Fifth Year Festival: Philly'' show in February 2007, saw Perkins compete under his real name and lose to
Nigel McGuinness Steven Haworth (born 23 January 1972), better known by his ring name Nigel McGuinness, is an English professional wrestling, professional wrestler and commentator. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he serves as a color commentato ...
. Further losses followed in October 2007, before he gained his first victory in ROH by defeating
Kyle O'Reilly Kyle Richard Thomas Greenwood (born March 1, 1987), better known by his ring name Kyle O'Reilly, is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Paragon (professio ...
at ''Tag Title Classic II'' in December 2010. Perkins faced off against Colt Cabana at the Final Battle 2010 internet
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
on December 18, 2010, in which he lost. In January 2011, Perkins appeared for ROH at their WrestleReunion show ''Showdown in the Sun II'', where he lost to Davey Richards. In March, he lost to
Chris Hero William Christopher Spradlin (born December 24, 1979), better known by his ring name Chris Hero, is an American professional wrestler and trainer. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a producer. Hero has worked for a number of indepen ...
and
El Generico Rami Sebei (born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Sami Zayn. Sebei made his professional wrestling debut in 2002 under the ring name Stevie McFly. Pr ...
, before ROH announced that Perkins had signed a contract with the promotion on October 6. He accrued further losses to
Jay Briscoe Jamin Dale Pugh (January 25, 1984 – January 17, 2023), known by his ring name Jay Briscoe, was an American professional wrestler. He was known for his time with his brother Mark Briscoe as the Briscoe Brothers in Ring of Honor, where he was ...
,
Jay Lethal Jamar Shipman (born April 29, 1985), better known by the ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his tenures in Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrest ...
, and Mike Bennett in November and December. At the Final Battle 2011 pay-per-view, Perkins lost to
Michael Elgin Aaron Michael Frobel (born December 13, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Michael Elgin. He is known for his work with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a List of IWGP Intercontinent ...
. In March 2012 he appeared at the pay-per-view 10th Anniversary Show, suffering a tag team loss. As part of the Chikara vs. ROH rivalry, Perkins wrestled at
Showdown in the Sun Showdown in the Sun was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH) that took place over two consecutive days: Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31, 2012 at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale ...
, defeating
Fire Ant Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus ''Solenopsis'', which includes over 200 species. ''Solenopsis'' are stinging ants, and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many of the nam ...
. At ''Unity'', Fire Ant and his allies from The Colony defeated Perkins, Jay Lethal, and
Adam Cole Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989), known by the ring name Adam Cole, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Paragon (professional wrestling), ...
in a six-man tag team match. In April, Perkins began a feud with
Mike Mondo Michael Brendli (born March 26, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE as Mike Mondo and Mikey as a member of The Spirit Squad. He also appeared in Major League Wrestling (MLW) in a tag team with fellow ...
, defeating him in a singles match before teaming with the All Night Express of Kenny King and Rhett Titus to defeat Mondo and The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) at Border Wars. On September 9, 2012, Perkins was released from his ROH contract. He asked for his release, as he felt his ROH contract was restricting other opportunities for him.


Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2004-2016)


Sporadic appearances (2004–2013)

