10 Things You Didn’t Know About TJ Perkins
The life and extraordinary times of the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion.
In recent weeks, TJ Perkins has shot to prominence off the back of his escapades in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic. Overcoming the likes of Johnny Gargano, Rich Swann, Kota Ibushi and Gran Metalik, Perkins went on to win the competition outright and become the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion, despite not exactly being one of the pre-tournament favourites.
Then again, his victory shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, given that this is a guy who’s been wrestling since the age of 13 - meaning that at just 32 years-old he’s almost got two decades of experience under his belt already.
Not only does that kind of longevity mean that he’s more than capable of handling the spot he’s been thrust into; it also means that he’s put together a huge body of work that’s spawned a number of lesser-known trivia nuggets.
This article rounds up some such examples as we count down ten things you may not have known about the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion, TJ Perkins.
10. Born And Raised In LA
If you saw Perkins in action in the Cruiserweight Classic, chances are you’ll have seen the colossal flag of the Philippines emblazoned on the TitanTron during his entrance, and you’ll likely have heard Mauro Ranallo refer to him as the 'Filipino Flyer'.
Which is why it may be a little odd to learn that Perkins was actually born and raised in the United States. Los Angeles, California to be exact.
Not that I’m calling him a fraud, of course, because he is indeed of Filipino descent. In fact, Perkins identifies with his roots so strongly that it was his decision to officially represent the Philippines at the recent Cruiserweight Classic.
He’s since stated in an interview on the TJR Podcast that his choice was based on “giving back to a culture that doesn’t have a lot of inspiration”. Fast forward to today, and with the WWE Cruiserweight Championship around his waist, I think it’s fair to say that he’s achieved just that.