Top AEW star lashes out at Jack Perry; says he's been "rewarded for bad behavior"
Jack Perry has been on a rampage ever since returning to AEW earlier this year. Ahead of tonight's Blood & Guts match, the 27-year-old has been called out by a longtime rival: Darby Allin.
Jack Perry was a fan favorite as Jungle Boy and a staple of AEW's early programming. However, the young star was suspended after his infamous altercation with CM Punk at All In 2023, which led him to debut for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Now, The Scapegoat has a chip on his shoulder, and he's taking out his anger on Tony Khan and anyone else who gets in his way.
This led Perry to join The Elite, who had decided the time was right to seize control of the company. The villainous faction will take on Team AEW in a Blood & Guts match on tonight's Dynamite.
Darby Allin spoke to Justin Barrasso for Sports Illustrated this week, and he addressed Jack Perry's aggressive character. The former TNT Champion claimed that Perry had been rewarded for his bad behavior:
"It’s pretty cool to see what Jack is doing now," said Allin, carefully choosing his words. "Everyone always says a pro wrestler is at their best when they’re themselves turned up to ten. In real life, he’s an idiot. He’s entitled. So he’s getting to be his real self. I feel like he’s been rewarded for bad behavior. I don’t care for him."
Jim Ross thinks Jack Perry's best days are ahead of him
Jack Perry is a foundational talent in All Elite Wrestling, but his first few years in the promotion were spent as a loveable babyface who primarily competed in the tag team division.
However, legendary commentator Jim Ross saw something in the young star and insisted on referring to him as 'Jungle Boy' Jack Perry, knowing that the latter would want to evolve and use his real name eventually.
That seems to have paid off, and Perry has established himself as a major presence in AEW. On a recent edition of Grilling JR, Jim Ross claimed that the 27-year-old's best days are ahead of him before stating that the current TNT Champion is one of the company's building blocks.
"I'm anxious to see how far he's allowed to take this gimmick and how far he's going to be able to evolve in it, because I think he's a future big star. I think he's one of the building blocks; Jack Perry is one of the building blocks of AEW without a doubt," Ross said.
The former Jungle Boy has a tall task ahead of him, as he's set to step into the cage for Blood & Guts on tonight's Dynamite. If he survives that, he might have Darby Allin waiting to challenge him for the TNT Championship at All In 2024.