Perkins has also made appearances as Puma with
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
, debuting in 2004, when he worked as a jobber in several ''
TNA Xplosion ''TNA Xplosion'' is a professional wrestling television program that is produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Launched in 2002, the show features highlights from TNA's flagship television program ''Impact!'', exclusive taped matches ...
'' tapings. He was also the first man eliminated in the 2004 Super X-Cup. He participated in a 20-man X-Division gauntlet
battle royal Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...
at Victory Road, but he was the first man eliminated. Two years later, he returned to TNA as a representative of Japan in an International X-Division Showcase match at
Destination X Destination X was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of TNA pay-per-view events, event held by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion TNA Wrestling. The event primarily revolved around the X-Division, the 2005 ...
, facing
Petey Williams Peter Williams III (born August 26, 1981) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a backstage producer. He is best known for his time in Impact Wrestling, where he is a two-time X Division Champion. He is also known for hi ...
,
Chris Sabin Joshua Harter (born February 4, 1982), better known by the ring name Chris Sabin, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 f ...
, and
Sonjay Dutt Retesh Bhalla (born April 7, 1982) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a Glossary of professional wrestling terms#agent, producer and Glossary of professional wrestling terms#manage ...
. The match was ultimately won by Sabin. He also competed in an Xscape match at the following month's
Lockdown A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
. Puma was later a member of
Team Mexico Team Mexico is a professional wrestling stable that was first formed in 2004 to compete in TNA Wrestling's America's X-Cup Tournament and has since returned to compete in other TNA X Cup Tournaments. History 2004 The original team consisted of ...
in the 2006 World X-Cup, alongside
Incognito Incognito is an English adjective meaning "in disguise", "having taken steps to conceal one's identity". Incognito may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''Incognito'', a 1915 film featuring Rae Berger * ''Incognito'' (1937 film), a Dan ...
,
Magno Magno may refer to: * Magno the Magnetic Man, a fictional superhero originally published by Quality Comics * Magno (character), a superhero in the post-Zero Hour future of the DC Comics universe * Rio Magno, a river in Jamaica People * Magno ...
and Shocker. In that tournament, he lost a second round match to Team USA captain Chris Sabin. Puma was the last man eliminated in the third round gauntlet match, by Team Canada captain Petey Williams. Team Mexico finished third, with four points. In July 2007, Perkins returned to TNA as Puma, wrestling in a 10-man Ultimate X Gauntlet at Victory Road, but was the first man eliminated. He returned at the 2008 Victory Road pay-per-view, representing Team Japan in an elimination match, where he was the second one eliminated. On September 22, 2009, Perkins, under his Puma gimmick, returned to TNA to wrestle in a
dark match Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that o ...
, in which he was defeated by
Colt Cabana Scott Colton (born May 6, 1980), better known by the ring name Colt Cabana, is an American professional wrestler, color commentator, and podcaster. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a wrestler and as a coach, and he performs the same ...
. Perkins worked two more dark matches under the ring name T.J. Perkins during the January 10–12, 2011, tapings of ''
TNA Impact! ''TNA Impact!'' (stylized as ''TNA iMPACT!'') is an American professional wrestling television program produced by the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) that debuted on June 4, 2004. It also features wrestlers from WWE's ...
'' losing to
Shannon Moore Shannon Moore (born July 27, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1999 and 2001 and with WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for ...
and
El Generico Rami Sebei (born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Sami Zayn. Sebei made his professional wrestling debut in 2002 under the ring name Stevie McFly. Pr ...
. In September 2012, Perkins competed as Puma against Zema Ion in a dark match main event of a September taping of ''Impact!''. On January 12, 2013, Perkins, as Puma, took part in the tapings of TNA's One Night Only: X-Travaganza special, wrestling in a seven-man
Xscape match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
, which was won by
Christian York Jason Spence (born April 13, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Christian York. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
.


Manik (2013–2016)

On May 23, 2013, Perkins wrestled on an episode of ''
Impact Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...
'' as
Suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
