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TJP may come off as an exuberant character with his flashy demeanor and habitual dabs, but do not let that make you think for one second that he can't back it up inside the squared circle. As a matter of fact, The Duke of Dab is an immensely talented grappler and mixes it up with equal amount of acrobatic maneuvers.
His technical skills are a testament to the training that he received early on in his career at New Japan Pro Wrestling's Los Angeles dojo, along with current WWE Superstars Shinsuke Nakamura and Daniel Bryan as he became the youngest American to compete for New Japan.
After competing for NJPW and Impact Wrestling among other promotions, TJP took part in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament in 2016 and went on to win the tournament and became the inaugural Cruiserweight Champion. TJP left WWE on February 22, 2019, and since then, he has returned to Impact Wrestling and NJPW to compete for both the promotions.
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Recently, Sportskeeda's Gary Cassidy caught up with TJP in an episode of Dropkick DiSKussions to talk about his return to Impact Wrestling and New Japan, his run in WWE and much more.
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Now, you can check out some of the best matches from TJP's in-ring career listed below:
#5 TJP vs El Phantasmo (NJPW)
TJP faced Bullet Club's El Phantasmo in the second round of New Japan Pro Wrestling's Super J Cup tournament this year in August. The Fil-Am Flash returned to the Japanese promotion for the first time in over eight years and made a lasting impression in the match.
The Super J Cup is a single-elimination tournament in which junior heavyweight or cruiserweight wrestlers from all over the world take part to determine who is the best. The tournament was created by legendary junior heavyweight wrestler Jushin Thunder Liger.
In the match, TJP tried to submit El Phantasmo with the Kneebar but the Headbanga resorted to underhanded tactics and hit TJP with a low-blow when the referee's back was turned and pinned him with a roll-up. Although he lost the match, TJP received a warm ovation from the crowd.
#4 T.J. Perkins vs Johnny Gargano (WWE)
TJP, who was then billed as T.J. Perkins took on Johnny Gargano in the second round of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament on August 24, 2016. It was an important match for both of them as the winner was due to be handed the chance of advancing to the finals of the tournament with the hopes of becoming the inaugural Cruiserweight Champion.
Both of them engaged in a physically taxing match and mesmerized the crowd with top-notch wrestling and hard-hitting offense. Towards the end of the match, Gargano tried to hit Perkins with a dragon suplex but the latter countered it with the Kneebar and forced Gargano into submission to win the match.
#3 Puma [TJP] vs Petey Williams vs Chris Sabin vs Sonjay Dutt (Impact Wrestling)
In NJPW, TJP wrestled as a masked wrestler named Puma, which shares similarities with NJPW's junior heavyweight wrestler Tiger Mask. He brought back this gimmick in Impact Wrestling during 2006's Destination X PPV in a four-way International X-Division Showcase match where he faced Petey Williams, Chris Sabin and Sonjay Dutt.
The X-Divsion is Impact Wrestling's version of the cruiserweight division where wrestlers partake in matches that involve high risk aerial maneuvers. All the wrestlers involved gave it their all but Sabin came out as the victor when he pinned Puma after delivering the Cradle Shock on him.
#2 T.J. Perkins vs Kota Ibushi (WWE)
Perkins faced one of the greatest junior heavyweight wrestlers of all time in the form of Kota Ibushi in the semi-finals of the 2016 WWE Cruiserweight Classic where The Golden Star was almost everyone's pick to win the match and the whole tournament.
However, after coming so far into the tournament, Perkins was not willing to go out without a fight. Ibushi tried to put away The Fil-Am Flash with a Golden Star Powerbomb but Perkins kicked out of that to everyone's amazement.
When Ibushi tried to hit T.J. Perkins with another Powerbomb, Perkins countered it into the Kneebar and forced the Japanese sensation to tap out. Perkins defied all odds to beat Ibushi and elevated his status as a technical wrestler. Both wrestlers received standing ovations from the crowds after their exhilarating performance, and Ibushi congratulated Perkins at the end of the match.
#1 T.J. Perkins vs Gran Metalik (WWE)
In one of the most important matches of his career, Perkins faced Gran Metalik in the finals of the 2016 WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament. After a fast-paced back and forth battle, Perkins submitted the Mexican Superstar with the Kneebar to win the first-ever Cruiserweight Classic and also became the inaugural Cruiserweight Champion.
Perkins would go on to enjoy a decent run with the Championship before he dropped it to The Brian Kendrick in a match at the 2016 Hell in a Cell event, thereby ending his reign as the Cruiserweight Champion at the 45-day mark.
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