An AEW star quits on-air?
More potential Royal Rumble surprises.
And it’s time for New Japan’s annual crisis where everyone could leave.
STOP HAVING ALL YOUR CONTRACTS EXPIRE IN THE EXACT SAME MONTH EVERY YEAR!
I’m Oli Davis, and this is the WrestleTalk News.
All In 2023 wasn’t just a milestone for AEW’s growth.
It was a milestone in wrestling history, a huge indicator that we’re living through
a genuine pro wrestling boom period.
The secondary company set a new paid attendance record for the business.
But like many of AEW’s crowning achievements over the last year and a half, it was immediately
undermined by backstage shenanigans.
Following a previously reported backstage confrontation between Jungle Boy Jack Perry
and CM Punk at an episode of Collision, where Punk stopped Perry from using real glass in
a weapon spot because that’s a needless risk - so far, so sensible - Perry used a
limo’s windscreen glass in his All In match, looking directly into the camera and saying:
“You know what this is right here?
Real glass.
Go cry me a river.”
Punk reportedly responded to this, being very safety conscious and wanting to create a protective
behind-the-scenes atmosphere, by getting in an actual fight with Perry as soon as he got
backstage.
Punk was punished by being swiftly fired with cause by AEW, where he would show up in WWE
several months later, become one of the most popular people in wrestling again, likely
set up to win the Royal Rumble, main event a WrestleMania in the next couple of years,
and make loads of money.
Let that be a lesson to you, kids.
Your actions have consequences.
But while Punk showed up on Survivor Series, and then Raw, and then SmackDown, Jungle Boy
was nowhere to be seen.
Following his backstage altercation with Punk in August, Perry was suspended indefinitely
by AEW.
There was speculation he could be making his return as the Devil that was tormenting MJF,
but that was revealed to be Adam Cole at December 30th’s Worlds End.
In the five months since, there’s been no update on Perry’s actual AEW status.
So he’s just shown up in another wrestling promotion instead.
Making his first appearance in the 139 days since All In, Perry jumped the rail after
the opening match at New Japan’s Battle in the Valley show on the 13th January - attacking
Shota Umino.
He then got into the ring, produced his AEW contract from his pocket, and tore it in two.
He treats his paper even worse than he treats his glass!
He then put on an armband with ‘THE SCAPEGOAT’ written on.
A likely reference to Perry being used as the scapegoat for Punk.
A reference that falls apart, though, when you remember Punk got fired for it, so he
was his own goat.
New Japan World’s X account posted the clip only referring to Perry as The Scapegoat - implying
this could be Jungle Boy’s new name in the promotion.
So what does this mean for him in AEW?
F4WOnline writes that Perry’s “current AEW status is unknown” and that he filed
for several trademarks in December, including Jungle Boy, Jurassic Express and A Boy and
His Dinosaur - the latter two being names he used for his tag team with Luchasaurus.
I MEAN KILLSWITCH.
Don’t hurt me, daddy.
Typically, filing for trademarks is a precursor to wrestlers trying to leave the promotions
they’re contracted to, before they go out to make it on their own in other companies.
So that’s it!
Jungle Boy has quit AEW.
Or maybe they ended up firing him.
Whatever happened, we just know Jack Perry is no longer All Elite… just one more thing.
Perry didn’t show up at a AAA show, or an NXT event.
He did this in New Japan - whom AEW has a strong working relationship, with Jon Moxley
and Eddie Kingston both wrestling on this same show.
New Japan would not allow a wrestler to disrespect such a valued partner unless it was preapproved.
Them letting Perry tear up his AEW contract on-air heavily implies this is all a big worky
mcworkface.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Perry will show up on AEW anytime soon, though.
Perhaps Tony Khan is hoping New Japan can be a kind of gimmick rehab for Jungle Boy,
where he can win back fans he might have alienated back in August, building support, so when
he does return to AEW, he’s the most over he can possibly be.
How would you book Jack Perry’s AEW return?
Tell me by being an overly loving best brother to Nick Wayne with Christian as his dad in
the comments down below, where I’ll be replying to people FROM OUTTA NOWHERE.