, defeating Petey Williams and Joey Ryan. The win earned him an X Division Championship match against Kenny King and Chris Sabin at Slammiversary XI in an Ultimate X match, which was won by Sabin. On the June 27 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Perkins was revealed as the man behind the mask of Suicide as part of a storyline where he had been attacked and the Suicide costume and mask stolen and utilized by Austin Aries to win the X Division Championship. On June 29, at the tapings of the July 4 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Perkins began using the ring name "Manik", while retaining a modified version of the Suicide costume and mask. He participated in a three-way match for the X Division Championship against Sabin and Aries, which Sabin won to regain the championship; Manik was removed from the match after being attacked by the
Aces & Eights Aces & Eights were a Heel (professional wrestling), villainous Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Stable, stable in the American Professional wrestling promotion, promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, later Impact Wrestling), initi ...
. After Sabin
vacated A vacated judgment (also known as vacatur relief) is a legal judgment that legally voids a previous legal judgment. A vacated judgment is usually the result of the judgment of an appellate court, which overturns, reverses, or sets aside the judgme ...
the championship, Manik entered the tournament to determine the new champion, and advanced to the final by defeating
Chavo Guerrero Jr. Salvador Guerrero IV (born October 20, 1970) better known by his ring names Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero Jr., is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), World Wrestling Fe ...
and Kenny King. On July 18, at the tapings of the July 25 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Manik won the vacant X Division Championship by defeating Greg Marasciuolo and Sonjay Dutt in a three-way Ultimate X match. Including a successful defense against Chris Sabin on the September 26 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Manik held the championship until Bound for Glory on October 20, when he lost it to Sabin in a five-way Ultimate X match. Following a hiatus lasting several months, Manik returned to the promotion at 2014 Lockdown losing to
Tigre Uno Tigre Uno (born April 4, 1981) is a Mexican professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is also best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a one-time TNA X Division Championship, X Division Champion. Outside of ...
in a
steel cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
. At
Slammiversary Slammiversary is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of TNA pay-per-view events, event produced by the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. It is one of TNA's “Big Four” PPV events (along with TNA Hard To Kill, Hard ...
, he participated in a Ladder match for the TNA X Division Championship, but lost the match. On the September 3, 2014, episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Manik was kidnapped by
James Storm James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He currently competes on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He sta ...
and
Sanada Sanada is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Asami Sanada (born 1977), Japanese voice actress *, Japanese shogi player * Juzo Sanada (1923–1994), Japanese baseball player * Hiroki Sanada (born 1984), Japanese baseb ...
; the following week, Storm was shown initiating Manik into a new faction, later called " The Revolution", and the trio later attacked
Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
and
Homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...
, turning
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
in the process. At Bound for Glory, Manik wrestled against Minoru Tanaka but lost the match. At
Slammiversary Slammiversary is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of TNA pay-per-view events, event produced by the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. It is one of TNA's “Big Four” PPV events (along with TNA Hard To Kill, Hard ...
, Manik wrestled in a three-way match for the TNA X Division Championship, in a losing effort. On the September 23, 2015, episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Manik quit The Revolution and took his mask off, turning
face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
in the process. At Bound for Glory, he participated in an Ultimate X match for the
TNA X Division Championship The TNA X Division Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It debuted on June 19, 2002, at the taping of TNA's second then- weekly pay-per-view (PPV) event. The cur ...
, in a losing effort. During October and November, Manik participated in TNA World Title Series where he defeated Mandrews and
DJ Z Michael Paris (born October 5, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, under the ring name Joaquin Wilde. He is a member of the Latino World Order. He was a former founding member of ...
with the exception of
Tigre Uno Tigre Uno (born April 4, 1981) is a Mexican professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is also best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a one-time TNA X Division Championship, X Division Champion. Outside of ...
to gain 6 points, however on the November 25 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', he unexpectedly ended third of his block when he was pinned by DJ Z before Uno could pin him in the three-way match, thus failing to advance the round of 16. On January 12, 2016, Perkins stated that TNA had given him notice that his contract was not being renewed.


