Highlights
- AEW Dynamite risks backlash by airing real-life fight between CM Punk and Jack Perry from All In, turning it into a storyline.
- Tony Khan defends decision, claiming it made sense to show the footage, helping to further character development and storyline between tag teams.
- Jack Perry’s absence from AEW TV may actually benefit him, as he gets a superstar reaction in New Japan Pro Wrestling after playing up his “Cry me a river” persona.
AEW Dynamite took a big risk on its April 10 episode when they delivered on their promise to show the infamous backstage fight at All In between CM Punk and Jack Perry, a brawl which resulted in Punk being fired and Perry not being seen in AEW since. AEW turned the real life incident into a storyline, as Matthew and Nicholas Jackson, the Young Bucks, presented the footage as an excuse for why they lost to FTR at All In, right before they look to face them again at the Dynasty pay-per-view for the vacant tag team titles. AEW took a lot of criticism for the move, with some saying that Tony Khan was desperate and too focused on WWE and the past. So what did the AEW President have to say about it?
Tony Khan was a guest on The Chris Russell Show, where the host asked if he regretted showing the All In footage. Khan said:
“I think it made a lot of sense… We’ve seen the Young Bucks change a lot. We saw them get really dark during the retirement run of Sting. They’ve only gotten darker and more twisted. That’s why they felt like they should play the tape.
“It was fascinating to see after the tape played, the reaction Jack Perry got at New Japan. He got the reaction of a superstar. That is not altogether unexpected and it’s something very interesting, perhaps a side effect of this.” (h/t
SEScoops
)
Why Jack Perry Has Been Gone From AEW TV, Explained
Jack Perry hasn’t been seen in AEW since his backstage fight with CM Punk at AEW All In, but that doesn’t mean he’s no longer wrestling.
AEW has been heavily criticized for airing the All In backstage fight, but it could turn out to help them. The company has been accused of having great wrestling but not enough interesting storylines. Having the Young Bucks and FTR play into a real life situation can further the drama between the two tag teams.
It can also do a lot for Jack Perry. The former Jungle Boy was coming into his own as a great heel before the incident at All In, which came about after he yelled, “Real glass, go cry me a river!” at a camera after smashing Hook through a windshield. Though he hasn’t been used in AEW since then, he is now working in New Japan Pro Wrestling, calling himself the Scapegoat. It all resulted in a fun moment last week at the NJPW Windy City Riot pay-per-view in Chicago, where Perry came out wearing a jacket with “Cry me a river” written on the back. Perry played up to the pro CM Punk crowd, having so much fun with the past that, by the end of the match, most of the crowd was cheering him. If Jack Perry returns to AEW soon, it could elevate him and give the company some attitude that they desperately need.
