Every WWE Cruiserweight Classic Wrestler - Where Are They Now?

Tournament result: Winner.

What was he doing at the time?

A quote-unquote EVOLVE exclusive at the time of his entering the Cruiserweight Classic, TJ Perkins entered WWE life already with some mild acclaim under his belt. He had been the latest iteration of the Suicide character in TNA before it was renamed to Manik during his tenure, and he was the most popular and successful version of the video game character come to life since Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels' shared duties. Donning the mask also allowed Perkins to delve deeper into his character development, and away from the clean-cut babyface he later portrayed in WWE.

What is he doing now?

Now going by the abbreviated TJP, WWE's inaugural - let's not get into that discourse - Cruiserweight Champion is still going strong at 41, but he's working an admittedly reduced schedule on the indies after wrapping up his 4 years with New Japan in 2025. That was arguably the best run of his career, as he joined the Will Ospreay-fronted United Empire and was a stalwart of the junior heavyweight tag scene with Francesco Akira.

Don't rule out a WWE return, either: As well as guesting as a Performance Center coach in late 2025, TJP makes the occasional appearance for the WWE-operated AAA, most recently challenging for the World Cruiserweight Championship. For now, though, he remains a freelancer.