Return to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2011)

In late May and early June 2011, Perkins, under the ring name TJP, took part in NJPW's
Best of the Super Juniors The Best of the Super Juniors (stylized as the BEST OF THE SUPER Jr. and often abbreviated BOSJ) is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), typically in May or June. Originally known as Top of the Supe ...
tournament. After winning three of his eight matches in the round robin stage of the tournament, TJP finished seventh out of the nine wrestlers in his block and did not advance to the semifinals.


WWE (2009; 2016–2019)

Prior to signing to
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
in 2016, Perkins competed in multiple tryouts for the promotion in 2009. Perkins appeared on the October 19, 2009, episode of '' Raw''; he was scheduled to face
The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fame a ...
but was replaced by
Marty Jannetty Fredrick Martin Jannetty (born February 3, 1960) is an American retired professional wrestler who has worked for promotions including the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), World Champion ...
before the match as a part of the storyline. The following day Perkins, under the name J.T. Quinn, appeared on '' ECW'' in a match against
Sheamus Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand under the ring name Sheamus. Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on th ...
. The match resulted in a disqualification after
Shelton Benjamin Shelton James Benjamin (born July 9, 1975) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Hurt Syndicate and is one-half of the AEW World Tag Team Champ ...
attacked Sheamus. He also wrestled at
Florida Championship Wrestling Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until ...
, WWE's
developmental territory Development of the human body is the process of growth to maturity. The process begins with fertilization, where an egg released from the ovary of a female is penetrated by a sperm cell from a male. The resulting zygote develops through mitos ...
multiple times that year. On May 7, 2016, Perkins defeated
Fred Yehi Fred Yehi is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in Full Impact Pro, Major League Wrestling, Evolve, Combat Zone Wrestling, Revolution Pro Wrestling and Ring Of Honor. Professional wrestling career Evolve an ...
at Evolve 61 to qualify for WWE's
Cruiserweight Classic The Cruiserweight Classic, formerly the Global Cruiserweight Series, was a professional wrestling tournament and WWE Network event produced by WWE. All participants were billed at a weight of 205 lbs or less to determine the inaugural WWE Crui ...
tournament. In the tournament he defeated
Da Mack Mac Yeboah (born 4 May 1987), better known by his ring name Da Mack, is a German professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw). Professional wrestling career Early career (2008–2013) Da Mack made hi ...
in the first round,
Johnny Gargano John Anthony Nicholas Gargano (born August 14, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand and is one-half of #DIY with Tommaso Ciampa. Gargano is known for his time in NXT, where ...
in the second round,
Rich Swann Richard Anthony Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. he is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Championship (2020–2021), ...
in the quarter-finals,
Kota Ibushi is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his tenure with New Japan-Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) and WWE. His career began with the Dramatic Dre ...
in the semifinals and Gran Metalik in the finals to win the tournament and become the inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Champion. His entrance paid homage to the
Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
. Perkins retained the title against
Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE. He is also known for his time in Ring of Honor (ROH), Impact Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestlin ...
at Clash of Champions, but lost the title in a rematch at
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
after Kendrick faked a knee injury. At Roadblock: End of the Line, Perkins failed to regain the title in a triple threat match against Kendrick and new champion, Rich Swann. Beginning with an attack on
Austin Aries Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, where he is a t ...
on the April 10, 2017, episode of ''Raw'', Perkins formed an alliance with Neville and turned
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
, shortening his ring name to "TJP". The alliance ended when Neville attacked TJP on the June 5 episode of ''Raw''. TJP failed to win the Cruiserweight Championship the following night on ''205 Live'' and then took a hiatus in order to rehab his knee. TJP returned on the January 2, 2018, episode of ''205 Live''. At
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
, he teamed with Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher in a losing effort against Gran Metalik, Kalisto and Lince Dorado. On the January 30 episode of ''205 Live'', TJP defeated
Tyler Bate Tyler Bate (born 7 March 1997) is an English professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE where he performs on the Raw brand and is one of the two members of New Catch Republic, performing alongside Pete Dunne. In 2017, he became the inaugur ...
in the first round of the WWE Cruiserweight Championship tournament. He would go on to face eventual winner Cedric Alexander in the quarterfinals on the February 27 episode in a losing effort. TJP appeared again on September 4, challenging Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander in a non-title losing effort. TJP then began feuding with the Lucha House Party, consisting of Kalisto, Metalik and Dorado, forming an alliance with
Mike Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...
and
Maria Kanellis Mary Louis Kanellis-Bennett (born February 25, 1982) is an American professional wrestler, manager, promoter, singer and model. She is best known for her tenures in WWE, TNA, All Elite Wrestling, and Ring of Honor. Outside of wrestling, she ...
. In February 2019, TJP took part in the Worlds Collide tournament, but was eliminated by Dominik Dijakovic in the first round. On the February 19 episode of ''205 Live'', TJP was defeated by
Humberto Carrillo Humberto Garza Carrillo (born October 20, 1995) is a Mexican professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Berto (shortened from his previous ring names Humberto Carrillo and Humber ...
in what would be his final WWE match. On February 22, 2019, Perkins was released from his WWE contract.


Return to independent circuit (2019)

On May 3, 2019, Perkins returned to the ring following his release from WWE. In his first match back, he competed for
Empire Wrestling Federation The Empire Wrestling Federation (EWF) is an professional wrestling promotion, independent wrestling promotion based in Covina, California. It is owned and operated by Jesse Hernandez. The EWF is also tied to Hernandez's wrestling school, ''The Scho ...
in
Covina, California Covina ( /koviːnə/) is a city in the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles The population was 51,268 according to the 2020 census, up from 47,796 at the 2010 census. ...
. A few days later he would wrestling for
Sami Callihan Samuel Alton Johnston (born September 1, 1987), better known by the ring name Sami Callihan, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter. He is signed to Major League Wrestling (MLW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestlin ...
's promotion, The Wrestling Revolver in a triple-threat with
Rich Swann Richard Anthony Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. he is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Championship (2020–2021), ...
and
Ace Austin Austin James Highley (born February 28, 1997), better known by the ring name Ace Austin, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former three-time TNA X Division C ...
. Following that he would wrestle for various promotions including
AAW Wrestling AAW: Professional Wrestling Redefined or simply AAW Wrestling (AAW), an initialism of its original name, All American Wrestling, is an American independent circuit, independent professional wrestling promotion, based in the Chicago area – ori ...
, PCW Ultra and Defy Wrestling. On October 12, 2019, Perkins wrestled for the
Philippine Wrestling Revolution Philippine Wrestling Revolution (PWR) was an independent circuit, independent professional wrestling promotion based in the Philippines. PWR was founded in December 2013, and closed on September 14, 2022. History Professional wrestling in the ...
against former PWR Champion Jake de Leon in PWR: Homecoming. Perkins won the match after he countered De Leon's submission move into a pinfall win. On November 16, 2019, Perkins appeared at
Amazing Red Jonathan Figueroa (born April 26, 1982), better known by his ring name Amazing Red, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler and promoter. He is best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former three-time X ...
's promotion House of Glory for their "No Limit" event and defeated Mantequilla to win the HOG Crown Jewel Championship.


