A candid interview from Jack Perry.
It was in January at NJPW Battle in the Valley that Jack Perry made his return to pro wrestling. He ambushed Shota Umino and then proceeded to pull out an AEW contract and rip it up. Perry began sporting an armband with ‘scapegoat’ written on in it and that is the moniker he is going by now.
He had been away from the pro wrestling space since AEW All In at Wembley Stadium. Perry got into a physical altercation with CM Punk which led to Punk being fired from the company and Perry being suspended.
Perry competed in the 2024 New Japan Cup tournament and is scheduled to wrestle Shota Umino at Windy City Riot on April 12th. Ahead of the event, he was interviewed by NJPW1972.com. He told the site that he came to Japan to start a new chapter without having to apologize or pretend to be sorry for the actions of others. He added that ripping up the AEW contract was a declaration and if the company is too afraid to have him back, that’s fine by him.
Well, Japan for me is an opportunity, not to start over, but start a new chapter without having to apologize or pretend to be sorry for the actions of other people. It’s a way that I can stay true to myself and continue to grow despite everything that’s gone on.
Ripping that contract was a declaration. I’m not playing by your rules anymore. If (AEW) are too afraid to have me anymore, if the specter of Jack Perry is too much, they don’t want to deal with the conversations, the ramifications that brings, then that’s fine.
I don’t need them. I will go by myself across the world, all by myself, without any of my friends, without any of the things I’m used to, anything that’s been my life for the last five years, and I’ll do it on my own, make my own way.
Perry was asked if he’s ‘AEW’s Jack Perry’ or does he associate himself with the NJPW brand, being a freelancer or just representing HOUSE OF TORTURE. He responded with the following:
Some of these things are unclear even to me (what company/group I’m representing), but I would say this: Loyalty is a two-way street, and I show loyalty to those who are loyal to me. As of now, certain parties have been very good to me, and I intend to repay that.
Following up on that, Perry went on to explain what the ‘scapegoat’ nickname means to him:
I think it’s ingrained in human nature to be afraid of blame, and the disapproval of others. At the end of the day, that’s weakness. That’s a weak mindset, a weak soul. If you know the truth, what good is the opinion of other people? If you know the truth, you have power. I’m not shying away from the blame. If you need me to be the scapegoat because you don’t have the bravery to stand up for your own actions, then that’s fine. I’m man enough to take that blame from all of us and I’m not going to shy away from it.
He spoke about joining up with HOUSE OF TORTURE. He was not expecting it, but is not upset about it. Perry described himself as one of if not the most hated wrestler in North America.
I wasn’t really expecting what’s come about, but I’m certainly not upset about it (aligning with HOUSE OF TORTURE). I almost feel comfortable here now. Being one of if not probably the most hated wrestler in North America, as I start a new chapter in Japan, why not pick up as I left off? As I said, people, especially where I came from, are afraid. They don’t want to confront what’s looking at them in the eyes. These guys aren’t afraid. They deal with all this sh*t from people every day. I respect that. Deal with it, move forward and be who you want to be, not what people expect you to be.
His upcoming match against Shota Umino is going to be in Chicago, Illinois, the hometown of CM Punk. Perry said the reaction he’s going to get is what he’s all about. He added that he cannot wait to be in front of those who think they know what his exact situation has been and is.
I imagine people think I’ll be off my game in Chicago, and they couldn’t be more wrong. I’m absolutely thrilled to be back in the Windy City. The reaction that I know I’m going to get is exactly what this is all about. I’ve made it very clear that I’m not going to apologize to anybody, and I won’t pretend that things didn’t go down the way they did. I can’t wait to be in front of all these people who think they know what it’s all about, hearing what they think of me. I’ll be in my home country, but it doesn’t feel like my home anymore. So Shota, come over, give me your best shot, but if you think it’s going to be any easier, you’re sadly mistaken.
AEW President Tony Khan weighed in on Perry’s NJPW run and believes he’s doing great. To read Khan’s comments, click here.
Perry versus Umino is one of the bouts on the bill for the match card that is listed below:
- Hiromu Takahashi vs. Mustafa Ali
- Tetsuya Naito vs. Jon Moxley
- Eight-Man Riot Rules Match: Eddie Kingston, TBA, TBA & TBA vs. Gabe Kidd, TBA, TBA & TBA
- Nic Nemeth vs. Tomohiro Ishii
- Shota Umino vs. Jack Perry
- NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships — Four-Corner Tag Match: El Phantasmo & Hikuleo (c) vs. Fred Rosser & Tom Lawlor vs. T.M.D.K. (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) vs. TBA
