AEW star credits nWo member for convincing them to return to wrestling since leaving WWE
AEW has quite a lot of crossover with WWE, which is natural after so many talents jumped over from the promotion. However, according to CJ Perry, speaking to a nWo member revitalized her passion for wrestling management.
Before her release from WWE, Perry took on a different role in pro wrestling, as she actively began to compete. While she had moderate success, it unfortunately didn't seem like she'd ever reach the heights of the top women in the promotion.
During a recent interview with Fightful, CJ Perry spoke about her return to wrestling and the role Dennis Rodman had in it:
"Him and I instantly connected because we love wrestling and also the athlete connection in a competitive, professional sport. He pulled me aside and he said this on camera. I got really hot because I was focused, I wanted to become champion."
"I didn’t even win the 24/7 Championship. He pulled me aside and he was like, ‘You know what, you shouldn’t wrestle. You need to manage.’ He goes, ‘That’s your calling. You’re gonna be the best wrestling manager.’ But he’s like, ‘You’re never gonna be the best wrestler.’" (H/T: Fightful).
Missed out on last week's AEW Dynamite? Catch up with the results right here.
The AEW star wants to become her own version of Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is considered by many to be one of the best, if not the best, wrestling managers, and it's believable that he inspired many stars. While her AEW debut came out of the blue to many, according to Perry, it was planned for almost 2 years.
Continuing in the same interview, she explained that while Dennis Rodman's assessment hurt, she knew it was true:
"I knew what he was saying was true and I wanted to do that in WWE. Paul Heyman was my favorite and I wanted to be the first female version of Jerry Maguire come to life in professional wrestling [or] Ari Gold from the Entourage. My version of Paul Heyman." (H/T: Fightful).
The AEW star also recently commented on her controversial cuckold storyline with Bobby Lashley and revealed that Vince McMahon himself came up with the angle. CJ Perry definitely has a lot of work to do to distance herself from her Lana character, but going back to her roots as a manager will likely be a good way forward.