Return to Impact Wrestling (2019–2021)

TJP returned to
Impact Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...
on the June 21, 2019, episode of ''
Impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a large force or mechanical shock over a short period of time * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Imp ...
'', defeating
Ace Austin Austin James Highley (born February 28, 1997), better known by the ring name Ace Austin, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former three-time TNA X Division C ...
. TJP made an unannounced appearance at Slammiversary XVII, where he competed in a four-way match, which was won by
Willie Mack Willie McClinton Jr. (born January 5, 1987) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Willie Mack, currently appearing in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling, Major League Wres ...
. In September, he forged an alliance with
Fallah Bahh Francis Flores (born August 12, 1985) is an American professional wrestler best known for his time with Impact Wrestling, where he performed under the ring name Fallah Bahh. He began his wrestling career on New Jersey's independent circuit, wrest ...
and they began feuding with
Michael Elgin Aaron Michael Frobel (born December 13, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Michael Elgin. He is known for his work with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a List of IWGP Intercontinent ...
. On the March 31, 2020, special episode of ''Impact'', TJP returned as Manik, teaming with Suicide as his two former personas joined to pick up a victory. On the August 18 special episode of ''Impact'', TJP would fail to win the
Impact X Division Championship The TNA X Division Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It debuted on June 19, 2002, at the taping of TNA's second then- weekly pay-per-view (PPV) event. The cu ...
after
Rohit Raju Rohit Raju (born March 20, 1980) is an American professional wrestler best known for his time with Impact Wrestling, where he is a former one-time Impact X Division Champion. Before working for Impact Wrestling, he worked over 10 years on the ...
pinned the champion
Chris Bey Daquan Christopher Johnson-Bey (born February 13, 1996), better known by the ring name Chris Bey, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), but has been on hiatus due to a broken neck that he suf ...
. He would then fail to win the championship from Raju at Bound for Glory in a Scramble match and on the November 10 episode of ''Impact''. At
Final Resolution Final Resolution is a professional wrestling TNA+ event held by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in December. Initially introduced as a pay-per-view by TNA in 2005, the event originally took place in January until 2008, when TNA moved the event to ...
, TJP revived his Manik persona and defeated Raju to win the Impact X Division Championship, using a loophole through a clause that said TJP could not compete for the title as long as Raju was champion. Raju and Chris Bey would attempt to prove that TJP was in fact Manik but all attempts failed. He retained at Hard To Kill despite attempts to unmask him (which he thwarted by simply wearing face paint). TJP lost the title to Ace Austin at
Sacrifice Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...
, ending his reign at 92 days. He was released by Impact in November 2021, clarifying he had never been signed to the promotion.


Second return to NJPW (2019–present)


Teaming with LA Dojo (2019–2020)

In late July it was announced that Perkins would be wrestling during
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
's
Super J-Cup The Super J-Cup is a periodically held professional wrestling tournament featuring junior heavyweight wrestlers from all over the world promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). This tournament differs from NJPW's annual Best of the Super Juni ...
tournament that would take place during August. He would reach the second round of the tournament after defeating
Clark Connors Connor Deutsch (born October 6, 1993), better known by his ring name Clark Connors, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Bullet Club stable and ...
, before being eliminated by
El Phantasmo Riley Vigier (born October 24, 1986) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he performs under the ring name El Phantasmo (often shortened to ELP) and is the NJPW World Tel ...
. After the tournament, TJP began teaming with Connors regularly. He would then be booked for the Fighting Spirit Unleashed tour that took place in September. In October, TJP would team with Connors in the Super Junior Tag League tournament, where they lost all but one match, therefore finishing the tournament with 2 points and failing to advance to the finals. Perkins would be booked for the New Beginning in USA tour in January and February. In June, TJP took part in secret TV tapings at NJPW's Los Angeles Dojo for a new show named Lion's Break Collision where he teamed with Karl Fredericks to defeat
Jeff Cobb is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. As of May 2025, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name JC Mateo and is a member of The Bloodline. He is best known for his tenure in N ...
and
Rocky Romero John Raymond Rivera (born October 28, 1982), better known by his ring name Rocky Romero (ロッキー・ロメロ, ''Rokkī Romero''), is a Cuban-American professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and All Elite Wrest ...
. Perkins once again teamed with Connors in the Tag Team Turbulence tournament, however they lost to eventual winners
The Good Brothers The Good Brothers are a Canadian country, bluegrass and folk music group originating from Richmond Hill, Ontario. The band's core members are Brian Good (guitar), his twin brother Bruce Good (autoharp) and younger brother Larry Good (banjo). ...
, in the first round.