I bet AEW watched this happen and went, jeez, I’m glad we don’t have any talent contract
issues in our promotion…
oh no wait, they have all the talent contract issues in their promotion.
Before I get into that, though, here’s a short clip of our brand new 3 Count episode
- predicting every WWE star’s Royal Rumble in 3 words or less/fewer.
Or in Luke’s case, 4 WORDS.
New Japan talent contracts mostly seem to run from January to January.
A smart idea to optimise HR procedures.
You can role out all the new documentation in one fell swoop, and you don’t have to
worry about doing it again for another year.
The problem is, that means everyone’s contracts come due at the same time.
Top star Will Ospreay has already announced he’s signed with AEW, where he’s set to
start once his New Japan dates have finished.
Longtime OG Bullet Club member Tama Tonga said January will be his last month in New
Japan - immediately following him winning the NEVER Openweight Championship at WrestleKingdom
on January 4th.
Fightful Select is reporting practically all of the Bullet Club War Dogs faction have either
had their contracts expired already, or are expiring by the end of this month - with Clark
Connors, Alex Coughlin, Gabriel Kidd and Drilla Moloney having their deals up in January.
And the biggest of all, the Ace of New Japan himself, Kazuchika Okada, is set to become
a free agent at the end of the month - where there is reportedly significant interest in
him from WWE.
In a new development, Okada has also done a Jungle Boy - filing to trademark his Rainmaker
nickname.
A sign he could be looking at a career outside of New Japan.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that Tonga, along with several other foreigners,
are looking to leave New Japan when their contracts expire in January - and that “it
is going to be harder and harder for New Japan to keep top foreign talent, because of the
huge discrepancy in pay between New Japan with WWE and AEW.”
New Japan is entering a new phase, with Hiroshi Tanahashi taking over as the promotion’s
president.
One of the first things he’s got to do is start spreading out these contract expiration
dates over the course of the year, as having them all come due in the same month not only
means New Japan is at the sudden risk of losing half their main event scene - like we already
saw back in 2016 when WWE signed AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows and Shinsuke Nakamura,
and when AEW formed in 2019, taking with them Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks and more - but
it means they’ll end up having to spend way more money to keep any talent, as their
negotiating position will be severely hampered by everyone knowing what a mess they’re
in.
All at the same time when the most famous ‘let’s have some surprise new signings’
show is every year.
All of New Japan to Royal Rumble confirmed.
The Wrestling Observer is reporting that both Sheamus and Xavier Woods are “expected back
over the next few weeks” after being out injured, and PWInsider write Sonya Deville
has been training at the Performance Center recently to get ready for a return.
Sheamus, Xavier Woods and Sonya Deville Royal Rumble returned confirmed.
There’s also the news that Trinity, the former Naomi in WWE, has dropped her Knockouts
Championship to Jordynne Grace at TNA’s Hard to Kill - fueling rumours she’ll also
be returning for the Royal Rumble.
But what’s Lee Bay doing in the Impact Zone?
Sitting in the balcony for Trinity vs Grace was Retribution!
Wow, I knew TNA were teasing a gamechanging signing, but I didn’t know it’d be that
big.
The Retribution members in question were Mercedes Mone and Bayley cheering on their friend,
aww.
Mercedes wasn’t the only former WWE talent - or is she?!
Banks Royal Rumble return confirmed - at the newly relaunched TNA, though.
The event saw the debut of Dana Brooke, now going by the perfume brand style name Ash
by Elegance, and the former Dolph Ziggler Nic Nemeth, hot off making his New Japan debut
at WrestleKingdom.
It’s pretty cold out there this week.
You might say STONE COLD, STONE COLD, STONE COLD!
So here’s a clip from Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Instagram, of him trying out his new cold
plunge pool to warm you up.
I actually got a cold plunge for Christmas, and so far, I’ve done it every day this
year - there’s a photo!
But despite all that cold, my penis is still ...
I can’t find it.
It’s gone, I haven’t seen it in days.
Now go watch Luke and I predict every WWE main roster star’s Royal Rumble in 3 words
or less/fewer.