United Empire (2021–present)

On September 26, TJP joined up with
Will Ospreay William Peter Charles Ospreay (born 7 May 1993) is an English professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former two-time AEW International Champion. He is also known for his eight year tenure with New Japa ...
and joined the
United Empire , originally , is a professional wrestling faction performing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). The group was formed in October 2020 by Will Ospreay and Great-O-Khan, when Ospreay turned on his Chaos st ...
, turning his back on Connors and beginning a feud between the two. The feud ended when Connors defeated TJP. On May 1, 2022, TJP was announced to be competing in the
Best of the Super Juniors The Best of the Super Juniors (stylized as the BEST OF THE SUPER Jr. and often abbreviated BOSJ) is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), typically in May or June. Originally known as Top of the Supe ...
. He competed in the B-block, ending with a record of 4 wins and 5 losses, resulting in 8 points, therefore failing to advance to the finals. On the finals day, TJP and United Empire stablemate
Francesco Akira Francesco Akira Begnini (born November 12, 1999), better known by his ring name Francesco Akira, is an Italian professional wrestler working for the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a part of the Catch 2/2 tag-team alongsid ...
defeated the IWGP Junior Tag Team Champions Master Wato and
Ryusuke Taguchi is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, trained by and performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a former List of IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions, two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, List of IWGP Junior He ...
in a non-title match. On June 20, Perkins and Akira would win the titles. TJP failed to win more championships, as he was unsuccessful against Stong Openweight Champion
Fred Rosser Frederick Douglas Rosser III (born November 2, 1983) is an American professional wrestler and trainer. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a trainer at the NJPW Academy and a former Strong Openweight Champion. He is bes ...
. Back in Japan, TJP and Akira defended the championships against Wato and Taguchi at Burning Spirit. The duo, now going under the name Catch 2/2, defended the titles once more against '' Los Ingobernables de Japon'' ( Bushi and Titán). In November, the team entered the
Super Junior Tag League The Super Junior Tag League is a professional wrestling tag team professional wrestling tournament, tournament held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Established in 2010, but preceded by the G1 Climax Junior Heavyweight Tag League in 2001 (won ...
, although they failed to make it to the final, finishing with 12 points. At Wrestle Kingdom 17, the duo defeated tournament winners
Lio Rush Lionel Gerard Green (born November 11, 1994), better known by the ring name Lio Rush, is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is one-half of CRU with Action Andretti. He also performs ...
and Yoh. TJP and Akira continued to defend the titles into the new year, defeating Douki and
Yoshinobu Kanemaru is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is a member of House of Torture and a former member of Bullet Club. He also works as a backstage producer for NJPW. Professional wrestling career ...
at The New Beginning in Sapporo in February. In April, the duo lost the titles to Jet Setters ( Kushida and Kevin Knight), ending their reign at 311 days. The following month, TJP entered the Best of the Super Juniors 30 tournament, competing in the A Block. TJP finished his campaign with a total of 10 points, failing to advance to the semi-finals. On June 4 at Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall, Catch 2/2 regained the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships in a rematch against Jet Setters. After the match, the duo was confronted by Clark Connors who berated the duo from the entrance ramp, only for the duo to be attacked from behind by United Empire stablemate Dan Moloney, who defected to
Bullet Club , stylized as BULLET CLUB and sometimes shortened to BC, is a professional wrestling Glossary of professional wrestling terms#stable, stable primarily appearing in the Japanese Professional wrestling promotion, promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling ...
alongside Connors. Moloney and Connors received their title shot on July 4 on night 1 of NJPW Independence Day, defeating Catch 2/2 to win the titles, ending TJP and Akira's second reign at 30 days. In August at Multiverse United 2, Catch 2/2 defeated TMDK (
Kosei Fujita is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of The Mighty Don't Kneel stable. He is a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, IWGP Junior Heavyw ...
and
Robbie Eagles James McMath (born 13 February 1990), better known by his ring name Robbie Eagles (ロビー・イーグルス ''Robī Īgurusu''), is an Australian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) ...
). In October at Royal Quest III, TJP teamed with United Empire stablemates, Henare and
Jeff Cobb is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. As of May 2025, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name JC Mateo and is a member of The Bloodline. He is best known for his tenure in N ...
in a losing effort to
Eddie Kingston Edward Moore (born December 12, 1981), better known by the ring name Eddie Kingston, is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is out of in-ring action because of a leg injury, but continues to mak ...
,
Hiroshi Tanahashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, sports executive and Podcast, podcaster. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he serves as the president and representative director of the promotion, and is also an active wrestler. Widel ...
and Michael Oku. Later that month, TJP teamed with Akira once again in the annual
Super Junior Tag League The Super Junior Tag League is a professional wrestling tag team professional wrestling tournament, tournament held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Established in 2010, but preceded by the G1 Climax Junior Heavyweight Tag League in 2001 (won ...
, where the duo finished joint top of the block with 12 points, thus advancing to the tournament finals. In the finals, Catch 2/2 defeated
House of Torture House of Torture is a villainous professional wrestling stable primarily appearing in the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW); it was formerly a sub-grouping of the stable Bullet Club. The stable is led by Evil and also consists of ...
, to win their first Super Junior Tag League tournament, thus earning an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship rematch against Connors and Moloney at Wrestle Kingdom 18. Ahead of the match at Wrestle Kingdom, the two teams faced off in NJPW's first ever coffin match, which was won by Bullet Club, after they locked TJP in the coffin. TJP remained out of NJPW programming including being absent at the Wrestle Kingdom 18 press conference. On January 4, 2024 at Wrestle Kingdom 18, TJP returned alongside Akira, wearing a monstrous mask with red eyes and using mist, in reference to the
Aswang Aswang is an umbrella term for various shape-shifting evil creatures in Filipino folklore, such as vampires, ghouls, witches, viscera suckers, and transforming human-beast hybrids (usually dogs, cats, pigs). The aswang is the subject of a ...
, which are evil creatures in Filipino folklore. Ultimately at the event, TJP and Akira defeated Bullet Club's Connors and Moloney, to regain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships for a third time, only to lose it back to them a month later. On March 12, 2024, TJP claimed himself as leader the NJPW branch of United Empire due to Ospreay leaving NJPW, but would be pushed back by
Great-O-Khan , better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the United Empire stable, the former NJPW World Television Champion in his one time, and the final official ...
due to the stable losing. On April 22 however, after defeating Just 5 Guys in a
gauntlet match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
, the remaining members fully accepted TJP as the new leader of United Empire. In April 2025, TJP was quietly removed as leader of United Empire and was replaced by Callum Newman due to TJP becoming a freelancer after his NJPW contract expiring, though he was still recognized as a member of the group. On May 9 at Resurgence (2025), Resurgence, TJP teamed with Templario to defeat West Coast Wrecking Crew, World Class Wrecking Crew (Royce Isaacs and Jorel Nelson) to win the Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship, Strong Openweight Tag Team Championships for the first time.


Return to MLW (2019–2022, 2024)

In December 2019, Major League Wrestling, MLW announced that TJP would be returning for the company for the first time since 2004, as a part of the Opera Cup (2019), Opera Cup List of MLW tournaments, tournament on December 5, 2019. His return match was in the opening round of the Opera Cup against Brian Pillman Jr. in a losing effort. TJP returned to MLW, the following year for the Opera Cup (2020), Opera Cup, in which he lost to Richard Holliday in the opening round on the November 25 episode of ''MLW Fusion, Fusion''. During 2021 he got an opportunity at the MLW World Tag Team Championships with Bu Ku Dao but failed to win them. In November, in his third participation in the Opera Cup, he reached the final, however, losing to Davey Richards. In 2022 he will also challenge the MLW world middleweight champion, Myron Reed (wrestler), Myron Reed, among others. In 2024, he appeared in the Opera Cup tournament again, as an "injury" alternate for Davey Boy Smith Jr. He won a quarterfinals match against Tom Lawlor, "Filthy" Tom Lawlor only to lose a semifinals match to Kenta Kobayashi, KENTA.


Return to CMLL (2021–2023)

In October 2021 he returns to CMLL for the first time since 2008, fighting in some tag team matches among others with his
United Empire , originally , is a professional wrestling faction performing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). The group was formed in October 2020 by Will Ospreay and Great-O-Khan, when Ospreay turned on his Chaos st ...
partner,
Jeff Cobb is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. As of May 2025, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name JC Mateo and is a member of The Bloodline. He is best known for his tenure in N ...
. In November he gets a match for Volador Jr.'s NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship. TJP will return to CMLL in August 2023 to participate in the CMLL International Gran Prix in Team International.


Personal life

Perkins is a fan of Kobe Bryant. After his death in 2020, Perkins began using a new finisher named the ''Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Frog Splash, Mamba Splash'' in honor of him. During the Speaking Out Movement in 2020, Perkins came out with his own allegations of being sexually abused by older female wrestlers at age fifteen. Perkins is married to fellow professional wrestler Aria Blake. The couple welcomed their first child on August 26, 2021, a boy named James Theodore. In 2023, Perkins' wife announced on her social media that the couple are expecting another child. They welcomed another son, Noah Nikolas, in December of the same year.


Other media

As TJP, he made his video game debut as a playable character in ''WWE 2K18'' and also appears in ''WWE 2K19''.


Championships and accomplishments

*Adrenaline Championship Wrestling **King of Maryland Tournament (2019) *
All Pro Wrestling All Pro Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion and training school, based in Hayward, California. The company was founded by Roland Alexander and managed by him until his death on November 5, 2013. It is located 45 miles so ...
**APW Worldwide Internet Championship (APW Worldwide Internet Championship#Title history, 1 time) *Alternative Wrestling Show **AWS Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times) *Big Time Wrestling **BTW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time) *
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as (EMLL) (''Mexican Wrestling Enterprise''). Founded in 1933, it is the oldest profe ...
**Best New Sensation (2003) **Feud of the Year (2003) *Relentless Wrestling **Relentless Heavyweight Championship (2 time) *
Empire Wrestling Federation The Empire Wrestling Federation (EWF) is an professional wrestling promotion, independent wrestling promotion based in Covina, California. It is owned and operated by Jesse Hernandez. The EWF is also tied to Hernandez's wrestling school, ''The Scho ...
**EWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **EWF Tag Team Championship (EWF Tag Team Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with Liger Rivera *Evolve (professional wrestling), Evolve Wrestling **Breakout Match (2010) vs.
Munenori Sawa is a Japanese professional wrestler. Sawa was trained by and spent his entire career in the Battlarts promotion, adopting the promotion's "Bati Bati" wrestling style, known for its stiff strikes and submission-based shoot wrestling, but would o ...
on January 16
*High Risk Wrestling **HRW Hi-Desert Championship (1 time) * House of Glory **HOG Crown Jewel Championship (1 time) *Mach One Wrestling **NWA Heritage Championship (NWA Heritage Championship#Title history, 1 time) *
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
**Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship (Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship#History, 1 time, current) – with Templario **IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (List of IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, 3 times) – with
Francesco Akira Francesco Akira Begnini (born November 12, 1999), better known by his ring name Francesco Akira, is an Italian professional wrestler working for the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a part of the Catch 2/2 tag-team alongsid ...
**Super Jr. Tag League (Super Jr. Tag League#2023, 2023) – with Francesco Akira **American Young Lions Cup Tournament (2004) *New Tradition Lucha Libre **NTLL Gladiator Championship (1 time) *Power Precision Pro Wrestling **3PWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Damian Blade *''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' **Ranked No. 35 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2017 *SoCal Uncensored (website), SoCal Uncensored **Rookie of the Year (2001) *Impact Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling/Impact Wrestling **Impact X Division Championship, TNA/Impact X Division Championship (List of Impact X Division Champions, 2 times) **Total Nonstop Action Wrestling tournaments#TNA X Division Championship Tournament (2013), TNA X Division Championship Tournament (2013) ** Impact Year End Awards (1 time) *** Impact Year End Awards#2021 Impact Wrestling Awards, Men's Match of the Year (2021) *Toy Wrestling Organisation **T.W.O World Championship (2 time) *United Independent Wrestling Alliance **UIWA Lightweight Championship (1 time) *UWA Hardcore Wrestling **UWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *World Power Wrestling **Best in the World Tournament (2006) * World Series Wrestling ** World Series Wrestling#WSW Australian Championship, WSW Australian Championship (1 time) *
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
**NXT Cruiserweight Championship, WWE Cruiserweight Championship (List of NXT Cruiserweight Champions, 1 time, inaugural) **
Cruiserweight Classic The Cruiserweight Classic, formerly the Global Cruiserweight Series, was a professional wrestling tournament and WWE Network event produced by WWE. All participants were billed at a weight of 205 lbs or less to determine the inaugural WWE Crui ...
(2016)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, T.J. 1984 births Living people American male professional wrestlers Masked wrestlers Professional wrestlers from Los Angeles American professional wrestlers of Filipino descent American expatriate professional wrestlers in Japan NXT/WWE Cruiserweight Champions American people of Filipino descent 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century American professional wrestlers TNA/Impact X Division Champions IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Super Junior Tag League winners Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions